Pennsylvania's Prettiest Region For Outdoor Adventures Is A Year-Round Mountain Paradise

Somewhere between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has an underrated landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes, and excellent outdoor destinations year-round. Northeastern Pennsylvania's Poconos Mountains are a must-visit destination for outdoor adventures, with popular parks like the Delaware Water Gap and Camelback Resort fairly well-known among East Coast travelers. But on the opposite end of the state, Pennsylvania has another beautiful region filled with incredible parks, notable attractions, and amazing outdoor adventures. Though they don't get quite the attention given to the Poconos, the Laurel Highlands may be Pennsylvania's true mountain paradise. 

The Laurel Highlands are located in southwestern Pennsylvania, roughly an hour southeast of Pittsburgh and just north of Pennsylvania's border with West Virginia and western Maryland. According to official geographic definitions, the Laurel Highlands spans an area of about 3,000 square miles across Pennsylvania's Westmoreland, Fayette, and Somerset Counties. The region is also home to a few smaller cities and towns, including worthwhile spots like Latrobe, Ligonier, and Donegal. 

But the true allure of the Laurel Highlands is its enchanting mountain scenery and ample forests that may be the most beautiful in all of Pennsylvania. Not only are the Laurel Highlands beautiful to look at, but the region's impressive collection of parks and resorts offers some of Pennsylvania's best outdoor activities.

The Laurel Highlands are a particularly scenic region of the Allegheny Mountains, a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains running through western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. This prime mountain real estate provides the Laurel Highlands with many of the most notable mountains in Pennsylvania, including the state's highest point at the 3,213-foot Mount Davis. With such abundant mountain resources and rich forest ecosystems, the Laurel Highlands are also home to many of Pennsylvania's finest state parks. Depending on your preference, you can hike gorgeous woodland trails at Linn Run State Park, take a dip in the lake at Keystone State Park, or make the challenging ascent up to the summit of Mount Davis at Forbes State Forest. 

The centerpiece of the Laurel Highlands is the wet and wild wonderland of Ohiopyle State Park. Despite its funny name, the park is not actually a "pile of Ohio," but rather a magnificent stretch of the Laurel Highlands where the scenic Youghiogheny River passes through a spectacular forested gorge. Ohiopyle's abundant collection of waterways and mountainous highlands creates numerous beautiful waterfalls, including the park's namesake Ohiopyle Falls. In addition to its top-notch hiking and camping opportunities, Ohiopyle is also one of Pennsylvania's top destinations for whitewater rafting, with class III and IV rapids found in the park's section of the Youghiogheny. All-in-all, Ohiopyle is one of the most underrated state parks on the East Coast. 

The Laurel Highlands are also home to Seven Springs Mountain Resort, one of Pennsylvania's top outdoor adventure resort destinations, and a clear rival to more famous Poconos resorts like Camelback. As an all-seasons resort, Seven Springs provides fun and thrills amid a gorgeous mountain backdrop at all times of the year. During the warmer months, Seven Springs offers activities like kayaking, disc golf, and rock climbing. And when winter rolls around, Seven Springs becomes one of Pennsylvania's best stops for skiing, snowboarding, and other cold-weather activities. 

The state parks and outdoor resorts in the Laurel Highlands are certainly memorable destinations. But the Laurel Highlands also has many sights of historical and cultural significance that perfectly complement the region's exceptional natural beauty. During the French and Indian War, this region of Pennsylvania was a major staging area for the British Forbes Expedition under Brigadier-General John Forbes (a campaign that also involved a young officer from Virginia named George Washington). 

Today, the Laurel Highlands town of Ligonier is home to its namesake Fort Ligonier, a major British fortification built by Forbes' troops way back in 1758. History buffs can visit an authentic reconstruction of the original fort, plus an informative Fort Ligonier Museum. Each day, Fort Ligonier stages immersive historical reenactments of the lives of both soldiers and ordinary civilians who lived and worked here nearly 300 years ago. 

The most famous human-made site in the Laurel Highlands is undoubtedly Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic Fallingwater house. Built back in the 1930s for Pittsburgh's wealthy Kaufmann family, Fallingwater sits along a small but gorgeous waterfall along the Laurel Highlands' Bear Run River. The house's aesthetic perfectly integrates design with nature, epitomizing Wright's concept of "organic architecture." With such innovative design combined with a breathtaking backdrop, Fallingwater is one of America's most beautiful homes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.