"20,000,000 Tons of Water" Wayside

"Into the Lakebed: Two Miles Long, One Mile Wide!" Wayside

"It just seemed like a mountain coming." Wayside

"It looked as though the whole valley were under water." Wayside

"No pen can describe...." Wayside

"No pen can describe...." Wayside

"On old state maps it was the Western Reservoir." Wayside

"Such was the price that was paid for fish" Wayside

"The Lakebed- 70 Feet Deep in Some Places" Wayside

Club House

The Club House was the center of activity for members at guests at Lake Conemaugh.

Flag pole at the Lake View Visitor Center

You are standing on what was once the property of the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club.

Lake View Visitor Center

Start your visit here! Get oriented to the park, explore two floors of exhibits and watch the park film, "Black Friday."

May 31, 1889- "The dam is becoming dangerous" Wayside

May 31, 1889- "The dam is becoming dangerous" Wayside

North Abutment

You are standing atop the north side of what is left of the South Fork Dam. From this spot, you are 14 miles from the stone bridge in Johnstown.

South Abutment

You are standing on the remains of the South Fork Dam.

The Picnic Area

Johnstown Flood National Memorial Visitor Center

• 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.

• Hike with a ranger through the ruins of the South Fork Dam
• Join a Park Ranger for an interpretive walk that will take you to the bottom of the dam, through the breach and back out on the other side.

• Attend a Tales of the Great Flood Presentation
• Tales of the Great Flood cover a wide variety of topics relating to the Johnstown Flood.

• Club House and Cottage Row Walking Tours
• Club House and Cottage Row Walking Tours are part of our programming for the anniversary of the 1889 Johnstown Flood. All tours begin at the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club House Building in Saint Michael, PA and last approximately one hour.  Reservations for both tours are required! Please call the Visitor Center at 814-886-6171 to reserve a spot!

• Path of the Flood Van Tours
• Path of the Flood Van Tours are June 28 and July 19, 2025!

• Learn about the Johnstown Flood in the Visitor Center
• The Visitor Center and has two floors of exhibits and a park film. Visitors will learn about the Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889.

• Attend an Evening on the Lake Presentation
• Evening on the Lake presentations are on select Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. in the Club House during the summer months.

• May 31 Anniversary
• Friday May 31, 2024, is the 135th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889.

• The Junior Ranger Program
• The Junior Ranger program is available in the Lake View Visitor Center. Ask the Ranger on duty for a booklet. The program booklets are available by age group; 5-7, 8-10, and 11-13. Upon completion of the booklet, participants will earn a Junior Ranger badge!

• Visit the remains of the South Fork Dam
• Visitors can access the North and South Abutments on the remains of the South Fork Dam.

• Walk Through the Ruins Trail
• The Walk Through the Ruins Trail, off of the South Abutment Road near the parking lot, takes walkers to the bottom of the dam, through the breach and back up out of the dam on the other side.

• Hike the Carriage Road Nature Trail
• The Carriage Road Nature Trail follows the carriage road that the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club members would have taken after they crossed the top of the South Fork Dam on their journey from South Fork to the Club House and cottages.

• Have lunch at the picnic area
• Relax in the picnic area, located off of South Abutment Road.

• View the park film "Black Friday."
• The park film "Black Friday" is 35 minutes in length. It is shown at 15 minutes past the hour (9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, 4:15). "Black Friday" is rated PG (parental guidance suggested). The film contains captions. A transcript of the film is available at the Visitor Center desk. 

• Lake View Visitor Center bookstore
• The bookstore at Johnstown Flood National Memorial is operated by America's National Parks. The bookstore is on the upper level of the Lake View Visitor Center. It contains books about the Johnstown Flood of 1889, including a survivor's account written shortly after the flood. T-shirts, coffee mugs, pins, patches, magnets and many other items are available for purchase.

• Drive past the Club House and Cottages
• The Club House and nine cottages that were once owned by the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club are still standing in present day Saint Michael on Main Street. Park signs will direct visitors from Route 869. A park map can be found on our website or in the Visitor Center. 

Johnstown Flood National Memorial Overview Tour

Hello and welcome to Johnstown Flood National Memorial, a unit of the National Park Service! Within this now beautiful national park, we commemorate one of the darkest days in American history. On Friday, May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam, the remains of which are within the park, failed, sending over 20,000,000 tons of water hurtling into the Conemaugh Valley.

Walk Through the Ruins

The walk is approximately 1/3 mile to the bottom of the dam, through the breach and back up out of the dam on the other side. Please note that the last portion of the walk contains a steep section.