Page Contents for Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

Statistics & Facts

Location

City Attractions

Historical Events

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Statistics & Facts

The Pennsylvania state capital is Harrisburg.
The population of Ohiopyle is approximately 81 (1990), 59 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 50 (1990), 27 (2010).
The amount of land area in Ohiopyle is 1.072 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0.193 sq kilometers.
The distance from Ohiopyle to Washington DC is 155 miles.
The distance to the Pennsylvania state capital is 146 miles. (as the crow flies)
Ohiopyle is positioned 39.86 degrees north of the equator and 79.49 degrees west of the prime meridian.

Location

in southern Pennsylvania, southeast of Uniontown, not too far from the West Virginia-Maryland borders with Pennsylvania.
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Attractions

We are a very small town located in the center of the largest land based state park in Pennsylvania. 20,000 acres of natural playground. Hike, bike, whitewater raft, canoe, kayak, rock climb!! All right here, 65 miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The Youghiogheny River flows through the center of town where it makes cascades 18 feet in a magestic river wide waterfall. The Youghiogheny is the site of the first commercial whitewater rafting, east of the Mississippi. SInce 1964, more than 3 million people have enjoyed the class 3 rapids.

Ohiopyle State Park
The largest land based park in Pennsylvania with about 19,052 acres. Portions of the Youghiogheny (yaw-ki-gay-nee) River go through the park. The river provides great whitewater experiences. A day use area is in the Ohiopyle Falls area.

Ferncliff Peninsula, a National Natural Historical Landmark (very few places with this designation exist)

Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail
A 76 mile trail that runs along the ridgeline of the Laurel Ridge, Ohiopyle is the southern terminus.
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Ohiopyle Historical Events

1754, May
Ohiopyle Falls
from George Washington's Diaries
George Washington was en route to the Forks of the Ohio (Pittsburgh) with a large detachment of soldiers. The goal was to secure Pittsburgh and to remove the French from the area. He was searching for a water route which would expedite the trip. He floated approximately 11 miles of the Youghiogheny River, then he came to Ohiopyle Falls. An 18 ft river wide water falls, it was here that Washington ended his quest for a water route to Pittsburgh. His entry to his journal "The river became so rapid as to oblige us to go ashore" If George had continued his search just a few miles downstream he would have learned that a short portage and they would have been able to reenter the river. This could have changed the course of world events. Without the water route, George continued his march towards Pittsburgh, and within a month, the battle of FT. Neccessity took place and the French and Indian War was begun.