The Allegheny Portage Railroad was the first railroad constructed over the Allegheny Mountains. This inclined plane railroad operated between 1834-1854 and was considered a technological wonder in its day and played a critical role in opening the interior of the United States to trade and settlement. ........more >

Blue Knob State Park offers year-round wilderness adventures on 5,874 acres of woodland. The park is in the northwestern tip of Bedford County, west of I-99. Altoona, Johnstown and Bedford are within 25 miles of this scenic park. The elevation of the park can cause air temperatures to be several degrees ........more >

The Buchanan State Forest was named in honor of James Buchanan, 15th President of the United States. The area consists of five principle tracts that cover seventy-five thousand acres of Commonwealth owned forest lands, administered by the Bureau of Forestry.........more >

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Canoe Creek State Park, 12 miles east of Altoona, is a modern day use facility developed during the Project 70 expansion era of state parks and was dedicated in 1979. The vast openness of this 958-acre park is exemplified with a panoramic view when cresting the hill on Canoe Creek Road. A 155-acre lake ........more >

Cowans Gap State Park is a 1,085-acre park in the beautiful Allens Valley of Fulton County. The state forest land surrounding the park furnishes visitors with an abundance of natural beauty during all seasons of the year.........more >

On Tuesday morning, September 11, 2001, the U.S. came under attack when four commercial airliners were hijacked and used to strike targets on the ground. Nearly 3,000 people tragically lost their lives. Because of the actions of the 40 passengers and crew aboard one of the planes, Flight 93, the attack ........more >

The Forbes State Forest was named in honor of General John Forbes who, 1757 ordered the construction of a road from Bedford to Fort Pitt for the movement of an expeditionary Army. The Forbes State Forest contains over 20 separate tracts of State Forest Land in Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties. ........more >

The battle at Fort Necessity in the summer of 1754 was the opening action of the French and Indian War. This war was a clash of British, French and American Indian cultures. It ended with the removal of French power from North America. The stage was set for the American Revolution.........more >

Albert Gallatin is best remembered for his thirteen year tenure as Secretary of the Treasury during the Jefferson and Madison administrations. In that time he reduced the national debt, purchased the Louisiana Territory and funded the Lewis Clark exploration. Gallatin's accomplishments and contributions ........more >

The Gallitzin State Forest was named in honor of Dimetrius Augustine Gallitzin, Prince-Priest of the Alleghenies, who established a mission at Loretto in Cambria Country in 1795. The Gallitzin State Forest consists of 2 separate areas of State Forest land located in Northern Bedford, Cambria, Indiana, ........more >

Nestled in the mountains of northeastern Huntingdon County, historic Greenwood Furnace State Park offers a unique recreational experience. The park is on the western edge of an area of Central Pennsylvania known as the Seven Mountains. It is an area of rugged beauty, abundant wildlife, breathtaking ........more >

There was no larger news story in the latter nineteenth century after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The story of the Johnstown Flood has everything to interest the modern mind a wealthy resort, an intense storm, an unfortunate failure of a dam, the destruction of a working class city, and an ........more >

Keystone State Park is great for family vacations year-round. Camping, modern cabins, trails of all sorts, a lake, and a swimming beach provide an ideal setting for a summer outing. The park is within easy driving distance from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area and its many attractions. Keystone State ........more >

In the heart of the Laurel Highlands at an altitude of 2,600 feet, Kooser State Park attracts visitors year-round to its 250 acres of forest and the beautiful trout stream that flows the full length of the park. The parks original design character was stamped by the Civilian Conservation Corps projects ........more >

Laurel Ridge State Park stretches along the Laurel Mountain from the Picturesque Yougiogheny River at Ohiopyle to the Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown. This large park spans five counties. Most visitors come to hike. The Laurel Highlands Trail extends over 70 miles and features trail shelters for overnight camping.........more >

This major 70-mile hiking and backpacking trail from Ohiopyle to near Johnstown is the main feature of the park. The trail traverses state parks, state forests, state game lands, other public lands and private lands. The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is open year round and is blazed approximately ........more >

High atop Laurel Ridge at close to 3,000 feet in elevation, Laurel Mountain State Park features a family-oriented downhill skiing area and beautiful views of the rolling countryside of the Ligonier Valley. The slopes and trails provide opportunities for skiers and snowboarders of all levels and the ........more >

This scenic picnic area is operated by the Bureau of State Parks. The 6-acre area offers picnic tables, a pavilion, water, and restroom. The area is 2,739 feet above sea level and several degrees cooler than surrounding towns. This area also provides trailhead parking for Spruce Flats bog and Wolf Rocks ........more >

Linn Run State Park is 612 acres and borders Forbes State Forest. The varied topography and mixed hardwood and evergreen forest make this park a scenic place for picnicking, hiking and cabin rentals. Grove and Rock runs join to make Linn Run, an excellent trout stream that has a lovely waterfall, Adams Falls.........more >

Located primarily in Fayette County, Ohiopyle State Park encompasses about 19,052 acres of rugged natural beauty and serves as the gateway to the Laurel Mountains. The focal point of the area is the more than 14 miles of the Youghiogheny yaw-ki-gay-nee River Gorge that passes through the heart of the ........more >

The 6,249-acre Prince Gallitzin State Park is in the scenic Allegheny Plateau Region of Pennsylvania. Large portions of the park can be seen from several easily accessible vistas. The major attractions to the park are the 1,600-acre Glendale Lake and the large campground.........more >

The Rothrock State Forest is named for Dr. Joseph Trimbel Rothrock, a native of Mifflin County, who is recognized as the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania. In 1895, Dr. Rothrock was appointed the first forestry commissioner to lead the newly-formed Division of Forestry in the Department of Agriculture. ........more >

Ryerson Station State Park is in Greene County in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, near the West Virginia border. The 1,164-acre park features the 62-acre Ronald J. Duke Lake that is named in memory of a former manager of Ryerson Station State Park.........more >

Shawnee State Park is 3,983 acres of Pennsylvanias scenic Ridge and Valley Province. Ten miles west of historic Bedford along US 30, Shawnee has fine recreational facilities that are convenient and fit into the natural environment. A focal point of the park is the 451-acre Shawnee Lake.........more >

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The 554-acre Trough troff Creek State Park is a scenic gorge created as Great Trough Creek cuts through Terrace Mountain and empties into Raystown Lake. Rugged hiking trails lead to wonders like Balanced Rock and Rainbow Falls. Rothrock State Forest and Raystown Lake Recreation Area border the park, ........more >

The 349-acre Warriors Path State Park lies very near the famous path used by the Iroquois in raids and wars with the Cherokees and other American Indians in southern Pennsylvania. The park is a seasonal day use area open from mid-April through the end of October. At other times of the year, visitors ........more >

A beautiful day use area, the 256-acre Whipple Dam State Park is a delightful and quiet place to visit. The lake is the perfect place to indulge in a refreshing dip, bird watch or just relax.........more >

Yellow Creek State Park is in Indiana County along one of the first highways in the state, the Kittanning Path. This trail was used by the Delaware and Shawnee nations and by early settlers. Today, US 422 roughly follows the old Kittanning Path, and provides the main access to the park from Indiana ........more >

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