Bruner Run is the take-out at the end of the popular Lower Youghiogheny whitewater run in Ohiopyle State Park. A successful trip depends on more than reaching the landing: know where your vehicle will be, whether a shuttle is operating, and how you will move your boat and equipment off the river.
Bruner Run belongs to the Lower Yough
The official park boating page places Bruner Run about seven miles downstream of the Lower Yough start below Ohiopyle Falls. This is Class III–IV whitewater with serious natural hazards; inexperienced paddlers should use an authorized guided trip. It is a different outing from the Middle Yough, which begins at Ramcat and ends in Ohiopyle.
If you are planning the gentler upstream run, use our Ramcat and Middle Yough access guide. Bruner Run is not that route’s designated take-out. Choosing the correct river section should happen before arranging vehicles or equipment.
Old Mitchell parking and the seasonal shuttle
The state’s official permit information describes seasonal service from Bruner Run Takeout to Old Mitchell Parking Area. Its listed $10-per-boater access fee includes a launch time and that shuttle on qualifying weekends and holidays during the main season. Old Mitchell is the parking destination named for this arrangement; do not assume the landing itself is unrestricted all-day parking.
The permit page describes the fee season as the second weekend in April through the Sunday before Columbus Day, while the DCNR boating page describes launch-ticket requirements through Columbus Day. These are related but differently worded service windows. For travel near the season boundary, confirm the exact date, check-in procedure, parking location, and return service with the park rather than treating either summary as a promise of a bus.
For October 13, 2026, the published main-season windows have ended. This guide does not confirm a shuttle operating today. Arrange return transportation before launching and ask how the park wants you to check in outside the fee season.
Weekday gate access is a separate question
DCNR currently states that no shuttle is provided on weekdays and that the Bruner gate is open Monday through Friday. That published policy is useful for planning, but a same-day gate closure, road condition, or changed operating arrangement can still affect a visit. Call Ohiopyle State Park at 724-329-8591 before relying on vehicle access.
Ask specifically where a private vehicle may wait or park, whether boat loading is permitted at the landing, and what access applies for your return time. A gate being open should not be read as permission to occupy any roadside space or block the unloading route.
Permits, equipment, and the river level
The DCNR whitewater rules require Lower Yough boaters to use designated launches and take-outs and to meet the applicable permit or guided-trip requirements. When a launch area is unstaffed, the rules specify a sign-on sheet at the contact station in place of obtaining a permit. Follow the current posted procedure.
The park requires a life jacket to be worn and a helmet on the Lower Yough. Craft requirements change with the park river-gauge reading; check the complete rules for your boat before departure. Nonmotorized whitewater equipment, the right skills, and a take-out plan are all necessary—transport arrangements do not make the rapids suitable for a beginner.
Locate the access before departure
The PFBC fishing-and-boating access inventory lists “Bruner Run Access” near 39.92678, -79.48660. The map below uses that agency reference point. It marks the river-access area, not Old Mitchell parking, a guaranteed navigation route, or a reserved vehicle space.
Download the official park map and Lower Rapids map to distinguish the river landing from the road and parking arrangements. Save them before entering the gorge. If someone is collecting you, agree on the permitted meeting location and a backup plan while you have connectivity.
Allow time for landing, boat handling, and transportation before dusk. Keep loading areas clear, carry equipment carefully on wet surfaces, and bring dry layers for a cool-weather trip. Verify needed facilities directly; this guide does not establish accessible riverbank access or current restroom availability at Bruner Run.
Useful nearby planning guides
Our Ohiopyle fishing and river access overview covers the wider park. Use it for other activities, then return to the official boating, permit, and map sources for the exact Lower Yough arrangements. A shore visit or park hike can be a separate plan when boating conditions do not suit your group.
Source information checked October 13, 2026. Images are AI-generated representative Laurel Highlands river artwork, not photographs of Bruner Run or evidence of current water levels.
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