In January, I took a road trip through PA with my boyfriend. We visited Hyner View State Park, stayed at the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park and Oak Lodge in the Laurel Highlands. One of his “must sees” was the waterfalls in Ohiopyle State Park since he is incredible at photography and especially loves to take photos of waterfalls. It’s funny because I love taking photos but I’m a quick click and go gal and he’s one that sets up a timer and changes settings and moves around for a great shot and is patient in the process. Based on the attention we give to taking photos, you should already knows his > mine by FAR. So while you can see my quick phone photos in the blog below, you can check out more of his waterfall photos here as well as other his others.
Since we went in winter, we didn’t get to as many of the falls as we would have liked due to icy roads, but we still got to view three different falls, go for a hike, and check out an overlook in the park as well as the town. Each season in the park is different, so look at weather and temperatures ahead of time to prepare for your trip.
Ohiopyle Falls
This area on the visitor center side has a few observation decks which are great for viewing the falls. If you are on the opposite side in the Ferncliff Natural Area, you would have a great shot of sunrise over the falls from this position. You can walk along the falls on either side and get so many different picture of various parts of the falls.
Cucumber Falls
This waterfalls is a 30 foot high bridal fall. The parking lot is right nearby, and you can hike down a slightly steep walkway and rock pathway to the falls. You can get quite close to the falls on the lefthand side. From there, the trail continues toward the river and then circles back toward the visitor center area. We kind of hiked this trail back toward the visitor center by accident until we realized and had to turn around to get to the parking lot. So just a heads up, don’t go on this entire trail if you’re trying to go back to your car.
Waterslides on Meadow Run
The waterslides aren’t far from Cucumber falls. There’s a parking lot there too and a short boardwalk brings you down to the stream level. While I thought Cucumber Falls was beautiful, especially in the snow, I really thought the waterslides were exciting to see how the water shaped the rocks into these slide areas. People legitimately use parts of the upper falls and “slide down” them which is nuts. I haven’t seen much like this on my trips in the past so it was enjoyable to see a new kind of “waterfall”.
Baughman Rock Overlook
This rock overlook off of Sugarloaf Road provides an opportunity to view the deepest gorge in Pennsylvania. There’s a stone and rail “fencing” at the top to prevent you from falling off the large rock. In the winter, be careful as when we were there, the whole thing was a sheet of ice so you had to kind of pull yourself up on the railing. Because this spot faces toward the east, it would be an incredible spot for sunrise photos.
This rock overlook off of Sugarloaf Road provides an opportunity to view the deepest gorge in Pennsylvania. There’s a stone and rail “fencing” at the top to prevent you from falling off the large rock. In the winter, be careful as when we were there, the whole thing was a sheet of ice so you had to kind of pull yourself up on the railing. Because this spot faces toward the east, it would be an incredible spot for sunrise photos.
Falls Market & Inn
As you are exploring the area, in downtown Ohiopyle is Ohiopyle Falls Market & Inn. We met their resident, an orange cat named Tonto who greeted us when we entered the store. We both got a burger for lunch and although it was winter, we ate outside at picnic tables where Tonto visited us again. The burgers and fries were incredible and were a great quick lunch stop as we explored the park.
If you haven’t been to Ohiopyle, I would highly recommend it. I am sure that in the summer and fall months, the foliage on the trees is incredible and the hiking is ideal down to the waterfalls that aren’t easily accessible by car. If you have been already, please share any tips or favorite trails or waterfalls in the comments!
