Our Top 7 Must Do Activities in Ohiopyle, PA (And One We'll Try Next Year)
Ohiopyle is a small town in southwestern Pennsylvania that is home to Ohiopyle State Park, one of the most popular state parks in the state. The park is known for its whitewater rafting, hiking trails, and waterfalls.
Our family has been camping in Ohiopyle State Park for years and has invited us on many occasions to join them. In spite of our truck and rig's best efforts to derail our plans (a story for another time!), we managed to make the journey from northeast Ohio down to the Laurel Highlands to finally experience firsthand what all the talk was about.
Here are our top 7 must do activities in Ohiopyle
Hiking in Ohiopyle State Park. Ohiopyle State Park has over 79 miles of hiking trails. The trails range from easy to challenging, and offer stunning views of the Youghiogheny River and the surrounding mountains. Some of the most popular hiking trails in the park include the Cucumber Falls Trail, the Lower Falls Trail, and the Meadow Run Trail. Ferncliff Trail is an easy trail that affords you beautiful views of the Ohiopyle Falls from the opposite bank of the visitors center.
Visiting the Ohiopyle Falls. The Ohiopyle Falls are a series of waterfalls that cascade over 20 feet into the Youghiogheny River. Conveniently located near the visitors center, you can take in the majesty of the river from one of three different observation decks. Once you are done outside, you can go inside the visitors center and take in the falls from a glassed in observation area. In addition. the visitors center offers an excellent collection of artifacts and information related to the history of the area.
Exploring the town of Ohiopyle. The town of Ohiopyle is a small, charming town with a few shops and restaurants. There is also a small museum that tells the history of the town and the park. We definitely made sure to ‘scoop’ out the local ice cream scene. After sampling three different locations, it was clear to us that Kickstand Ice Cream shop was the top in the town. They have about 20 different flavors of Hershey’s Ice Cream as well as a selection of t-shirts, hats, stickers, and other souvenirs.
Camping in Ohiopyle State Park. Ohiopyle State Park has over 100 campsites. The campsites are located in a variety of settings, including wooded areas, meadows, and along the river. There are also several cabins and lodges available for rent. In addition to the camping activities, rangers often put on educational activities for the kids which can also be quite informative for the adults! While we were staying at the campground we got to listen to an interesting talk and documentary on Pennsylvanian bats.
History at Fort Necessity and The National Road (Route 40). If you take a short drive through the beautiful, rolling hills surrounding Ohiopyle you will come upon the Fort Necessity National Battlefield, in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. This is the site of an early battle, which took place on July 3, 1754, of the French and Indian War, and resulted in the surrender of British colonial forces under Colonel George Washington, to the French and Indians, under Louis Coulon de Villiers. Route 40 runs right next to the National Battlefield and we learned that its history is intertwined with that of the battle and played an integral part in a young George Washington’s life.
Natural Waterslides. One of the more thrilling and adventurous activities that we engaged in was sliding down the natural waterslides. The slides are located along Meadow Run, a tributary of the Youghiogheny River. The waterslides are formed by smooth channels in the sandstone bedrock. The water flows over the channels, creating a natural waterslide that is fun to ride. Be prepared to bounce your body off of the rocky walls of the slide and potentially lose a flip-flop (or two!).
Biking the GAP. Ohiopyle State Park is also home to several bike trails. The most popular bike trail is the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP). The GAP is a 150-mile long rail trail that stretches from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland. The trail passes through Ohiopyle State Park and offers stunning views of the Youghiogheny River Gorge. Near Ohiopyle the trail is relatively flat and our crew was able to do a 10-mile ride without feeling too worn out. The promise of ice cream at the end of the ride definitely didn’t hurt.
The One We’ll Do Next Year
Whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny River. The Youghiogheny River is a world-renowned whitewater rafting destination. The river offers Class II-IV rapids, making it suitable for all levels of experience. There are many outfitters in Ohiopyle that offer whitewater rafting trips. We had a good time watching people navigate the rapids while hiking and biking on the trails.
Even though the river was fairly low during our visit, we elected to hold off on taking our first trip down the white water. The middle ‘Yak’ really was tempting as its waters are calmer and lack many of the rapids that other sections boast, but ultimately we decided to spend our money on ice cream and jerky this time around and penciled in another late summer trip back to Ohiopyle next year.
All Good Things Must Come To An End
Sadly it felt like our trip to Ohiopyle came to an end too soon. There is just so much to do in that area and even though we were there for a full week, we could have easily filled around week with more hikes, trips to see Falling Water or Kentuck Knob, or trying another flavor of Hershey's ice cream.
We really enjoyed our first trip to Ohiopyle and can’t wait to go back! Like many others before us, we found the Laurel Highlands to be a magical and beautiful place and feel blessed to have made so many memories there. We hope reading about our top 7 must do activities at Ohiopyle has inspired you to take a trip there soon! If you do, we don't think you'll be disappointed.
Here are some additional resources:
Hiking at Ohiopyle State Park
Ohiopyle - Great Allegheny Passage (GAP)
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
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