Ohiopyle and Ohiopyle State Park

Hemmed inside 20,000 acres of state park land, Ohiopyle is a small village with a Key West vibe in the center of the Ohiopyle State Park. The Youghigheny River flows through the park, with Class 3 and Class 4 rapids for kayaking, tubing and rafting. The “Yough” [yawk] provides some of the best whitewater boating in the eastern United States, as well as spectacular scenery. Visit on any given day and you will find the robust mingling of bikers, hikers, and water enthusiasts. Annual events like the Over the Falls Festival (August), Music in the Mountains (September) and Winterfest (February) add to Ohiopyle’s vibe. There is no charge to enter the park.



The Youghiogheny River Gorge, Ohioplye Falls, Cucumber Falls, and Ferncliff Peninsula are just a few of the geologic features that drew tourists in the early days of railroad excursions and continue to draw visitors today. An easy shuttle ride to nearby Fallingwater is one of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s most acclaimed works.



Biking has long been a popular activity in Ohiopyle. The Ohiopyle to Ramcat (near Confluence) section of the Great Allegheny Passage was the first to be opened in 1986.

Visitors to Ohiopyle will find plenty of guest houses, camping, a nearby lodge, eateries, outfitters, bikes shops, and local foodstuffs and wines.



There are several waterfalls and a natural waterslide in the town of Ohiopyle. A new visitor's center was built in 2014 and has a spectacular glass-enclosed overlook of the main waterfall, Ohiopyle Falls, where kayakers go over the falls in an annual event named "Over the Falls," which is usually held in late August. Get a closer look at the Ohiopyle Falls by hiking the Ferncliff Trail.

Ohiopyle State Park features the following waterfalls:

• Ohiopyle Falls is a 20-foot (6.1 m) waterfall that spans the Youghiogheny River and is surrounded by the Falls Day Use Area located at the center of the park.
• Cucumber Falls is a 30-foot (9.1 m) bridal veil waterfall on Cucumber Run, a small creek which flows into the Youghiogheny River. It can be reached from Meadow Run Trail.
• Cascades is a woodland waterfall that is near the park office and is very popular with anglers
• Jonathan Run Falls is a series of rhododendron lined waterfalls on Jonathan Run that can be seen by hiking on Jonathan Run Trail.
• Sugar Run Falls is a waterfall on Sugar Run Creek that is accessible from a walking trail that spurs off of the Great Allegheny Passage.
• Meadow Run Waterslides have unique geologic formations for exploration. There are ripples and potholes that have been carved into the stone by years and years of powerful currents and spinning rocks. Visitors to the park are permitted to ride these natural waterslides.

Meadow Run is a great little creek that flows into the Youghiogheny River. What makes Meadow Run so special is the great geological formations in the rocks. This powerful little creek has carved natural water slides out of the stream’s sandstone rock bed. This is a great place to cool down in the summer months. But, please be careful! The rocks can get slippery. It is a short walk from the visitor's center to the Meadow Run natural waterslides (there is a also a small parking lot off Route 381 at the slide).

There isn't a trail from the parking lots in Ohiopyle to Cucumber Falls, so you either can drive up Kentuck Road to the small parking lot at the top of the falls (a large sign clearly marks the turn to take) or walk up the hill, along the road to get to the falls. From the parking lot it is a short walk to the falls. If the parking lot is full, you can park alongside the road.

Another great way to access Cucumber Falls is hiking in from Ohiopyle on the 2.6 miles Great Gorge Trail. This trail begins at the Cucumber Picnic Area and crosses several bridges and roads. The trail follows Cucumber Run and passes an area known for its spring wildflowers. There is also a trailhead for the Great Gorge located just after the second high-bridge on the Great Allegheny Passage, an old tramway used to transport coal to the railroad. A spur of this trail leads up a steep incline to the Kentuck Campground.

The two bridges on the Great Allegheny Passage as it passes through Ohiopyle were built in the 1860s for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The “High-Bridge” crosses the Youghiogheny River just downstream of Railroad Rapid and is a popular area to view people whitewater rafting on the Lower Youghiogheny. This was the first bridge in Ohiopyle to be converted for use by bike and pedestrian traffic. The “Low Bridge” spans Route 381 from the old train station, now housing a Visitor Center, to the other side of the Youghiogheny River above the Ohiopyle Falls.

The secluded Cucumber Run Picnic Area is adjacent to Cucumber Run, a beautiful creek lined with rhododendron bushes and large trees. Two pavilions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Tharp Knob Picnic Area is adjacent to the Tharp Knob Overlook that provides a panoramic view of the Youghiogheny River Gorge and the town of Ohiopyle. The overlook is accessible from the Tharp Knob Picnic Area, located off Kentuck Road. The picnic area is complete with a playground, baseball diamond, volleyball nets, and restroom facilities. The is a short one-mile loop hike on Kentuck Trail that passes by the overlook.

You can also visit the Ohiopyle Cascades waterfall.  This requires a short but pretty easy hike. Go to the Meadow Run Trail.  This can be found by heading back towards Cucumber Falls (from Ohiopyle Falls) on 381. Stay on 381 past the Kentuck road intersection. Eventually the Meadow Run Parking lot will be on your left. Take the trail on the right to head towards the cascades. The cascades are a fun place to play and swim later in the summer when the water levels are lower.  They look better in the spring when the water level is higher though. Pack a lunch.  There is a huge flat rock perfect for a picnic.
 
 

The Ferncliff Peninsula is a 100-acre peninsula created by the Youghiogheny River as it meanders through Ohiopyle. This peninsula is home to some very unique flora transported by the Youghiogheny River and its travels north to Pittsburgh from the mountains of Maryland. Because of the diversity of the plant life, the Ferncliff Peninsula was named a National Natural Landmark in 1973. The Ferncliff Trail circles the outer loop of the Peninsula and passes by the Ohiopyle Falls. There are three other trails that branch off the Ferncliff Trail. The Fernwood Trail passes the remnants of the old Ferncliff Hotel.



Ohiopyle serves as the southern terminus for the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. This trail traverses the Laurel Ridge from Ohiopyle to the northern end near Johnstown. The trail is open for year-round hiking and backpacking. An overnight shelter area is located every 8-10 miles along the trail. The portion of the trail within Ohiopyle State Park is 6.3 miles of very strenuous and rocky hiking. Hikers are rewarded for their effort as they pass beautiful overlooks and creeks on this section. Reservations for backpack camping are required and can be made up to 11 months in advance.

Kentuck Campground has about 200 campsites and is open from April to mid-December. The campground has 27 walk-in sites that require a short hike from the vehicle to the campsite. Kentuck Campground also has three sites with walled tents and three multi-sites. All campsites have a picnic table, fire ring and parking space, and the campground has a sanitary dumping station and shower houses. Many campsites have electric hookups. Pets are permitted at designated campsites for a fee. Advance reservations are required to ensure campsite availability.

Located in the center of Kentuck campground are yurts, which offer convenient accommodations for weekly rentals. Shorter stays are available during the spring and fall seasons. One yurt is ADA accessible. These round, canvas and wood walled tents have a wooden deck and sleep five people in bunk beds. Yurts have a cooking stove, microwave oven, refrigerator, countertop, table, chairs, electric heat and outlets, fire ring, and picnic table.



Explore the campground map.

Explore camping for more information.

For a complete list of trails in Ohiopyle State Park, go to http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/ohiopyle/. 

Ohiopyle is probably a town to spend a day or two in due to the variety of outdoor activities you can partake in, such as white water rafting, the Ferncliff National Natural Landmark, the Ohiopyle Zipline Adventure Park, and Trail-Side Stables.

Ohiopyle Special Events Calendar: http://wilderness-voyageurs.com/adventure-and-special-events-calendar.html

 

There is a nice selection of places to eat in town. I highly recommended Ohiopyle House Cafe. We shared the Eggplant Stack (a house-made spinach and artichoke dip sandwiched between layers of house-breaded golden eggplant, drizzled with marinara sauce, garnished with fresh romano cheese) and each had a side of their slaw, and both were delicious!