We examined the influence of cover item type (rock, down wood, leaf litter) on capture, size (snout-vent length) and weight of two plethodontid salamander species, Desmognathus ochrophaeus Cope (Allegheny Mountain dusky salamander) and Plethodon cinereus (Green) (red-backed salamander), common in riparian forests of northwestern Pennsylvania. We wanted to determine if cover item use differed seasonally and/or by geomorphic surface within stream valleys and if cover item type and/or geomorphic surface influenced size and weight of salamanders. We also tested the hypothesis that larger salamanders are associated with larger cover items. Captures of D. ochrophaeus and P. cinereus differed significantly by season and were inversely related: captures of D. ochrophaeus peaked in the spring and midsummer; captures of P. cinereus peaked in the fall. Capture rates did not differ by geomorphic surface. Cover item use was similar for D. ochrophaeus and P. cinereus with most captures associated with rock or down wood. Size and weight of D. ochrophaeus did not differ significantly by cover item type but individuals captured on floodplains weighed significantly more than those captured on hillslopes. Size and weight of P. cinereus were significantly greater for individuals captured under rock and down wood than in leaf litter. Size and weight of both species were significantly positively correlated with cover item size only during a single season: spring for D. ochrophaeus and fall for P. cinereus, coincident with peak captures for each species.