Tillman Falls

One for the list

Is it plungeworthy?

—feet tall

A waterfall on Tillman Brook.

Scale12/60

Documentation10/20

Character8/20

The details

Watercourse: Tillman Brook
Coordinates: 41.15788, -74.8585

Get directions →

About Tillman Falls

Tillman Falls is a waterfall in New Jersey, on Tillman Brook.

It's fullest after rain, and flow can drop off during dry spells — plan around recent weather.

Plungeworthy rates Tillman Falls 3/10 — one for the list. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Tillman Falls isn't one waterfall — it's a ravine. Tillman Brook drops through a mossy, hemlock-shaded gorge in Stokes State Forest, stringing together small cascades on its way down, and the named highlight is Tea Cup Falls: a ten-foot slide that pours into a naturally carved rock bowl.

Come for the ravine, not a big drop. The 517-acre natural area is one of the prettiest short walks in northern New Jersey — dark green, cool on hot days, and photogenic at every bend.

Don't confuse this with Buttermilk Falls or Silver Spray Falls — those are in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area near Layton, a separate trip (and a gap in our database we intend to fix).

Getting there

Trailhead: Tillman Ravine upper parking lot, Brink Road, Stokes State Forest (Sussex County)
Parking: Two lots with rustic latrines; December 15 through April 15 the ravine road is gated — park at the 4-H camp pulloff and walk in
Road: Brink Road — gravel, fine for cars
Hike: 2 mi round trip (Easy to moderate — dirt, roots, rocks, one short rock-face scramble; fine for kids around five and up)
Heads up: Stokes State Forest camping: 90 standard sites, 10 cabins, 9 lean-tos; leashed-pet sites 101-137. Alcohol prohibited in camping areas.

When to go

Spring for the strongest flow; the ravine's hemlock shade makes it a legitimate summer-heat escape, and the mossy gorge photographs well in any season.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Free on weekdays and off-season; Memorial Day-Labor Day weekends and holidays $10 NJ plates / $20 out-of-state
Dogs: Leashed, six feet, clean up required
Hours: Sunrise to sunset
Camping: In Stokes State Forest campgrounds — not in the ravine
Warnings: Wet rock in the ravine is slick — the scramble section demands real footwear.

Researched from NJ DEP — Stokes State Forest · njHiking — Tillman Ravine. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Tillman Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.