Ricketts Glen is good year-round but very different in each season. Late spring (mid-April to early June) is when the falls run at their strongest. Summer is when the swimming and camping are at their best; weekends fill up and the parking lot at Lake Rose can be full by mid-morning. Autumn, particularly the first two weeks of October, is the most spectacular — the maples around Lake Jean and along the Falls Trail turn brilliant orange and red.
Winter offers a different experience: the falls partly freeze and ice climbers come from across the north-east. The Falls Trail is technically still open but is extremely dangerous without proper equipment. Most visitors stick to the plateau trails in winter, on snowshoes or cross-country skis.