Ohiopyle: White Water Rafting at its Best

Have you ever wanted to go white water rafting?  When most people think of white water rafting, they probably envision rafting down the Colorado River somewhere out West.  There are, of course, places back East that offer the same opportunity and thrills.  One of these is Ohiopyle State Park, located in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.

The Park is approximately 20,000 acres and offers a number of other activities in addition to white water rafting. These include 79 miles of hiking trails.  In addition, Ohiopyle offers 27 miles of biking trails, connecting Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the state of Maryland along the former rail bed of the Western Maryland Railroad.

But it is whitewater rafting that Ohiopyle is most noted for.  And with good reason.  The Youghiogheny River (the "Yough") is said to be one of the most popular white water rafting locations on the East Coast. The lower Yough rapids are rated as Class 3 and 4 rapids. The middle Yough has class 1 and 2 rapids. For those not familiar with the rapids classification system, the Class 3 and Class 4 rapids are particularly difficult and challenging.  They should only be attempted by the most skilled rafters or under the supervision of a skilled rafter.