Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Pennsylvania
Tonight
🌗 46% moon
6.4 h fully dark
Crowds
low
Open today
Closed
Johnstown Flood National Memorial: closed Nov 26 – Nov 26; Johnstown Flood National Memorial: closed Dec 25 – Dec 25; Johnstown Flood National Memorial: closed Jan 1 – Jan 1
Entrance
Free entry
The South Fork Dam failed on Friday, May 31, 1889, and unleashed 20,000,000 tons of water that devastated Johnstown, PA. The flood killed 2,209 people but it brought the nation and the world together to aid the "Johnstown sufferers." The story of the Johnstown Flood reminds us all, "...that we must leave nothing undone for the preservation and protection of our brother men."
Topics
No entrance fee.
Hours & seasons
Hours of Operations The Visitor Center is closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Visitor Center is open Fridays through Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Park grounds and trails are open daily from sunrise to sunset. The Visitor Center is closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year's Day. "All Park Hours" reflects the hours of operation for the Visitor Center.
⚠ Johnstown Flood National Memorial: closed Nov 26 – Nov 26; Johnstown Flood National Memorial: closed Dec 25 – Dec 25; Johnstown Flood National Memorial: closed Jan 1 – Jan 1
Generally open:
winterspringsummerfallHours are reported by the park — verify before you go.
📞 8148866171
✉ jofl_interpretation@nps.govConditions
Quietest months (fewer crowds): Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec
Typical crowds: low
Weather now: ⛅ Partly cloudy, 79°F
🌦️ 82°/66°
🌦️ 84°/67°
🌦️ 83°/67°
Typical monthly recreation visits · NPS avg 2023–2025 — orange months are the quietest by crowds.
Quietest months
Relative crowds by month — lighter is quieter; ringed months are the calmest by crowds.
Jan
12%
Feb
20%
Mar
26%
Apr
54%
May
100%
Jun
57%
Jul
90%
Aug
74%
Sep
71%
Oct
58%
Nov
37%
Dec
24%
Log a sky reading
Measured the sky with an SQM meter or app? Add your reading (16 = city glow … 22 = pristine). Opt in under “Travelers like you” to share it on the community leaderboard.
Things to do
Attend an Evening on the Lake Presentation · The presentations last approximately one hour.
Path of the Flood Van Tours
Attend a Tales of the Great Flood Presentation · The programs are approximately 15 minutes in length.
Hike with a ranger through the ruins of the South Fork Dam · 3 mi
May 31 Anniversary
Club House and Cottage Row Walking Tours
Learn about the Johnstown Flood in the Visitor Center
View the park film "Black Friday." · The movie is 35 minutes in length and is shown at 15 minutes past the hour (9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 12:15, 1:15, 2:15, 3:15, 4:15).
Visitor centers
Johnstown Flood National Memorial Visitor Center
Accessibility
Reported by the park — verify before you go.
Not an official safety source — always defer to NPS.gov and rangers for life-safety decisions.
By the numbers
A visual read on Johnstown Flood National Memorial — its character, trails, sky, and weather.
Park fingerprint
How this park scores across the dimensions travelers care about.
Trail difficulty
Difficulty mix across this park's trails.
3-day forecast
Daily high and low temperatures (°F).
People & stories
Figures tied to Johnstown Flood National Memorial — each spans a cross-park journey.
Alonzo Diller
— Johnstown Flood, Johnstown Flood National MemorialAnna Fenn Maxwell
— Johnstown Flood, Johnstown Flood National MemorialArthur Kirk Jr.
— Johnstown Flood, Johnstown Flood National MemorialChalmers "Chal" Dick
— Johnstown Flood, Johnstown Flood National MemorialClara Barton
— Civilians, Maryland Campaign, Women's HistoryGeorge Hetzel
George Thompson Swank
— Johnstown Flood, Johnstown Flood National MemorialGertrude Quinn Slattery
— Johnstown Flood, Johnstown Flood National MemorialPassport stamps
Mark the stamps you've collected — they show in your memory and along your routes.
🎫 Johnstown Flood National Memorial Visitor Center
Places to see
"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
"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
Flag pole at the Lake View Visitor Center
Lake View Visitor Center
May 31, 1889- "The dam is becoming dangerous" Wayside
Audio & media
🎧
🎬
🖼
Learn more
It was warm and wet in 2019. In all, it was the 20th warmest and 22nd wettest year on record for the park.
Like much of western Pennsylvania, the weather during 2020 at Johnstown Flood National Memorial was very warm but precipitation was near normal. The year ended as the 5th warmest and 58th driest on record.
The year 2021 was very warm and was also wetter than normal at Johnstown Flood National Memorial. In all, the year ended as the 5th warmest and 30th wettest on record.
The year 2022 was warmer and wetter than normal at Johnstown Flood National Memorial. In all, the year ended as the 42nd warmest and 36th wettest since 1895.
The year 2023 was very hot at Johnstown Flood National Memorial. In contrast, total annual precipitation was close to normal. In all, the year ended as the 4th warmest and 59th driest since 1895.
Managing invasive plant species can seem like an endless and insurmountable challenge, but parks are using a new strategic collaborative tool to protect their most valuable resources.
White-nose syndrome has decimated the populations of several bat species across the Northeast and research indicates that bat populations in western Pennsylvania national parks have been affected by the disease. Many species that were once common, are now rare. In order to better protect bats, the National Park Service continues to study how bat populations are changing.
First in a series of three "In Focus" articles that share insights into the near-universal and far-reaching effects of soils on the ecology, management, and enjoyment of our national parks.
How Johnstown Flood National Memorial connects
This park's activities, topics, location, and on-the-ground places — one hop in the graph. Drag to explore; click an activity, topic, or related park to follow it.
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