Visit Pittsburgh · Laurel Highlands

Ohiopyle: falls, slides and whitewater.

A 20,500-acre state park wrapped around the Youghiogheny River gorge, about two hours from the airport. Check the live river level before you go, then pick your section of the Yough.

Live river level Safety first

Short answer

Ohiopyle State Park (124 Main Street, Ohiopyle, PA 15470) is 80.6 miles, about 2h 03m with no traffic from Pittsburgh International. Its highlights are the 20-foot Ohiopyle Falls, the natural waterslides on Meadow Run, the 30-foot Cucumber Falls, and whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny ("the Yough"). The park is open sunrise to sunset, every day.

The park

Ohiopyle, by the numbers

20,500Acres of state park, per DCNR (about).

20 ftOhiopyle Falls. Cucumber Falls is 30 feet.

7 miThe Lower Yough: numerous Class III and IV rapids.

80.6Road miles from PIT, about 2 hours with no traffic.

Live from USGS

How high is the Yough right now?

Straight from the U.S. Geological Survey gauge in Ohiopyle, refreshed every time you load the page, with the last seven days of flow.

Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle, liveUSGS 03081500

Flow…cfs

Gage height…ft

TrendLoading…

Fetching the latest reading from USGS…

DCNR's one published number: private kayakers and canoeists may run Ohiopyle Falls only when this gauge reads below 1.9 ft (by registration, April 1 to the weekend before Thanksgiving). Compare it with the gage height above.

Your outfitter's or guide's cutoff (cfs)

This gauge is on the river, not on Meadow Run where the natural slides are. Meadow Run has no live USGS gauge. Use the river reading as a sign of how wet things are, and follow posted signs and rangers on site.

From PA DCNR

Safety, in DCNR's words.

Before you get in the water

Natural waterslides: DCNR says caution must be used at all times, because natural hazards exist.
Natural areas may hold hazards, and DCNR says your safety is your own responsibility.
On the river, life jackets must be worn at all times, on every section. Helmets are required on the Lower Yough.
River level changes everything: DCNR warns that water levels can change how hard a rapid is, and that boaters must accept injury and death are possible.
Lower Yough hazards include undercut rocks, ledges and swift currents. Inexperienced boaters should go with an authorized outfitter.
Cold water: the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission requires life jackets from November 1 to April 30 on boats under 16 feet and on any canoe, kayak or paddleboard. Cold water shock is a major factor in boating deaths.

DCNR does not publish a safe water level for the slides. If it looks high or fast, or a ranger says no, stay out.

Rafting

Which section of the Yough?

Section	Where	Difficulty	Who it suits
Middle Yough	Ramcat put-in near Confluence, down to near Ohiopyle	Class I to II	Beginners. DCNR says families often raft it.
Lower Yough	7 miles from below Ohiopyle Falls to the Bruner Run take-out	Numerous Class III and IV rapids	Experienced boaters, or anyone with an authorized outfitter. Helmets required.

Licensed outfitters

DCNR lists four in Ohiopyle: Laurel Highlands River Tours, Ohiopyle Trading Post, White Water Adventurers and Wilderness Voyageurs. Prices and age limits are set by each outfitter.

DCNR whitewater boating page, October 19, 2026

Private boaters

A Lower Yough launch ticket is required from the second weekend in April through Columbus Day, from the launch window at the Falls Area Visitor Center. Weekends and holidays carry a fee.

DCNR whitewater boating page

Running the falls

Kayaks and canoes only (no rafts), groups of three or more, by registration, and only with the Ohiopyle gauge under 1.9 ft.

DCNR whitewater boating page

Beyond the river

Falls, trails and the GAP.

Ferncliff Peninsula: a 100-acre National Natural Landmark (1974) inside a loop of the river. The 1.7-mile Ferncliff Trail passes the falls.

Great Allegheny Passage: 27 of the trail's 150 miles run through the park, on a flat crushed-limestone rail bed. The GAP runs all the way to Pittsburgh.

Cucumber Falls: a 30-foot bridal veil falls on Cucumber Run, reached from the lot on Kentuck Road.

Nearby

Make it a day

Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright's house is 4.4 road miles from Ohiopyle. Pair them with our day planner.

Plan Fallingwater and Ohiopyle

Kentuck Knob

Wright's other house in the area, 4.1 miles from Ohiopyle.

Compare the two houses

The Laurel Highlands

Ohiopyle anchors the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail and a region of ski resorts and historic sites.

Explore the Laurel Highlands

Visitor center

Open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., April 16 to October 31. Park office: 724-329-8591.

DCNR Ohiopyle State Park page

Flying in?

Fly to Pittsburgh, drive south.

PIT is the closest airport with a big nonstop network. Pick up a car and you're in the gorge in about two hours.

Inside Pittsburgh International Airport's new terminal: a wood-slatted ceiling, long skylights and a hanging mobile over the main hall

PITStart at the airportRental cars, parking and the new terminal.

Downtown Pittsburgh lit up at blue hour from Mount Washington, with Point State Park, the rivers and the Fort Pitt Bridge below

Back in the cityA night in PittsburghPick a neighborhood for the night before.

One of Pittsburgh's yellow Three Sisters bridges crossing the Allegheny River toward downtown on a blue-sky day

Every routeFind your nonstopAll the cities that fly direct to PIT.

Questions

How far is Ohiopyle from the Pittsburgh airport?

80.6 miles, about 2h 03m with no traffic by OSRM road routing. From downtown Pittsburgh it's 68.5 miles, about 1h 39m with no traffic.

Where are the Ohiopyle natural water slides?

On Meadow Run, near the State Route 381 bridge, where visitors sit in the creek bed and ride two natural rock waterslides. DCNR says caution must be used at all times because natural hazards exist.

Is there a water level gauge for the Ohiopyle water slides?

Not a live one. USGS has an old Meadow Run station at Ohiopyle (03081600), but it only holds 1988 data. The live gauge nearby is the Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle (03081500), shown on this page. It tells you how high the river is, not the slides.

Which section of the Yough is best for beginners?

DCNR describes the Middle Yough (from Ramcat near Confluence to near Ohiopyle) as Class I to II, ideal for beginners and often rafted by families. The Lower Yough is 7 miles of numerous Class III and IV rapids, for experienced boaters or with an authorized outfitter.

Do you need a permit to raft the Lower Yough?

Private boaters need a launch ticket from the launch window from the second weekend in April through Columbus Day, with a fee on weekends and holidays. Trips with a licensed outfitter are arranged by the outfitter.

Are dogs allowed at Ohiopyle State Park?

Yes, under control: leashed, caged or crated, and attended. Statewide park rules keep pets out of swimming areas and buildings.

What are Ohiopyle State Park's hours?

The park is open every day, sunrise to sunset. The visitor center is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from April 16 to October 31.

Keep planning

Sources