Waterfall Wonder at Buttermilk Falls Natural Area in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Buttermilk Fall Natural Area Captivates With a Waterfall Near Pittsburgh

Buttermilk Falls Natural Area in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania delighted us with a picturesque waterfall walk on our recent trip to Pittsburgh. We travel from Chicago to Pittsburgh at least once per year and have slowly been uncovering an interesting bevy of waterfalls along the route. We are constantly amazed by the uniqueness of each cascade that we have discovered and Buttermilk Falls dazzled just as much as the falls we explored on previous visits.

A mini-cascade charms at Buttermilk Falls Park.

Buttermilk Falls is a bit tucked away, so keep your eyes open when looking for it. After parking, we descended down into the gorge. The hike from the lot to the cascade is not too far and is fairly easy. We walked along the creek admiring rapids and mini-cascades at different points. Although railroad tracks border the preserve and a train rolled by during our visit, we still felt the natural magic of the preserve.

Buttermilk Falls Park once was the site of a quarry.

Buttermilk Falls Park Once Was a Quarry

The area once served as a quarry for a variety of rocks including Homewood Sandstone, limestone, and coal. Homewood sandstone was used locally in the construction of bridges, piers and more. Today, we can enjoy viewing interesting escarpments while wandering the preserve. Interesting boulders add more to the landscape. While observing the intriguing scenery, we noted a wealth of birds singing as well.

Buttermilk Falls tumbles into a calm pool below.

Admiring the Waterfall

Approaching the waterfall, we observed that you could wind your way through the cavern behind the falls. Pretty cool! The 20' waterfall tumbled into a calmer pool below. Buttermilk Falls also known as Homewood Falls crafts one of those magical nature moments that inspire us all. As the creek meandered from the waterfall, a few little drops and rapids add to the preserve.

Rapids intrepidly falling over boulders at Buttermilk Falls Natural Area.

After savoring views at Buttermilk Falls, it was time to wander back to the car and return to our journey. We paused a bit as we took in the rapids one last time. Buttermilk Falls is such a special little place and we are fortunate to have discovered it.