Ohiopyle Falls

 "Here pleasures and beauties are scattered around,
the river, cool groves, or the mountains renowned...
Come, share in the joys at Ohio Pyle found."
~Allen E. Harbaugh (1849-1916)

When I realized that I would be working for most of the month of October, I decided to make it up to Dear Husband by treating him to a daytrip to check out the fall foliage south of the city. Thankfully the colors turned late this year, but unfortunately strong storms the weekend before had blown about 50% of the leaves off the trees. Nonetheless, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at home before hopping in the car for the 1 hour and 15-minute drive down to Ohiopyle, PA. First stop: the park and visitors center.

Mannequins in an inflatable rubber raft!

This is a sweet little park center, with an information desk, a 3-dimensional map of the trails and waterways, and restrooms upstairs.

Downstairs is a small exhibit all about the natural and cultural history of the area. The first photo above is of us in front of a diorama of what the fall colors are supposed to look like. To the right is a collection of wildlife (bald eagle, fish, even an otter catching a snake by the tail; the ratio of snakes:dioramas was high--at least 1.0!). There were placards about conservation, ordinary and famous people who had lived or passed through, and outdoor pasttimes from fishing to hiking to glamping.

A viewing gallery that is 3/4 glass walls includes more hands-on demonstrations of the geology (below) and the resort that used to exist across the river. We took pictures and video here, and then from the succession of stone and wood vantage points. When the water level is high, as many as 10,000 gallons of water go over the falls every second. Even when it is low, 1,000 gallons rush by.

We would like to come back when it's warmer to read by the water, picnic, and hike Cucumber Falls.

Click here for part two of our daytrip, to a certain famous architectural landmark nearby.