Saturday, May 26, 2018
Ahh! Another Memorial Day is upon us and today we decided in
our gardening habit to head to the local state park to pick up some native
plants that the friends group has for sale as a fundraiser. Not realizing for
the recent years that I have had my DCNR and NPS Passports, I just never got
them stamped here. Since having them almost two years ago, I have been to this
park a handful of times, to be precise, the visitor center where you go to
stamp them. Most of the time, I forgot the passport. So today, I had this in
mind, but first we had yet another mission, the Constance Ranson Native Plant
Sale. We have been wanting to come up here and buy some native flora ever since
this event began a few years back, but you know there are other priorities,
right?
Meanwhile, after completing the sales, the Friends of
Ohiopyle (FOO) had a clearance sale. We looked at the various half priced
items, and I decided to purchase their Flora and Fauna Guide. It was $2 and for
a good cause and useful as it has all the flora and fauna in the massive park.
After this, we meander to the older overlooks, they (except for the
northernmost one) is inaccessible to those with mobility impairments, as it is
necessary to navigate stairs on either side to access the middle/lower and southernmost
platforms, after doing this and taking video, we head towards the Visitors
Center where I go to the counter and their is a clerk ready to assist. It was
about 10:00 AM and I was the first user of the day. First with the Potomac
Heritage NST stamp as she had to check the date, as I am OK with. There is also
a seasonal clerk there that she is training in this process as well. We do that
stamp thing and then I proceed to ask for the DCNR one, she said there are two
and I proceeded to become unfocused, all I remember was the Train Station,
liking that one, she also clears it as ink as has built in ink and park patrons
prior used the stamp pad from the NPS one and didn't realize it, anyway, did
the stamp thing and gone.
After visiting the visitor center (we did not linger as I
have I think every picture necessary inside and out of the Falls Area/Visitor
Center, I, now in need of hydration, remember that water fountains are to the
side exterior of the Visitor Center. As I approach, there is wayside signage
that was not there last year. First, I hydrate (I wish I bought the FOO bottle
now,) then photograph the signage of about water use and adjacent signage
relative to the Free Local Phone for park patrons. We retrace our steps to the
parking area, where I see new Gateway Signage and I photograph it. We decide to
go to explore some of the shops in town, but we will park there. As we pull out
of the Falls Area, I decide to photograph the new Signage near the entrance and
do so.
We proceed to the business district and park in front of the
United Methodist Church in town and do so with ease. We proceed to the market
and find out we have thirty minutes until business hours begin, so looking
puzzled, we photo shoot some photos of the United Methodist Church, a Little
Free Library and a Veterans Memorial in town before retreating to our usual Ice
Cream Hangout for an Ice Cream and Soda while waiting. About a quarter of an
hour and we are ready to do something, we decide to visit the old Visitor
Center as it is across the street and we are in need of comfort facilities, of
which this place has five or so single-user restrooms, usually requiring
standing in line to use, regardless of gender. Alas, there is no line, we do
our thing, browse the literature racks, answer a question a park patron has
about the Pinkerton Tunnel and by now it is time for the market to open for
business hours.
Once in the
market,
we spend a great deal of time looking around and pick up some of their famous
mustard as it is not sold anywhere else. As we are checking out, the customer
asks the clerk as if they have any maps. Myself being observant while browsing
and the cashier describing as to where they are, I easily explain where and it
is now known that I have a niche for maps. While we were waited on, the clerk
said they track their customers as they visit on both national and
international maps that they have hanging on the wall and that last season when
the store was open (April - October, ) they had customers from all 50 states of
the USA and 50 Countries around the world right here in Fayette County.
As we proceed to get in the car and head out of town, we
hear the train come and as we head north on the main road and across the bridge
we have to wait at the railroad crossing. This is just one of SEVERAL
adventures we have had had in this State Park and this park is huge, 19,025
acres to be exact, the second largest in PA. Pymatuning is the largest and has
a huge water acreage. There are 1.5 Million visitors that descend on this tiny
borough every year and it has a year-round population of only 70. There are a
plethora of shops, but no gas station, school or fast food chain, although
there used to be a Dairy Queen before the state took back that building.
Yes,there is a US Post Office
Park Synopsis
Located on the southern reaches of the Laurel Ridge, Ohiopyle State Park encompasses approximately 20,500 acres of rugged natural beauty and serves as the gateway to the Laurel Highlands. Close to major metropolitan areas and offering vast choices of activities, Ohiopyle State Park attracts millions of visitors annually.
Passing through the heart of the park, the rushing waters of the Youghiogheny [yawki-gay-nee] River Gorge are the centerpiece for Ohiopyle. The “Yough” [yawk] provides some of the best whitewater boating in the eastern United States, as well as spectacular scenery.
Ohiopyle is the southern gateway into the Laurel Highlands and represents the beautiful natural resources and unique sense of community that visitors can find throughout the region.
If You Go
The park is open every day of the year, sunrise to sunset. Day use areas close at dusk.
The park office is open specific hours. Overnight areas and other areas are open specific seasons and hours. Contact the park office for facility seasons and hours.
DIRECTIONS
From the PA Turnpike
Take Exit 91, Donegal.
Turn left onto PA 31 east.
Travel about two miles, turn right onto PA 711 and PA 381 south.
Travel ten miles to Normalville, turn left onto PA 381 south.
Drive for 11 miles to Ohiopyle.
From the South (DC, MD, VA)
Take I-270 north to Frederick, MD.
Take I-70 west to Hancock, MD.
Take Rt. 40 and I-68 through Cumberland.
Take Exit 14 (Keysers Ridge) to Rt. 40 west to Farmington, PA.
Turn right onto PA 381 north for eight miles to Ohiopyle.
From the South (WV)
Take I-79 north to I-68 east.
Take Bruceton Mills Exit to Rt. 26 north. At the Pennsylvania border it becomes PA 281 north.
Turn left onto PA 40 west, to Farmington.
Turn right onto PA 381 north to Ohiopyle.
Special Directions for Large RVs to Kentuck Campground
SR 2019 is very steep. Large RVs should avoid this road.
Take PA 40 to SR 2010 (Chalk Hill-Ohiopyle Rd). Follow it for eight miles to a stop sign.
Go straight to the campground.
For GPS Units: GPS coordinates for many locations are on the park map and in the text. For those who want to use an address, use 124 Main Street, Ohiopyle, PA 15470.
This should direct you to the center of the park. Follow signage once you are in the park to find your desired destination.
GPS DD: Lat. 39.85115 Long. -79.49984
OHIOPYLE STATE PARK OFFICE -- LAUREL HIGHLANDS FALLS AREA VISITOR CENTER
The Ohiopyle State Park Office -- Laurel Highlands Falls Area Visitor Center is an activity and information hub for the park and serves as a gateway to the larger Laurel Highlands region. Diverse exhibits throughout the building help visitors learn about wildlife and recreational opportunities in the park and region.
A strong commitment to conservation and sustainable design is exhibited throughout the building, leading to long-term efficiency and responsible management. It was designed and constructed to United States Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) guidelines for new construction. In 2015, the building was awarded USGBC LEED Gold Certification and a USGBC Forever Green Award.
Accessibility
Many facilities at the park, including all at the new Visitor Center as well as the Train Station are universally acessible, including comfort and hydration facilites. Rustic Comfort Facilities are located at RamCat Trailhead, Tharp Knob Picnic Area and the Sugarloaf Trailhead. Additionally, the Guided Boaters Change House at the Check-In Staging Area along Meadow Run South of town is Handicap Accessible as well. Furthernore, their is a overlook along Meadow Run and Cucumber Falls has some handicap accessibility, but not to the falls itself. Kentuck Campground has a loop with modern wash and comfort facilities along with accessible sites in the Gingko Road Area. There is a accessble fishing area along Meadow Run Road, south of the Guided Raft Check In.
Anyway, we made our purchases and decided to skip on the memorial plaza and instead visit the Tower of Voices, as it is only about a month old . We pulled in the parking lot a it is still under improvement We walked up to it and looked at it. The Park is still testing the sounds of it so it isn't complete as of yer We explored a littl then left as we were nearing hour 9 of our trip.
Overview
The tower is surrounded by concentric rings of white pines and deciduous plantings. The concentric plantings may be interpreted as resonating “sound waves” from the Tower, alluding to the auditory qualities of the chimes housed within. A direct paved path leads to the tower from the parking lot. A longer, meandering crushed stone path winds through the trees and allows visitors an alternative approach to the tower. All other landscaped areas of the project will be planted with a native wildflower seed mix similar to other landscaped areas of the park.
