When's the best time to go white water rafting on the lower yough?

Question

My family and I have decided to go white water rafting there, but we would like to know when it would be the best time for our 13 year old son who has never been rafting before.

Answer 1

It's a dam release flow, so it is usually runnable from April- October, so do it during the summer when it's nice and hot.  Also, it's a very popular section, over 100,000 rafters run it every season, so if you like crowds, go on a weekend, if not, a weekday run is for you.

Here's some additional info:

Section Ohiopyle to Bruner Run  

Location Fayette County, Ohiopyle State Park near Ohiopyle, Southwestern Pennsylvania  

Driving Time Pittsburgh-1.5 hours; Washington, D.C.-3.5 hours  

Difficulty Class II-IV  

Trip Length 7.5 miles (12 km)  

Trip Options Paddle raft; one day  

Season April-October  

Controlled releases from Youghiogheny Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers generally allow favorable water flows throughout the rafting season.

Hope that's helpful, happy boating.