Kayaking in Ohiopyle
The Youghiogheny River in Ohiopyle has exciting whitewater kayaking for all experience levels, and the Lower Yough is the best known whitewater run in the eastern United States. Since there is a reservoir upstream, it runs reliably during the entire busy season from April to the middle of October.
Lower Yough: The Lower Yough begins after Ohiopyle Falls and flows seven miles downstream to the Bruner Run take-out. The numerous class III and IV rapids make for exciting paddling for experienced whitewater boaters. But be aware — river levels can change the difficulty of rapids. Check at the launch area, contact the park office, or check American Whitewater for current water levels.
Loop: The first mile and a half of the Lower Yough is the famous “Loop.” Our shop is located between the take-out and the put in for this section. And yes it is true, you can walk back to the put in after paddling the Loop, and the “shuttle” is shorter than the paddle. This allows the paddler to run the first few rapids through Railroad without having to run shuttle. The trail out is steep, but hikeable. The Loop has the most gradient of the run, and it’s a great place to demo a new kayak!
Note: It’s illegal to run Ohiopyle Falls at a river level over 1.8 feet.
