The Laurel Highlands of Southwestern Pennsylvania is an amazing year-round outdoor playground. Whether you’re into whitewater rafting, hiking, biking or skiing – downhill or cross country – adventure is always in season! At the end of the day, visit one of the 52 craft-beverage makers for a tasty nightcap.
Day 1
Morning
Bask in a breathtaking sunrise at the Baughman Rock Overlook. Located 1,700 feet above the Youghiogheny River Gorge, this is one of the best, and most accessible, views in Pennsylvania.
Find a farm-to-table breakfast at Bittersweet Café, then head to Ohiopyle Trading Post & River Tours for a trip down the Youghiogheny River. Enjoy a family friendly float down the Middle Yough, an intermediate level challenge on the Lower Yough, or get wet and wild with an Upper Yough adventure!
Afternoon
Grab lunch from Falls Market Restaurant and walk across the street for a picnic above Ohiopyle Falls. Then opt for a family friendly hike on the Ferncliff Peninsula Trail, or tackle the opening section of the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail for a 3.5-mile roundtrip trek to the Youghiogheny River Overlook.
Evening
Indulge in a delightful dinner at Falls City Pub, followed by a nightcap at Christian W. Klay Winery to savor the evening. Extend the excitement with a stay at the charming Treehouse at Fernstone Retreat, where your adventure continues amidst nature’s embrace.
Day 2
Morning
Get a jump on the day with breakfast at Ohiopyle Bakery and Sandwich Shoppe, then visit two of Somerset County’s 10 iconic covered bridges, King’s Bridge and Barronvale Bridge, on your drive to Meyersdale. Call ahead to drop your car at Yoder’s Guest House and arrange for transportation of you and your bikes back to Ohiopyle.
Afternoon
Hop on the Allegheny Passage, which USA Today readers chose as one of the top 10 recreational trails in America, for a gorgeous 40-mile bike ride along the Youghiogheny and Casselman rivers to Meyersdale. Be sure to stop for lunch at the River’s Edge Café in Confluence and a craft beverage at Trailhead Brewing Co. in Rockwood.
Evening
Find out why Tall Pines Distillery bills itself as a “different class of hillbilly,” with dinner at the saloon, and a cocktail made by the folks who distilled the first legal moonshine in Somerset County since Prohibition. Retire to Yoder’s Guest House for a great night’s sleep in Meyersdale.
Bucket List Item
Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater”, the UNESCO World Heritage site built over a waterfall, is the most famous of four Wright properties in the region and draws visitors from across the globe.
