Waterfalls, foliage, and ice, oh my. Complete with photos.

At the cusp of Autumn, and beyond (shudder), I thought it might be nice to share some photos taken over the years of one of Johnstown’s true hidden treasures: Sam’s Run flowing through Lorain Boro and Stonycreek Township. With beautiful scenery any time of the year, the hike ranges from easy to moderately difficult from beginning to end. Once the Lorain Boro Trail turns right up Belmont Hill you’ll have to hike the stream bed the rest of the way to the falls. Be prepared to get your feet wet as it can be a bit of a scramble. Conversely, you can find a place to park in Belmont and make a quick, if difficult scramble down the falls itself. I’ve included a map in the gallery to provide a reference.

Park at the Lorain Boro ballfield parking lot and follow the road all the way up past the pavilion and into the woods. You might park outside the gate at the pavilion and save yourself a few minutes but, frankly, I’m have no confidence when gates are locked or unlocked anywhere around here so I just walk the extra couple hundred yards. The road leads right to the path, the path leads right to the ‘crick,’ and the creek leads right to the falls. The hike probably takes about a half hour each way, but I can’t be sure as I’m forever stopping to take photos. If you’d rather not make the effort, here are some of those photos for your enjoyment.