# Laurel Highlands: Fort Necessity, Ohiopyle and Horseshoe Curve

> 3-day road trip of about 258 km (160 mi) with 8 stops, from Pittsburgh to Altoona. About 2 h 52 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b20-laurel-highlands/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 258 km (160 mi) with 8 stops, from Pittsburgh to Altoona. About 2 h 52 min of driving in total. Southwest Pennsylvania’s ridges: Washington’s first battle, the Youghiogheny falls, Fallingwater, Flight 93, the Johnstown Flood and the Horseshoe Curve.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 258 km (160 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 52 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 8 |
| Route | Pittsburgh → Altoona |
| States | PA |
| Updated | April 26, 2026 |

## Route description

Leave Pittsburgh south toward Uniontown, then follow US-40, the old National Road, east up Chestnut Ridge to Fort Necessity National Battlefield, about 1.5 hours. The small reconstructed stockade stands in the Great Meadows where George Washington surrendered in 1754. The nearby Mount Washington Tavern was a stagecoach inn on the National Road, and General Braddock’s grave is about a mile west.

PA-381 north leads in about 15 minutes to Ohiopyle, a village inside Ohiopyle State Park. Watch the Youghiogheny pour over Ohiopyle Falls from the viewing platform, slide down the natural rock waterslides of Meadow Run in summer, or rent a bike for the Great Allegheny Passage trail. Guided whitewater trips on the Lower Yough leave from the village; spring and autumn weekends are busy.

Fallingwater is a few minutes north of Ohiopyle on PA-381. Tours sell out, so book ahead, and check the reduced winter schedule. Then drive east via PA-31 and Somerset to the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, about 1.5 hours; the visitor center overlooks the crash site, and a path leads down to the Wall of Names at the edge of the field.

Head north to Johnstown, where the Johnstown Flood Museum and the Inclined Plane, built after the disaster, tell the story of 1889; the national memorial at the dam site is 15 km northeast. Back roads then lead over the Allegheny Front to Horseshoe Curve, where freight trains still climb around the bend, and on to Altoona. The route is about 330 km on hilly roads that are fine for RVs.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Pittsburgh** (PA)
2. **Fort Necessity National Battlefield** (Farmington, PA): A reconstructed round stockade where young George Washington fought his first battle and surrendered in July 1754, opening the French and Indian War. The site includes the Mount Washington Tavern on the National Road; free.
3. **Ohiopyle State Park** (Ohiopyle, PA): The Youghiogheny River pours over a 20-foot ledge in the village of Ohiopyle, the start of whitewater trips. Natural waterslides on Meadow Run and the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail are close by; parking fills on summer weekends.
4. **Fallingwater** (Mill Run, PA): Frank Lloyd Wright's 1935 house cantilevered over a waterfall. Guided tours only, and they sell out.
5. **Flight 93 National Memorial** (Stoystown, PA): The memorial at the crash site of United Flight 93 on 11 September 2001, with a visitor center overlooking the field, the Wall of Names and the Tower of Voices. Free; allow about two hours.
6. **Johnstown Flood National Memorial** (St. Michael, PA): The remains of the South Fork Dam, whose failure in 1889 sent a wall of water into Johnstown and killed more than 2,200 people. Exhibits and a film at the visitor center; free.
7. **Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark** (Altoona, PA): An 1854 railroad curve that carries the main line up the Allegheny Front and is still busy with freight trains. A funicular or 194 steps lead from the visitor center to trackside; admission charged; open in the warmer months only.
8. **Altoona** (PA)

## FAQs

**How long is Laurel Highlands: Fort Necessity, Ohiopyle and Horseshoe Curve?**
3-day road trip of about 258 km (160 mi) with 8 stops, from Pittsburgh to Altoona. About 2 h 52 min of driving in total.

**How many days do you need for Laurel Highlands: Fort Necessity, Ohiopyle and Horseshoe Curve?**
We suggest 3 days: about 2 h 52 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.

**Where does Laurel Highlands: Fort Necessity, Ohiopyle and Horseshoe Curve start and end?**
It starts in Pittsburgh and ends in Altoona.

**Which states does Laurel Highlands: Fort Necessity, Ohiopyle and Horseshoe Curve pass through?**
Pennsylvania.