Bear Run is inside the Bear Run Nature Reserve, protected by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.[8] Bear Run is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.[9] The nearest incorporated town is Ohiopyle, once a resort town for affluent Pittsburghers reaching the Ferncliff peninsula via rail. Ohiopyle today is the focal point of tourism in the Laurel Highlands, drawing many of the same visitors as Fallingwater, located a few miles away on PA State Route 381.[10][11]
Course
Bear Run rises about 3 miles northeast of Kaufmann, Pennsylvania,[2] and then flows southwest and west to join the Youghiogheny River about 0.25 miles west of Kaufmann.[3]
Watershed
Bear Run drains 6.47 square miles (16.8 km2) of area, receives about 48.1 in/year of precipitation, has a wetness index of 357.26, and is about 89% forested.[5]
Natural history
Bear Run is the location of Bear Run Watershed BDA. The large forested area of Bear Run, an exceptional value stream, provides habitat for three plant species of special concern.[12]
^U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National MapArchived 2012-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, accessed August 15, 2011