How I’d Redo My Trip to Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania

Traveling has taught me a lot about balancing planning and spontaneity. I usually spend considerable time planning out-of-state trips and adventures abroad. Still, I tend to take a more laidback approach to day trips and weekend getaways, having an idea of what I want to do but mostly just going with the flow. That backfired on me during my previous (and only) two visits to Ohiopyle State Park in Pennsylvania. Instead of lamenting all I missed, I decided to see where I went wrong and polish my plans for my next visit.

Ohiopyle State Park is massive. Even knowing it spans more than 25,000 acres and boasts nearly 80 miles of hiking trails, I didn’t realize just how big that is until my first visit on a gray September afternoon. My daughter and I drove the 60 miles to the park after school for a bit of leaf-peeping before daylight faded. We had just enough time to go on a brisk hike along the Ferncliff Trail before driving a mile for a glimpse of Cucumber Falls in the waning daylight.

While you can see some of Ohiopyle State Park's highlights in a few hours, you need more time to explore beyond the most popular sights — Ohiopyle Falls, Cucumber Falls, and Meadow Run Natural Waterslide. The waterfalls and natural waterslide are within a mile of each other, perfect for a quick adventure if you’re short on time. However, plan at least a day if you want to explore beyond those few natural attractions. My next trip’s goal: Arrive early and leave at sunset.

Rain sometimes results in the roads to Ohiopyle washing out, making it impossible to get to the park, so check your favorite weather app for the day’s conditions. Our first visit attempt got us a few hundred feet down a muddy back road packed with cars, all trying to back up to return to the main road.

Take humidity into account, too, something I failed to do. Summer temperatures in the low 70s sound lovely, but consider the humidity if the heat bothers you. We made it to the bottom of the winding stairs leading to the base of Cucumber Falls, but despite the 73-degree temperature, the humidity made it unpleasant. (If you plan to hike to the base of Cucumber Falls, wear sturdy shoes. I had tennis shoes on, but the soles couldn't grip the rocks we had to climb over, so we had to scrap a trip to the base until our next visit.)

When I go on a hike, I usually check out All Trails and the park’s website, something I did for my summer visit when we wanted to hike to Jonathan Run Falls via the Jonathan Run Falls Trail, an easy 2.5-mile out-and-back trail. But I had again underestimated the size of Ohiopyle State Park. Even with All Trails, we had to detour to the Visitor Center so a park ranger could assist us in finding the trailhead, which had us racing daylight to get to the waterfall and back.

While my trips to Ohiopyle State Park have been a comedy of errors, I still had fun and learned a few important things to make my next trips successful. Perhaps the most important lesson is to enjoy what time I have. Instead of sitting on a rock, enjoying a treat from the nearby ice cream shop, and watching Ohiopyle Falls tumbling into the Youghiogheny River, I focused on packing in as much as possible. Another goal for the next visits: Don't rush, and appreciate the experience.

The morals of the story? Plan. Check the weather. Savor the moment. While I can pull off a day of exploring without much planning at smaller destinations like Fall Run Park and Sahli Nature Park, I need to map out my time – including parking, hikes, and food – at larger parks like Ohiopyle. We’ve barely scratched the surface of all there is to see at Ohiopyle State Park, so the itinerary for my next visit will include the Great Gorge Trail and the Baughman Rock Overlook via Ohiopyle for some of the best views in Pennsylvania.

Ready to plan your trip to Ohiopyle State Park? Visit the official Ohiopyle State Park website or the Facebook page of this popular state park in Western Pennsylvania.

What’s your favorite day trip destination in Pennsylvania? Let us know.