I've never given Ohiopyle State Park the attention it deserves. It's definitely the premier outdoor location for Pittsburghers willing to drive an hour and half. It's got hiking, and backpacking, and kayaking, and whitewater rafting, and modern camping, and zip-lining, and rock climbing. On top of all of that, it's a beautiful place with scenic vistas and lofty pinnacles. The new park office and visitors' center is located right in the quaint little village of Ohiopyle, with its railroad tracks, its noisy waterfalls, its 19th century homes, and stores, and bars, which cater to the outdoorsy crowd.
Today, a friend and I hiked the first two-and-a-half miles of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail through its Ohiopyle portion. It gains a lot of altitude in a very short distance, leaving your calves aching. But the views between the second and third milemarkers--above--are worth the hike. The deep silence is only broken by the rare, mournful whistling of a train, far, far below.
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