Outdoor recreation, the Great Allegheny Passage, and a wave of new investment have turned the Laurel Highlands into one of the Mid-Atlantic's most talked-about getaways. Here's what's driving the growth.
For years the Laurel Highlands was Pennsylvania's quiet four-season playground. Not anymore. The region — anchored by Ohiopyle, Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and the towns of Somerset County — has become one of the most sought-after drive-to getaways in the Mid-Atlantic. Here's why.
The outdoor-recreation boom
Post-2020, travelers rediscovered the outdoors, and few places do it better: whitewater on the Youghiogheny, the most-photographed waterfalls in the state, and a network of trails that rivals destinations twice the size. Demand for cabins and lodging has climbed every season since.
The Great Allegheny Passage effect
The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) — a 150-mile rail-trail connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland — runs right through the area at Confluence, Ohiopyle, and Rockwood. It's drawn a steady flow of cyclists (and the cafés, outfitters, and inns that serve them), turning small trail towns into year-round destinations.
A region investing in itself
Much of this momentum is no accident. The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, a publicly funded regional tourism organization, markets the area nationally and maintains a deep library of trip ideas, events, and itineraries at GoLaurelHighlands.com — a genuinely useful planning resource you should bookmark.
What it means for visitors
Growth has brought better dining, more events, and more to do — while the mountains stay refreshingly uncrowded compared to the coasts. The Laurel Highlands still feels like a secret. It just isn't one anymore.
