Ohiopyle tops list of ‘great value stays’
With breath-taking scenery, dozens of trails for biking and hiking, and wildlife spread over more than 20,000 acres, Ohiopyle State Park ranked first among state parks across the U.S. for “great value stays”
The HomeToGo 2025 State Park Index ranked the top 100 parks on affordability, size, trails, wildlife, scenery and how much of a hidden gem it is.
“There are so many options for anyone who loves the outdoors. You can go white water rafting, biking on the Great Allegheny Passage and rock climbing. There’s beautiful foliage in the fall and trout fishing in the spring,” said Eric Knopsnyder, director of public relations and community outreach for Go Laurel Highlands. “Scenic views include waterfalls and overlooks. Whatever your interests are, if it exists, it’s available in Ohiopyle State Park.”
HomeToGo, which aggregates vacation rental listings from several providers, called the park “a veritable playground for hikers, rafters, and travelers chasing untamed landscapes.”
The park scored 10/10 for wildlife species, which may come as a surprise to some. But, said Knopsnyder, “That just goes to show all the things we have within the park.”
The wildlife score was derived from iNaturalist, described as a “crowdsourced species identification system and an organism occurrence recording tool.”
The park also had high scores in the categories of size (9.86/10), scenic appeal (9.59/10) and hidden gem (8.97/10). Ohiopyle’s affordability score – the index put the median per-night price to stay there at $65.81 – was the park’s lowest at 6.74/10.
And while the park is often bustling, “There’s so much space, there are spots that even on the busiest days, you can be in the park and no one is nearby,” Knopsnyder said.
There’s also been plenty of growth in terms of lodging. Falls Market Inn and Ohiopyle Suites offer short-term rentals, giving visitors more options closer to the park.
Those who prefer to rough it are also in good company. According to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, camping at Ohiopyle has seen a 15% increase from March 1-July 31, 2024 to March 1-July 31, 2025.
“A family of four could visit and make a lot of those memories without breaking the budget. All of the things offered at the park are free or at a very low cost,” Knopsnyder said.
Eight other Pennsylvania parks made the list: Caledonia (19th), Black Moshannon (24th), Cook Forest (26th), Worlds End (30th), Presque Isle (39th), Bald Eagle (45th), Parker Dam (56th) and Cherry Springs (95th).
“Our system is second to none, and we appreciate the word getting out about several of the state parks in our system. I encourage the public to check out these parks and the rest of our amazing public lands for a fun, affordable adventure,” said John Hallas, director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks.
This isn’t the first time the area has been recognized. In 2024, the borough of Ohiopyle was named Best Small Town in the Northeast by USA Today’s 10Best. The borough also made the list this year, albeit in the fourth spot.