State parks in Southwestern Pa. offer something for everyone
鈥淲elcome to Ohiopyle鈥欌�� is a mural depicting the area鈥檚 natural beauty and recreation. Co-funded by Ohiopyle State Park and Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp., the mural is located at the base of the Great Allegheny Passage hike/bike trail bridge, at the corner of Main and Sheridan streets and adjacent to Falls Market, greeting visitors as they enter from the north side of town. (Photo courtesy of the 缅北禁地)
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Celeste Van Kirk
Meadow Run is a creek that flows into the Youghiogheny River. This creek has carved natural water slides out of the stream鈥檚 sandstone rock bed. A youngster navigates his way down the water slides at Ohiopyle State Park in this 2018 photo.
A cyclist on the Great Allegheny Passage crosses the high bridge over the Youghiogheny River at Ohiopyle in this undated file photo (Photo by Ben Moyer)
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
The water that spouts from colorful spray park tubes and shapes is reusable, which reduces waste inside Ryerson Station State Park鈥檚 new pool complex. The new complex opened officially Memorial Day weekend in 2022.
A view of Ryerson Station State Park鈥檚 swimming pool in Richhill Township (Photo by Katherine Mansfield)
Two camping cottages at the Polly Hill Campgrounds at Ryerson Station State Park in Greene County are shown in this 2018 photo. Three additional deluxe cottages were built at the site. (Photos courtesy of the Observer-Reporter)
Observer-Reporter
Observer-Reporter
A model aircraft rests in a field at Hillman State Park before Jack D鈥橝tri takes it out for a flight in this 2015 file photo.
Carol Kinney of Hanover Township enjoys riding her horse, Ginger, along trails in Hillman State Park in this 2015 file photo. (Photo courtesy of the Observer-Reporter.)
Observer-Reporter
Observer-Reporter
The Hillman State Park Model Airfield sign at the entrance to the airfield where many hobbyists fly their model planes
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The three state parks here in Southwestern Pennsylvania range from the wildly popular to just plain wild.
Each of the parks in the tri-county area 鈥� Ryerson Station in Greene, Ohiopyle in Fayette and Hillman in Washington 鈥� offers something totally unique that attracts different tourists depending on what they鈥檙e looking for in outdoor recreation.
鈥淲e all have different things,鈥� said Ken Bisbee, who is the park manager for Ohiopyle. 鈥淭he thought used to be that every state park in the old days should have a beach and picnic tables and campgrounds. We鈥檙e connecting our landscapes together and thinking more regionally 鈥� so we don鈥檛 duplicate efforts. That鈥檚 a good thing that鈥檚 happening in our local landscapes.鈥�
With its majestic waterfalls, whitewater rafting and scenic hiking trails, Ohiopyle is one of the most popular state parks in the region, if not in all of Pennsylvania. In 2022, nearly 900,000 people visited the state park that straddles the Youghiogheny River in southeastern Fayette County.
Farther west, nestled in the edge of Greene County near the West Virginia state line sits Ryerson Station, which is undergoing a transformation nearly two decades after the popular Duke Lake was forced to be drained when nearby longwall mining allegedlymcaused cracks in the dam鈥檚 foundation. While the park鈥檚 centerpiece is gone, the state and local groups have been working over the past decade to 鈥淩e-vision Ryerson鈥� with a new aquatics center and cabins, along with a stream restoration project for fishing where the lake was once located.
While most people already know about Ohiopyle and Ryerson, possibly the most hidden state park is Hillman in northern Washington County near Frankfort Springs. The park is so wild and undeveloped that the Pennsylvania Game Commission is the primary manager of its 3,654 acres, although it still technically falls under the umbrella of Raccoon Creek State Park鈥檚 supervision. The roads, trails and model airplane runway are so remote that there are no vehicles counters leading into the park, so no one is truly sure how many people visit Hillman each year.
Hillman State Park
When Albert Wasilewski was assigned to be park manager at Raccoon Creek in 2001, he began hearing stories about visitors at nearby Hillman accidentally wandering off unmarked 鈥渞ogue trails鈥� and onto private property.
鈥淧eople went over there and did their own thing,鈥� Wasilewski said. 鈥淭here are Game Commission service roads, and people decided to just do things on their own. We decided to get this cleaned up as best we can.鈥�
With the help of geo-positioning coordinates, the staff at Raccoon Creek worked closely with the Game Commission to begin mapping trails, cutting through thick brush to make them passable and then blazing them so visitors could easily follow the path. Two decades later it鈥檚 become a popular destination for mountain bikers, hikers and equestrians who want a more rugged path to follow.
But the landmark at Hillman undoubtedly is the runway for remote-controlled airplanes, which attracts area clubs and hobbyists. In fact, the original airfield predates Hillman itself, when it was being reclaimed as the former Harmon Creek Coal strip mine. An engineering student at Pitt asked Harmon鈥檚 president at the time, James Hillman, for space to fly model airplanes, and a 20-acre area was set aside for that purpose, according to the state park鈥檚 website.
As part of conservation efforts and attempts by the state to situate parks within a short driving distance of most populations, Harmon Creek donated the land to the state in 1969 and the site was named after Hilllman. The old runway was closed in 1977 and the current airfield with modern accommodations opened to clubs and people who receive permission from the park staff to fly there.
鈥淭hat is a big focus over there, and it鈥檚 a pretty nice runway, actually,鈥� Wasilewski said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an expensive hobby, but when you鈥檙e over there watching them fly, it鈥檚 pretty neat.鈥�
There are plenty of hunting lands within the park, making the partnership between the Game Commission and state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources vital. Wasilewski said he鈥檚 still amazed how a former strip mine could be brought back to life as a wilderness retreat for people with so many unique hobbies.
鈥淚 was always fascinated by the whole big project when it was strip-mined there and they fixed it in the late 1960s and early 1970s,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very nice. Fortunately, every region has a different thing to offer the public. 鈥� There鈥檚 so much diversity across the state.鈥�
Ryerson Station State Park
While Hillman was transformed from an industrial site shaped by coal, it was coal that transformed Ryerson Station State Park.
In July 2005, state officials determined that nearby longwall coal mining was causing cracks in Duke Lake鈥檚 dam, forcing the body of water to be drained to avert a potential catastrophe. The DCNR blamed Consol Energy鈥檚 nearby Bailey Mine for causing the damage, and the two parties agreed to a $36 million settlement in 2013 to replace the dam and make other upgrades to the park, although the coal operator never admitted liability as part of the deal.
However, ground movement was still detected near the dam site two years later, prompting the DCNR to pull the plug on reconstructing it, meaning Duke Lake was lost forever. But out of that decision, the DCNR decided to invest settlement money into a complete restoration of the park that included new deluxe cottages built on the campgrounds, an upgraded pool with a splash zone and, most importantly, stream restorations that would hopefully one day allow for fishing pools and kayaking areas where the lake was once situated.
Some of those upgrades have already been completed, and the stream restoration is about to begin soon, according to Casse Criss, who just took over as Ryerson鈥檚 park manager in April.
鈥淚 kind of fell in love with the park when I came to do lifeguard interviews last year. The town is great, the staff is great and the locals are amazing,鈥� Criss said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a little different than some of the other parks in our region. Some of the other parks are a little more accessible, and it鈥檚 kind of neat that (Ryerson) is not.鈥�
Her previous job was at Moraine State Park in Butler County, which has a massive lake within its boundaries, so Criss understands how people can become connected to a local body of water. But she鈥檚 hoping something new can be built at Ryerson that will attract generations to come.
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty excited about this stream restoration,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t will be nice when that gets started, just having more opportunities for fishing and also kayaking opportunities.鈥�
For now, other improvements at the pool and cabins have been popular with those who rediscovered Ryerson. Unlike in past years when the staff has struggled to find enough lifeguards to travel to Ryerson鈥檚 pool, this year they are fully staffed and ready for full-time hours.
鈥淭he pool has been very popular, especially on weekends,鈥� Criss said. 鈥淎 lot more lifeguards (this year) even with the shortage elsewhere.鈥�
While Criss can鈥檛 quite put her finger on what attracted her to Ryerson, she鈥檚 hoping the park鈥檚 rustic wonder coupled with their new vision for the future will once again attract crowds to the western edge of Greene County.
鈥淓verybody is so kind and so passionate about the park, and very welcoming,鈥� she said. 鈥淛ust seeing the park grow and having more opportunities for restoration. It鈥檒l be nice to see more people coming to the park besides just hiking and swimming and hunting.鈥�
Ohiopyle State Park
While Ryerson is still trying to find itself once again, it鈥檚 not hard for people to find themselves in Ohiopyle. Many consider it the jewel of the Laurel Highlands with its deep river valleys, stunning mountaintop views and scenic trails. It鈥檚 also one of the most 鈥渉igh adrenaline鈥� parks in the state with myriad of extreme sports that range from whitewater rafting, kayaking, biking, rock climbing and hiking, according to Bisbee, who is the park鈥檚 manager.
鈥淲hen I got here I said, 鈥極h my gosh, we鈥檙e letting people do this?鈥� It鈥檚 kind of the nature of Ohiopyle,鈥� Bisbee said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a high-activity, high-risk endeavor.鈥�
But it鈥檚 also 鈥渟cenic and relaxing鈥� with the Great Allegheny Passage bicycle trail offering walkers and riders a chance to take it easy on the limestone-covered path with great views atop old railroad bridges overlooking the Yough.
Bisbee has worked in six different state parks, but he considers Ohiopyle to be the most unique since it seems to have something for everyone. The park鈥檚 boundaries surround the tiny Fayette County borough that is its namesake, which gives people a place to eat and shop in between exploring the area鈥檚 natural beauty. Now, mountain biking clubs based in Pittsburgh are venturing out that way, and the rock outcrops are attracting climbers from all across the world.
鈥淭he roads are scenic, then you get to Ohiopyle and the park is gorgeous. Get something to eat in town and it鈥檚 a great day,鈥� Bisbee said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a combination of almost unsurpassed beauty (and) it has whatever you鈥檙e looking for.鈥�
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, crowds flocked to Ohiopyle with an estimated 1.367 million visitors coming to the park in 2020. While the attendance figure has dropped back to pre-pandemic levels, Bisbee thinks people are discovering public lands in a way they hadn鈥檛 before, whether its Ohiopyle, Ryerson or Hillman.
鈥淧eople are getting out to the outdoors to reconnect with themselves and nature,鈥� Bisbee said. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a good thing these days.鈥�
2022 Attendance and Acreage 鈥� No visitor data 鈥� 3,654 acres 鈥� 34,288 visitors 鈥� 1,346 acres 鈥� 882,758 visitors 鈥� 20,500 acres Source: DCNR ae2aacb3-5935-4cf5-af75-8fa68a68b4fa
Hillman 鈥� No visitor data 鈥� 3,654 acres
Ryerson 鈥� 34,288 visitors 鈥� 1,346 acres
Ohiopyle 鈥� 882,758 visitors 鈥� 20,500 acres
Source: DCNR