Note: Below is a tentative list of possible activites. The final schedule will most likely change as we get closer to the event. Activities may be added, deleted or moved to a different day.
All Activities in Ohiopyle will leave camp in the morning and will NOT return to camp until the end of the day.
This list includes any half day Ohiopyle activities.
You can either spend the day in Ohiopyle. Swallow Falls or enjoy the day in camp.
Whether this is your first white water rafting trip or you’re an experienced rafter, the Lower Yough (pronounced “Yock”), in the heart of The Laurel Highlands, is a blast!! What could be a better way to spend a hot summer day than on the river? The Lower Yough is Class III whitewater which means it is fun. It’s perfect for those who haven’t had prior whitewater experience or for those who have. The Lower Yough is 7.5 miles of Class III–IV whitewater rapids. It is considered a drop & pool river: the rapids are separated by calm, deep pools, allowing you to catch your breath and enjoy the scenery. Wilderness Voyageurs will be our vendor for this activity. This paddle does NOT have guides in the raft but does have safety kayaks along telling you where to go.
A great option to combine two activities into one is the Pedal and Paddle! Bike ride the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage) toward the town of Confluence. Wilderness Voyageurs will meet you at the Ramcat Launch Area (before the town of Confluence). Here the outfitter will take your bikes, give you a river safety talk, and launch you downstream in a raft on the Middle Yough. This part of the river is rated Class I-II so you will have a relaxing ride back to Ohiopyle. It’s a very fun-filled day! You’ll be tired by the end, but very satisfied. You’ll want to pack a lunch to enjoy whenever you get hungry.
Extend the half day biking option into a full day 20 to 45 mile bike ride. Just keep pedaling along the trail past Ohiopyle until you are ready to turn around. You will need to bike back to Ohiopyle to drop off your bike and catch the bus back to camp at 3:15 pm. See the half day description below for more details.
Revel in a 5.1 Mile / 8.2 KM moderate hike with estimated 750 Ft. / 228 Meter Elevation gain (mostly in the first half of the hike) along the Red Trail within Bear Run Nature Reserve. The beauty of the trail and woods at the trailhead immediately draws you in, making the hiker feel as though he or she is walking into the world the way it should be. Experience waterfalls, small mountain streams, mossy rocks, pine forests, fern covered areas with a leafy tree above and boardwalks. There are old growth hemlocks, rock outcrops, thick patches of rhododendron and several tree species including red maple, chestnut oak, sugar maple, and black cherry. Bear Run Nature Reserve is the most significant property owned by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and is considered their flagship property. The nature reserve completely encircles Fallingwater; the famous Frank Lloyd Wright designed for the Kaufmann family.
This will be a 7-8 mile out-and-back hike at a moderate to fast pace on the scenic Laurel Highlands Trail from Ohipyle, PA. This hike features hilly terrain (with over 1000' of vertical ascent), nice views, pretty streams, and some occasional wildlife. Some of the ascents and descents are steep..
Sugarloaf Trail / Baughman Trail Loop Hike is a 7.6-mile loop trail located near Ohiopyle, PA with approx. 811 Ft (247 Meter) elevation gain (primarily in the first half). The hike starts/ends at the Laurel Highlands Information Center. You will hike up to Baughman Rock Overlook which is a large rock outcropping and high cliff formation perched along Laurel Ridge that has one of the most beautiful views in Pennsylvania featuring the Youghiogheny River Gorge. In the center of this enormous panorama is the river rounding the Flats, a large horseshoe curved peninsula creating a deep chasm surrounded by steep-sided mountains belonging to Laurel Ridge.
Note: All Activities in Ohiopyle will leave camp in the morning and will NOT return to camp until the end of the day. The list below includes any half day Ohiopyle activities. All morning activiities will start from camp and then end up in Ohiopyle for lunch. All Afternoon Ohiopyle activities will start in Ohiopyle and then meet with everyone else at the bus to head back to camp.
Spend some time wandering around Ohiopyle. Explore the outfitters and their outdoor specialty stores. Enjoy ice cream or the local eateries. Swim or walk along the river. Walk across the bridge to explore Great Allegheny Passage Rail-Trail or Ferncliff Trail on your own. Check out the visitor’s center.
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), the rail trail paralleling the Yough River through Ohiopyle State Park, is one of the gems of the Laurel Highlands. It has just a 2% grade, making the miles easy to pedal, and it’s spectacularly beautiful. Waterfalls, creeks, miles and, miles of trees, and a constant view of the Yough River are what a day on the GAP will provide. This trail begins in Pittsburgh and extends 148 miles to Cumberland, MD where it connects with the C & O Canal. The bike ride will be a mostly flat, one way, 11-mile bike ride along a crushed limestone stone path. Road bikes, comfort bikes and hybrid bikes all work. If the trail is soft after rain, a road bike might not be the best option. Transporation and bike rentals provided by Wilderness Voyageurs.
Note: There is an option to extend this ride into a full day if you wish. Just keep pedaling along the trail past Ohiopyle until you are ready to turn around. You will need to bike back to Ohiopyle to drop off your bike and catch the bus back to camp at 3:15 pm.
Starting from visitor’s center in downtown Ohiopyle spend time viewing of the Youghiogheny River as the Great Allegheny Passage crossing the water on twice within the first mile of your trek. Once across the “Yough” the second time turn left onto the Great Gorge Trail. Travel the mostly level crushed limestone aggregate Great Gorge Trail for about 1.2 miles while passing several small waterfalls and several opportunities for great views watching the rafters on the river below.
Near the end of the Great Gorge Trail, you will come to Cucumber Falls. The most impressive waterfall of Ohiopyle State Park, Cucumber Falls stands at 30 feet high running into the Youghiogheny River. The path is leading to an overlook with a long stairway entering down into the realm of the rocks surrounding the falls. You can relax in the shallow pool below the falls or clamber behind Cucumber Falls for an even more unique viewpoint. There are many unique angles that you can get amongst the boulders and trees that dot the landscape around the falls.
After spending some time enjoying Cucumber Falls, you will then continue your hike along Meadow Run Trail for ½ mile. The trail begins where Cucumber Run meets the Youghiogheny River and heads east along the river's banks and cliff sides closer to Cucumber gorge. There will be some minor elevation to deal with as Meadow Run Trail meanders along the shores of the Yough. At some points, there are several large boulders and ledges workaround. After a ½ mile, you will come to the bridge of Rt. 381 where you will use to cross over the Yough back into town for another ½ mile walk to where you started.
Kentuck Knob, also known as the Hagan House, is a residence designed by the American architect Frank Lloyd Wright in rural Stewart Township near the village of Chalk Hill, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, USA, 45 miles southeast of Pittsburgh. Only seven miles away from Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob was built for the Hagan family, owners of a large dairy and friends of the owners of Fallingwater, the Kaufmanns. Then 86, Wright said that he “could shake it out of his sleeve at will” and designed the house in his signature Usonian style around a still-fully-functioning hexagonal kitchen. The 240-degree L-plan home is made with opulent natural materials such as native sandstone, red cypress, and a $96,000 copper roof. One of his last designs, Wright only stepped foot on the property once, for a brief visit during construction.
This tour takes guests through the interior and exterior of the home and provides an insight into one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s unique Usonian homes. Guests will learn about the Hagans, Frank Lloyd Wright and his vision for the home. The tour is approximately 30-40 minutes in length. You will have about 1/2 hour before your house tour to explore the grounds and experience the magnificent view of the Youghiogheny River Gorge. After the your visit, the bus will bring you to Ohiopyle to enjoy a meal.
This tour provides an extended interpretation of the house, including secondary spaces not available on the Guided House Tour, providing a deeper understanding of the building as well as highlighting some of the collections. You will be transported to downtown Ohiopyle for lunch directly after your tour. Tour is approximately 90 minutes in length. After the tour, the bus will bring to you to Ohiopyle to enjoy lunch.
This easy hike loops the 100-acre Ferncliff Peninsula (a National Natural Landmark), giving hikers the best views of the Youghiogheny (Yough) river rapids and Ohiopyle Falls. See kayakers and rafters tackle rapids, and get a bird’s eye view of the Yough from an old railroad bridge. The trail leads you right to the river’s edge onto flat sandstone boulders, where you can examine tree fossils embedded in the rock. At points, a canopy of rhododendron shades the trail. At marked sites along the way, learn about the peninsulas’ unique environment, which includes southern wildflowers and umbrella magnolia trees.
Note: This hike is rated easy, the trail is not a flat paved path, but a normal woods hiking trail. There is one section of the hike that is along the river's edge and includes some climbing over downed trees and large boulders. The trail then heads uphill (under 100 Ft.) up around tree routes and rocks. This section can be avoided by taking some of the inner trails (not scouted). The rest of the outer trail is within the woods with normal amounts of tripping hazards of smaller rocks and roots.
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Perched on a rock above a gushing waterfall, this historic house was built for the Kaufmann family by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1930s, ingeniously designed to blend harmoniously into the tranquil and beautiful woods around it.
You will become aware of the rhythmic interplay between interior and exterior space by the numerous terraces, open-air walkways and unexpected views of the trees and water as you move through the house on this guided experience. This tour features all the principal rooms of the house and lasts approximately one hour.
The house was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966. After its completion, Time Magazine called it Wright's "most beautiful job," and it is listed among Smithsonian's "Life List of 28 places to visit before you die". In 1991, members of the American Institute of Architects named Fallingwater the "best all-time work of American architecture." In 2007, it was ranked 29th on the list of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA.
This trail system regarded as one of the most scenic hikes in the area. It is considered easy to moderate. Easy access accounts for the short length of the loop trail. Moderate accounts for the terrain which is rocky and can be wet and slick in speific areas.
The 1.5-mile Canyon Loop Trail takes hikers along Muddy Creek Falls, highest free-falling in Maryland at 53-feet (16m) as well as smaller waterfalls on the Youghiogheny River and Tolivar Creek. The park is notable for its stand of old hemlock trees, some more than 300 years old, "the last stand of its kind in Maryland." Frequent rock outcroppings with wild rhododendron and mountain laurel are along the trail. A side trip to Tolliver Falls offers a quieter side to the often-crowded park trails.
Waitlisted - Email us if you want to attend
Wanna sleep in? This hike leaves camp at 10 am! Enjoy an out and back hike along beautiful and scenic Cheat Lake Trail. The trail has the appeal of beautiful woodlands and scenic lake views. It follows the lake along the east bank. This is mostly flat with some gentle inclines. It is a well-groomed, crushed limestone trail. Our trailhead at the park entry offers picnic tables, restrooms, fishing piers, and boat docks (both private and public). We will stop midway for lunch along the trail.
We will have several in-camp activities like swimming, kayaking, canoeing, water skiing, archery, ropes challenge course, badminton, yoga, crafts and other workshops. Click HERE for more info. Below are some highlighed activities for Friday.
Paddle six miles round trip (out and back) along Cheat Lake to the Cheat Lake Dam. The Mason-Dixon Line crosses the area at that point, which is also the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Enjoy the views of Cheat Lake Park and large mansions and estates along the way. There is little to no current in this section of Cheat Lake.
Please come to this session if you do not feel confident in a canoe. Learn multiple ways to change course in your canoe – how to keep it going straight – what the back-paddle, pry and pull strokes are and when to use them. Learn how to paddle alone without struggling. The class will be a fun session with all learning taking place in canoes on the water.
People lack confidence making a campfire because they have never had the opportunity to learn how (especially women because males routinely take over this task). Come to this session and learn everything about campfire making – including what type of wood to use, how to make natural fire starters and everything you need to about campfire safety. All participants in this session will be able to make the perfect campfire by the end of the course.