This state park review is of the state park itself, not the related Kentuck campground. We have stayed at Kentuck, and I have written a separate review of the campground itself. I also wanted to post a review of the park, however, because we have visited many times and it’s one of our favs!

Ohiopyle is a well-known location to any outdoor enthusiast in the Pittsburgh area, in fact it’s probably the most popular destination within a few hours of the city. There are great hiking trails including the Laurel Highlands hiking trail (70+ miles) which is popular with backpackers, fantastic white-water rafting opportunities on ‘the Yough’, and the Great Allegheny Passage or ‘GAP’ biking trail (150+ miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, MD) runs right through town. In the winter, you’re near the best ski mountains in the Pittsburgh area, and many of the hiking trails become snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails. No matter the season, there really is something for everyone if you like being outdoors. The town of Ohioyle itself is also a cute (though very small) area to spend some time, with a couple of nice outfitters, mostly focused on white water rafting and kayaking. Paddler’s Pizza and the nearby bakery + chocolate / candy shop make for great stops after a hike, bike or paddle, or if you just want to pick up some picnic stuff and head down to the waterfront in town for a relaxing lunch.

Something I didn’t know until the spring of this year (after heading down to this area for years) is how close it is to another gem: the Youghiogeny River Lake and dam area (about 15 minutes outside of town, up the road towards Baughman’s Rocks). This is a beautiful lake for boating or kayaking with great fishing. It’s a little weird to find, as you have to take a side road (there are signs pointing the way to the lake) and you actually end up driving on top of the dam itself (which is crazy! great view though) into the parking area on the other side where the boat launch and beach area is. The dam outflow area (which is in a separate location closer to the main road) is cold water release and offers some of the best trout fishing in the greater Pittsburgh area, along with the resulting start of the Youghiogeny River.

In general, this area is one of the most relaxing, outdoor-focused locations in the greater Pittsburgh area, with a ton of stuff to see and do!