The lower Youghiogheny, or "Yough," in 1964 became the first river to be commercially rafted in the eastern United States, and it continues to be one of the most popular. Each season more than 100,000 rafters enjoy the whitewater excitement of the 7.5-mile (12-km) trip from Ohiopyle Falls through the Laurel Mountains in Ohiopyle State Park in Bruner Run. Controlled releases from Youghiogheny Dam by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers generally allow favorable water flows throughout the rafting season.

Numerous challenging Class III-IV rapids-which include Entrance, Cucumber, Railroad, Dimple, Swimmers, Double Hydraulics, and Rivers End-are separated by calm pools and easy stretches of river, providing for moments of excitement and relaxation. Perhaps the most technical and exciting rapid on the lower Yough is the Class III-IV Dimple, above Swimmers Rapid. Encounters with Dimple Rock, as the current crashes into it, are long remembered.

To reduce weekend overcrowding on the lower Yough, Pennsylvania's Bureau of State Parks administers an effective river management plan that includes assigned put-in and launch times for commercial outfitters. Anyone interested in weekend trips during the summer should contact outfitters in the spring for reservations. While weekday trips are less crowded and less expensive, reservations are also recommended.