Vision of the Laurel Highlands Landscape Initiative:
By 2015, the unique character of the Laurel Highlands is protected and the region and its communities are recognized as world-class heritage/recreation destinations as well as wonderful places to live, work, and play.
Counties:
Somerset, Fayette, Westmoreland, parts of Cambria and Bedford.
Sub-Landscapes:
Laurel Ridge, Chestnut Ridge, Stonycreek-Quemahoning, Great Allegheny Passage
The Laurel Highlands
Located an hour east of
Pittsburgh, the
Laurel Highlands is defined by the
Allegheny Mountains geologic region encompassing the Chestnut,
Laurel and Allegheny Ridges, as well as
Mount Davis which is
Pennsylvania’s highest point (3,213 feet above sea level). These mountains, once as tall as the
Andes Mountains, have been carved into deep and scenic gorges, including two of the deepest gorges in the state where the Youghiogheny and Conemaugh rivers cut through the
Laurel Ridge. The rugged terrain limited development and following the clear-cutting of the late 19th/early 20th century, a rich, diverse forest has grown, which holds an abundant array of plants, wildlife, amphibians and birds.
The
Laurel Ridge has seven state parks and significant parcels of state forest and state game lands totaling over 100,000 acres. These lands create a myriad of public recreational opportunities including hiking, hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching. Recreational resources include the 20,500 acre
Ohiopyle State Park, which encompasses 14 miles of the Youghiogheny River Gorge, and offers dramatic overlooks and waterslides along with some of the finest whitewater opportunities east of the
Mississippi River. The region also boasts the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, one of
Pennsylvania’s three National Scenic Trails, which extends over 70 miles and traverses the highest elevations of any long-distance trail in the state.
The 135-mile Great Allegheny Passage is part of a biking/hiking trail system that extends from
Pittsburgh to
Washington, D.C. Another popular biking area is
Forbes State Forest, which has become a regional destination for mountain biking enthusiasts of all skill levels.
The
Laurel Highlands offers whitewater boating in both the Youghiogheny and
Stonycreek Rivers and their tributaries. The Stonycreek is home to a newly constructed whitewater park where kayakers and kids on rafts can play even at low flow. In addition, the many flat water boating and fishing opportunities include the northern Youghiogheny and
Conemaugh Rivers as well as several lakes.
The vast resources of raw materials in the
Laurel Highlands, including iron ore, coal, clay, timber, fertile soils, waterpower and stone, served as catalysts for tremendous economic growth in industrial manufacturing in the early 19th century. Throughout the 1900s small towns built by the coal companies sprouted around every mine. The 1910s and 1920s were very active decades for coal mining; more than 16 million tons of coal was produced per year in
Cambria County alone. While the 1930s saw a major decline in bituminous coal production, the mining industry remained an important part of the region’s economy through the 1980s, and mining continues today.
Along with coal and steel, other early industries included logging, grist mills and glass manufacturing. The entire region was virtually clear-cut in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The resulting environmental degradation helped spark the early conservation movement. The rich natural resources that helped to fuel the industrial revolution are the same as those that we are conserving and promoting today.
Ultimately these resources and our management of them will determine the region’s long-term sustainability.
The combination of some of the state’s most dramatic scenery, best recreational assets and proximity to
Pittsburgh has made the
Laurel Highlands a traditional vacation and tourism area. Increasingly, the area attracts visitors from
Washington D.C.,
Baltimore and
Ohio and has growing appeal to a broad array of cultural and recreational visitors.
Located an hour east of 
