Ohiopyle State Park is one of my favorite places in PA, but one of its best features is often missed: Baughman Rock Overlook. In fact, when I’ve visited the park on busy weekends, there are never more than a handful of cars at this great spot.
That’s despite it being quite easy to reach and providing one of the best views in the Laurel Highlands.
Here’s everything you need to visit it.
How to Get to Baughman Rock Overlook
Baughman Rock Overlook is located high above Ohiopyle State Park, a little over 2 miles from the town of Ohiopyle in the heart of the park. The overlook sits less than 100 yards off of Sugarloaf Road (State Route 26116), which makes it easy to drive to, but you can also hike there if you’re looking for a strenuous walk in the woods.
Note that there is another area known as Baughman Rocks at nearby Mount Davis (the highest point in PA). Just wanted to note that in case you are looking for those instead to avoid any confusion.
For those driving to the overlook, take Sugarloaf Road (the road that runs southeast from near the park office), for 2.25 miles from Main Street in Ohiopyle.
The parking area for Baughman Rock is a bit hidden and there isn’t a sign, so keep your eyes to the left and look for a parking area tucked back behind a narrow row of trees at the following coordinates: 39.844899, -79.473961.
[Click here for information on how to use coordinates to find your destination.]
The other option to reach this spot is to hike the Lower Baughman Trail to the vista. This is a challenging hike that ascends over 800 feet in approximately 2 miles.
You can then either retraces your steps back to the north end of town or do a 5.4-mile loop with the Baughman Connector Trail and the Lower Sugarloaf Trail.
I’ve honestly never hiked to this spot despite visiting it many times, so I can’t provide first-hand information on the trail, but you can find out more and get some reviews of the loop on AllTrails.
Enjoying Baughman Rock Overlook
Baughman Rock Overlook sits about 100 yards from the parking area and less than half that from the Baughman Trail. It can be seen from both, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it once atop the ridge.
While the walking path from the parking area/trail to the rocks is flat and easy, the rocks themselves are quite slanted, so you’ll have to go up a 30 or so degree angle for about 15 feet to actually get to the view itself.
Unfortunately, you can’t see the view here without this short, but steep climb, so keep that in mind depending on your ability levels.
Once atop the rocks, there is a stone and wooden fence to keep you from getting too close to the edge, though it doesn’t extend the entire length of the rocks if you head off to the right.
The view from here is quite phenomenal as you are located more than 800 feet above the Youghiogheny River along Laurel Ridge. It is said that this is the deepest point of the entire Youghiogheny River Gorge.
While you can’t actually see the river or the town of Ohiopyle from here, you do have an unobstructed view of the rolling mountains of Fayette County, PA with no man-made objects in sight. It’s truly an amazing view.
While this is a great spot to visit any time of the day, my personal favorite is at sunrise. Not only does the vista face west, ensuring a beautiful sunrise, but it’s also not uncommon for fog to fill the valleys around the mountains, creating an even more dramatic scene.
That being said, it’s really quite beautiful any time of the day, and I’ve even seen fog here at sunset.
The outcropping at Baughman Rock is created by a series of rocks right along the edge of the ridge. These extend for probably 75 feet, so there is enough room even if there are a fair number of people here.
While there is a wooden fence along part of the cliff’s edge, that doesn’t extend the whole way along the rocks. There are also some openings between rocks further down, as well, so definitely make sure to use caution here, especially if it’s dark out and you go away from the fence.
It’s also worth noting that these rocks tend to have very good traction. I’ve visited here while it was raining and the rocks were wet, and there were no issues moving along them or climbing up to the viewpoint.
That being said, make sure to wear shoes with good traction, and make sure to be careful because it’s possible some spots could get slippery, and a fall here wouldn’t be fun.
All that being said, Baughman Rock is among my favorite places in Ohiopyle State Park and definitely my favorite place in the park to watch sunrise and sunset.
So, if you’re looking to get away from the crowds a bit and enjoy a beautiful view, make sure you don’t miss this great spot in the Laurel Highlands
Looking for even more things to do? Check out Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Fallingwater, and my favorite vistas in PA.
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