Laurel Highlands
Inspired by the surrounding natural beauty, renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright left his touch on the area with two landmark homes, Fallingwater and House on Kentuck Knob. Nearby is Fort Necessity National Battlefield, built by George Washington in 1754.
The Laurel Highlands offer an incredible array of activities for those who love adventure travel. Excellent white-water rafting is possible on the Youghiogheny River, which runs southeastward from McKeesport to the Maryland border. Boating on Conemaugh Lake and Youghiogheny Reservoir also is a popular activity with families and couples. The Laurel and Chestnut ridges of the Allegheny Mountains provide for excellent stream fishing in season as well as downhill and cross-country skiing in winter. The region also offers more than 25 hiking, bicycling and horse trails and some 30 golf courses. Cyclists can travel 150 continuous miles on the Great Allegheny Passage, which runs through the heart of the Laurel Highlands, connecting Cumberland, Md., to the Pittsburgh riverfront.
If your list of favorite things to do on vacation includes taking in beautiful scenery, the region presents many stunning landscapes for you to admire. In warmer months photographers appreciate the profusion of wildflowers; mountain laurel blooms at higher elevations for about 3 weeks in June. The fall foliage is at its peak mid- to late October. Views are dramatic along the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway—begin at Farmington, follow SR 381 north through Ohiopyle State Park onto SR 711, continue north at Normalville, then end the trip with a stop for ice cream in historic Ligonier. Forbes State Forest in the central highlands and Mount Davis, the state's highest point, also provide great vistas.
Another scenic route, the Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-76, runs east to west through the region. Exits 67, 75, 91 and 110 off I-76, and exit 27 off I-70 provide direct access to Laurel Highlands.