Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania

How many of you have heard of the town of Ohiopyle in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania?

Some of you are saying, “Hey!  I bet that the town is named after a relative of Gomer Pyle.”

Sadly, you are very wrong.  (Gomer Pyle, a fictional character that was a marine played by the late actor Jim Neighbors.)  Ohiopyle is an Indian name for the white water that flows over the waterfall.  The town is built around Ohiopyle State Park that is famous for its waterfall on the Youghiogheny River.  The town is also known for its two homes built by Frank Lloyd Wright.  The one home is Kentuck Knob.

Some of you are saying, “Wow!  I bet that he built that home for Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken.”

The home is called ‘Kentuck Knob,’ not Kentucky Knob, and, no, Colonel Sanders never lived here.  The other famous home built by Frank Lloyd Wright is Fallingwater, a home built over a waterfall.  This small southwestern Pennsylvania town is surrounded by mountains and waterfalls.  Cumber Falls is also part of the state park and is a short drive from the town.  You will be awestruck by a visit to the town of Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania.

Some of you are saying, “Alright!  So the town is not named after a relative of Gomer Pyle.  There is a very big problem.  There are waterfalls and two amazing homes, but there are no trains.  Therefore, I will not be ‘pyling’ on to visiting this town.”

Why visit Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania?  It is not a railroad town.  It never was a railroad town.  Although a railroad line passes north of the town across the river, the town has no railroad history… or does it.

The town of Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania is famous for its waterfall.  The town is also on the route of a trail called ‘The Great Allegheny Passage.’  What is the Great Allegheny Passage?  It is a rail trail that runs from the city of Cumberland located in the panhandle region of the U.S. state of Maryland to the city of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania.  The eastern end of the rail trail starts at the western end of the old towpath of the Historic Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.  It then passes alongside of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to the town of Frostburg, Maryland where the scenic railroad ends, but the trail continues, and it continues to the town of Ohiopyle.

Some of you are saying, “Well, rail trails are built over of railroad lines.  With Ohiopyle not being a railroad town, there is no reason to visit here.

Yes there is, and it is not just because of the rail trail.  Just make a visit to the town visitor center.

Some of you are saying, “Well, it is a visitor center.”

It is a visitor center located inside of an old train station.  The town was originally called Falls City because of the numerous waterfalls in the region, but it was later changed to Ohiopyle.  Along with the waterfalls, it became an industrial town with mills.  The railroad came in 1871, and it not only brought tourists to the town, but it also brought manufactured goods to cities like Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Maryland, and other cities.

Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania is located in the southwestern region of Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania Route 381 passes through the heart of the town.  The Visitor Center is located on Sheridan Street next to the Great Allegheny Passage.  Parking for the Great Allegheny Passage is also located on Sheridan Street.  If you are fortunate enough, you may catch a passing train across the river.