Explore This Park

• Plan Your Visit
  • Basic Information

Basic Information

Physical Address

733 Lake Road
South Fork, PA 15956

Directions

Take US Route 219 to the St Michael/Sidman exit. At the end of the exit ramp head East on PA 869 (there is a park sign at the end of the exit ramp). Travel approximately 1.5 miles on PA 869 watching for a left turn onto Lake Road at the sign for Johnstown Flood National Memorial. Follow Lake Road 1.5 miles until the visitor center appears on your right. Please park safely in the designated parking lot and not block any emergency access roads.

Directions Details

Operating Hours & Seasons

Johnstown Flood National Memorial

During the spring, summer, and fall, the Johnstown Flood National Memorial Visitor Center is open 7 days a week from 9:00 am-5:00 pm daily. During the winter, the Visitor Center may have reduced hours. Park grounds and trails are always open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, from sunrise to sunset.

Standard Hours

• Sunday: Sunrise - Sunset
• Monday: Sunrise - Sunset
• Tuesday: Sunrise - Sunset
• Wednesday: Sunrise - Sunset
• Thursday: Sunrise - Sunset
• Friday: Sunrise - Sunset
• Saturday: Sunrise - Sunset

Weather

Winters can be cold and severe. Spring can be seasonable and wet. Summer can be hot with potentials for thunderstorms. Fall can be seasonal, with cold temperatures into October and November.

Fees & Passes

Entrance Fees:

Entrance Fee. - $0.00

Johnstown Flood National Memorial is a fee free park.

Entrance Passes:

Access Pass - $0.00

For US Citizens or Permanent Residents of any age who have a permanent disability (must bring proper documentation); good for life. This admits the guest and three additional adult guests in the party.

America the Beautiful-U.S. Military Pass - $0.00

Yearly pass for Active US Military members, including the National Guard and Reserves; renewable each year during your active duty service, including the National Guard and Reservies. This admits the servicemember and his/her dependents in the party.

Every Kid in a Park-4th Grade Pass - $0.00

With the help of an adult, fourth graders can go to this website, https://www.everykidinapark.gov/, complete a short, fun activity, and then bring their certificate into the park to exchange it for a Fourth Grade Pass, which entitles all adults in the fourth graders party to fee admission to any National Park. Adults may not use the pass without the fourth grader present.

Visitor Centers

Johnstown Flood National Memorial Visitor Center

The Visitor Center has two floors of displays that explain the history of the South Fork Dam, the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club, and how and why the 1889 Johnstown Flood occurred. There is also a 35 minute film,"Black Friday," shown every :15 past the hour, with the first showing of the day at 9:15 and the last showing at 4:15.

 

Park entrance sign.

National Park Service.

We recommend that you begin your visit at the Lake View Visitor Center. There you can view the exhibits and the award winning film. Follow up with a stroll around the pathways outside of the visitor center where wayside exhibit panels use text and pictures to help you envision the area as it was in 1889. You will also wish to visit the remains of the dam, a short walk on an accessible trail, you will need to drive to the trailhead due to safety concerns.

Allow one to two hours for your visit. The park film lasts 35 minutes. In the summer a van tour can guide you around the edges of the former Lake Conemaugh including stops at the The South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club Clubhouse and both dam abutments. Rangers often share new research and uncovered photographs during this special one hour tour.

Nearby, in the community of Saint Michael, remain some of the original buildings of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. During the summer months, the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club Clubhouse may be accessible during a ranger-guided tour; ask at the park Visitor Center. In all cases it is worth the drive through the historic area, the large National Park Service signs mark the turn to the clubhouse.