In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the inclines on Mount Washington via Ligonier, Johnstown and the Flight 93 National Memorial to Fallingwater, the waterfalls of Ohiopyle and Fort Necessity: around 450 kilometres of ridges, industrial history and river landscapes in south-western Pennsylvania.
The spirit of the route
The Laurel Highlands are not high mountains but long, wooded ridges – Chestnut Ridge, Laurel Ridge, Allegheny Front – that run like waves from south-west to north-east. Between them lie valleys with a history of coal and steel, brick towns on rivers and farmland with red barns. The route begins at the confluence of three rivers in Pittsburgh, follows the Lincoln Highway over the ridge to Ligonier and then tells of disaster and remembrance: the Johnstown Flood of 1889 and the crash of Flight 93 in September 2001. After that it turns green and loud with water. From the sliding door you see mist rising from the Youghiogheny gorge in the morning, hear cyclists on the Great Allegheny Passage ringing their bells, and in the evening the white-tailed deer at the edge of the forest. In autumn, maple, oak and hickory turn the ridges red and gold – and among the trees stands a house that hovers over a waterfall.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Pittsburgh to Ligonier (approx. 85 km)
- The drive
- From downtown take the Parkway East (I-376) or go through the East End neighbourhoods onto US-30 (Lincoln Highway) heading east: first suburban traffic with many traffic lights through Greensburg, then partly two-lane, partly four-lane through hill country to Latrobe and Ligonier. The city itself is hard work for large vehicles: steep streets with gradients of over ten per cent, narrow old-town lanes, bridges over three rivers and the tunnels (Fort Pitt, Squirrel Hill, Liberty), where traffic backs up. It is best to park motorhomes outside the city and go in by public transport (the light rail “The T” from the South Hills). Pure driving time to Ligonier is around 1.5 hours. Plenty of fuel stations along US-30.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Duquesne Incline and Monongahela Incline: two 19th-century funiculars that run from the riverbank up to Mount Washington. At the top is Grandview Avenue with the best-known view of the tip (“The Point”), where the Allegheny and Monongahela join to form the Ohio. Both lines are occasionally out of service for repairs – check their status in advance (Monongahela Incline with Pittsburgh Regional Transit).
- Strip District: old market and warehouse district on the Allegheny with fishmongers, bakeries, Italian and Polish delis; liveliest on Saturday mornings. There is hardly any room for motorhomes here – only by car or public transport.
- Fort Ligonier and the Diamond: reconstructed British fort from 1758 on the old Forbes Road with a museum on the French and Indian War; in the town centre the “Diamond”, a square with a bandstand surrounded by shops and cafés.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Keystone State Park near Derry, around 20 kilometres north-west of Ligonier: around 100 sites in two areas (Lakeside by the lake, Hillside somewhat more secluded, where dogs are also allowed), shower buildings (possibly without showers from October) and a dump station; season roughly early April to mid-October. Reserve through the Pennsylvania State Parks system, and check electric hookups and vehicle length per site when booking. If you start west of Pittsburgh, the nearest state campground is in Raccoon Creek State Park near Hookstown.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Pittsburgh and Ligonier, overnighting in a vehicle on streets and public car parks is not permitted or not tolerated. There is no free camping on public land on this section; Linn Run State Park near Rector only rents out cabins.
- Insider tip for campers
- Pittsburgh is best planned as a day trip: leave the motorhome at the campground or at a South Hills park-and-ride and take the light rail to Station Square – that is where the lower station of the Monongahela Incline is. In Ligonier there is parking without height restrictions on the side streets around the Diamond; the weekly market and the autumn festivals (“Fort Ligonier Days” in October) fill the town.
2Stage 2: Ligonier to Laurel Hill State Park (approx. 135 km)
- The drive
- Take PA-271 over Laurel Ridge to Johnstown: winding, steep, with forested sections and a long descent into the Conemaugh valley to Westmont. In Johnstown, narrow streets and railway underpasses – watch the height signs. Continue on US-219 (four-lane) north to the Johnstown Flood National Memorial near St. Michael and then on US-219 south towards Somerset; from there take PA-31 west and minor roads to Laurel Hill State Park near Trent. Pure driving time around 2.5 hours; with museums, a full day. Fuel stations in Johnstown and Somerset.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Johnstown Flood Museum: housed in the town's former Carnegie library, it documents the flood of 31 May 1889, when the South Fork Dam failed and more than 2,200 people died – with a relief map, artefacts and a film.
- Johnstown Inclined Plane: built after the flood as an escape route up the Westmont hillside, one of the steepest funiculars in the world, which used to carry cars as well. The line was closed for a long time for a major refurbishment; check with CamTran in advance whether it is running again. The upper viewing platform can also be reached by car via Westmont.
- Johnstown Flood National Memorial: at the site of the failed dam above the valley of the Little Conemaugh River the abutments still stand; visitor center with a film, plus the house of club president Elias Unger. A hiking trail leads through the dry bed of the former Lake Conemaugh.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Laurel Hill State Park near Trent: 262 sites on Laurel Hill Lake, 149 of them with electricity and some with full hookup (water, sewer, electricity), hot showers, flush toilets and a dump station; season roughly mid-April to mid-October, pets only on designated sites. Smaller alternative: Kooser State Park on PA-31 with a small, wooded campground (35 sites, most with electricity, some with full hookup, dump station; season roughly mid-April to mid-December). Both through the Pennsylvania State Parks reservation system.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnighting is prohibited in the car parks of the memorials and museums. In Forbes State Forest, vehicle camping is only allowed at designated sites and with a camping permit from the forestry office; ask the forest district in Laughlintown beforehand about location and access (often gravel). State Game Lands are closed to camping.
- Insider tip for campers
- PA-271 is demanding for large motorhomes and trailer rigs; if you prefer an easier drive, take US-30 to Jennerstown and US-219 north. In Johnstown, park downtown around Central Park, where the Flood Museum and the memorial sites are within easy walking distance of each other. Hikers will find an access point to the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail on US-30 near Laughlintown; the trail runs around 110 kilometres along the ridge from Ohiopyle to Seward near Johnstown, and overnight stays there are only allowed in the shelter areas, which must be reserved.
3Stage 3: Laurel Hill State Park to Ohiopyle (approx. 140 km)
- The drive
- Via Somerset and on US-30 east to the entrance of the Flight 93 National Memorial near Stoystown, then back to Somerset and on PA-31 west over Laurel Ridge to the Seven Springs ski area. From there via Champion and PA-381 south into the Youghiogheny gorge. The roads are two-lane, with noticeable climbs and descents over the ridges; PA-381 drops steeply into the valley before Ohiopyle. Pure driving time around 2.5 hours. To shorten the route, use the PA Turnpike (I-76) between Somerset and Donegal. Fuel stations in Somerset, Donegal and Mill Run, hardly any in Ohiopyle itself.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville: this is where United Flight 93 crashed on 11 September 2001 after passengers and crew tried to overpower the hijackers; 40 people lost their lives. Visitor center on the hilltop, a path along the flight path, the Wall of Names in white marble with a view of the crash site (today an inaccessible burial ground) and the Tower of Voices with 40 wind chimes. A place of silence: speak quietly, do not picnic, respect the barriers. Admission free.
- Somerset: county seat with the domed Somerset County Courthouse; good for shopping and refilling water. To the south, Mount Davis (979 metres) is the highest point in Pennsylvania – a worthwhile detour with an observation tower.
- Seven Springs: ski area on Laurel Ridge; in summer and autumn hiking and mountain-bike trails, and from the summit area a wide view across the ridges – in October the most colourful corner of the route.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Ohiopyle State Park, Kentuck Campground: on the plateau above the gorge, around three kilometres from the village, about 200 sites, many with electricity, plus some walk-to sites; shower houses and a dump station; season roughly April to mid-December, reserve through the Pennsylvania State Parks reservation system, and book early for summer and autumn weekends. The access road is steep and winding; check the length limits per site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Ohiopyle State Park and in the village of Ohiopyle, overnighting outside the campground is prohibited; the car parks at the waterfalls and the trailhead are patrolled. The hiker-biker sites on the Great Allegheny Passage are reserved for cyclists and hikers, not vehicles.
- Insider tip for campers
- At the Flight 93 National Memorial the large visitor car park can also be used by motorhomes; around 11 September and on anniversaries expect closures and crowds. In autumn, watch out for deer before Seven Springs: they cross mainly at dusk, and especially often in October and November during the rut.
4Stage 4: Ohiopyle to Ohiopyle (Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob) (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- A loop day without moving base: on PA-381 around five kilometres north to Fallingwater near Mill Run, back through Ohiopyle and via Kentuck Road up Chestnut Ridge to Kentuck Knob. Winding, narrow country roads with steep sections; Kentuck Road is tight for large motorhomes, so allow for oncoming traffic on bends. Pure driving time under an hour, plus the tours and the afternoon by the river.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Fallingwater: Frank Lloyd Wright's house of 1936–1939 for the Kaufmann family, with terraces cantilevered over the waterfall of Bear Run. Visits only with a timed ticket from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which should be reserved online in advance; in autumn, slots are often taken weeks ahead. Children under six are not admitted on house tours (there are grounds tours for families); closed one weekday (currently Wednesdays) and on some public holidays, entry times vary by season. Ask beforehand about parking for large vehicles. A forest path leads from the visitor center to the house; the classic view of house and falls is from a short trail downstream.
- Kentuck Knob: Wright's later, smaller house of 1956 in the “Usonian” style, built of sandstone and cedar, on a hill with a view over the gorge. House tours (children aged six and over) and a sculpture woodland walk that can also be done with younger children; booking in advance recommended, main season roughly mid-March to early November, limited in November and December, then closed for winter.
- Ohiopyle: the Ohiopyle Falls of the Youghiogheny right by the village, the Natural Waterslides in Meadow Run (smoothly polished rock chutes, dangerous at high water), Cucumber Falls and the Ferncliff peninsula with plants that otherwise grow further south. The Great Allegheny Passage runs through the village as a cycle path on the old railway line, crossing bridges.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Stay on at Kentuck Campground in Ohiopyle State Park. Alternative upstream: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Outflow Campground on Youghiogheny River Lake near Confluence, around 20 kilometres south-east, with electric sites, toilets and showers and a dump station; book through recreation.gov, and check the season.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): No legal free-camping option in the valley; the car parks at Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob close in the evening. Private land along the river is not open for overnight stays.
- Insider tip for campers
- Rafting on the Lower Yough (class III–IV whitewater) only with one of the licensed outfitters in the village or with your own experience; private boaters need a launch permit from the park in season – check the rules with the park in advance; the Middle Yough upstream is calm and family-friendly. For the Great Allegheny Passage, rent bikes in the village or bring your own: the flat section to Confluence or Connellsville makes an ideal half day. In Ohiopyle, car parks fill up early in summer – come in the morning or walk or cycle down from the campground.
5Stage 5: Ohiopyle to Uniontown (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- On PA-381 south to Farmington and on US-40, the historic National Road, west. Beyond Fort Necessity the road climbs Chestnut Ridge to the Summit and then drops in a long, steep descent to Hopwood and Uniontown – use a low gear and do not overheat the brakes. Pure driving time around one hour. Fuel stations and large supermarkets in Uniontown.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Fort Necessity National Battlefield: the small palisade circle in the Great Meadows where the young George Washington surrendered to French troops in July 1754 – the opening of the French and Indian War. Also the Mount Washington Tavern, an inn on the National Road from the 1820s, and close to US-40 the grave of General Braddock. Check opening hours on nps.gov.
- Laurel Caverns: Pennsylvania's largest cave, in the limestone of Chestnut Ridge, privately run, with guided tours at a constant temperature of around eleven degrees. Check season and times beforehand; the grounds offer a wide view over the Uniontown valley.
- Uniontown: county seat on the National Road with a courthouse and brick centre; starting point for the return to Pittsburgh via US-119 or the Mon–Fayette Expressway.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: There is no state campground in Uniontown. It is best to spend the last night at Kentuck Campground in Ohiopyle or at Outflow Campground near Confluence and visit Fort Necessity and Laurel Caverns as a day trip; reserve private campgrounds on US-40 in advance.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Overnighting is prohibited on the grounds of Fort Necessity and in the car parks along the National Road. In Uniontown some supermarkets tolerate one night, but only after asking at the store.
- Insider tip for campers
- If you want to continue south, Confluence and US-219 take you in around an hour to Deep Creek Lake in Maryland, with Deep Creek Lake State Park and the nearby Swallow Falls State Park. From there it is not far to the southern Appalachians, which the CampingSpirit guide describes via Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Great Smoky Mountains; to the east the guides to Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Gettysburg connect, and to the north the one to the Pennsylvania Wilds.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Pennsylvania has no right to free camping: overnighting is allowed at designated campgrounds. In the State Forests (here mainly Forbes State Forest), vehicle camping is only possible at designated sites and with a camping permit; State Game Lands are closed to camping. In the State Parks, overnighting outside the campgrounds is prohibited.
- Cities and towns such as Pittsburgh prohibit sleeping in vehicles on streets; car parks at sights close at night. Rest areas and service plazas on the PA Turnpike are for breaks, not camping; observe the maximum parking time.
- Reservations: Pennsylvania State Parks through the DCNR's central reservation system, up to eleven months in advance; Army Corps of Engineers sites through recreation.gov. In October (autumn colours) and on summer weekends, Ohiopyle and Laurel Hill are booked up early.
- Federal sites: since 2026, visitors without US residency pay higher fees and surcharges at some US national parks; check current amounts on nps.gov. The Flight 93 National Memorial is free to enter.
- Ticks: Pennsylvania is one of the states with the most cases of Lyme disease. Check yourself after every hike and tuck long trousers into your socks. Black bears live in the Laurel Highlands – lock food and rubbish in the vehicle.
- Apps: iOverlander, Campendium, The Dyrt and Recreation.gov; Park4Night is not widely used here.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations at the state park campgrounds (Keystone, Laurel Hill, Kooser, Ohiopyle) and at Outflow Campground; some service plazas and fuel stations also have dump points – check in the apps beforehand.
- Drinking water from the taps at the campgrounds; many state park campgrounds turn off the water in late autumn when frost threatens.
- Empty grey water and chemical toilets only at dump stations; draining into streams or the forest is prohibited and will be penalised.
- Propane: fuel stations, DIY stores and campgrounds fill US cylinders; European cylinders are usually not filled.
- Electricity: state park sites have 20, 30 or 50 A depending on the park; in October it can freeze at night on the ridges, so a heater is useful.
- Shopping and fuel: large supermarkets in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Somerset and Uniontown; in Ohiopyle only small shops and snack bars.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: PA Turnpike mostly 70 mph, other interstates 55–70 mph, country roads mostly 45–55 mph. There are no separate limits for motorhomes; on descents there are recommendations for trucks, which heavy motorhomes should follow.
- Tolls: the PA Turnpike (I-76) is cashless – cheaper with E-ZPass; without a transponder you are billed by number plate (Toll By Plate) and the invoice is sent to the registered keeper, which is considerably more expensive. With rental vehicles, check the rental company's toll arrangements in advance.
- Phones while driving: in Pennsylvania, using a hand-held phone while driving is prohibited; only hands-free use is allowed. Headlights must be on whenever the windscreen wipers are running.
- Steep roads: US-30 on Laurel Ridge near Laughlintown, PA-271 to Johnstown, US-40 on Chestnut Ridge and PA-381 before Ohiopyle have long descents; drive with engine braking and in a low gear. In Pittsburgh there are streets with gradients well over ten per cent – set your navigation to a vehicle profile.
- Tunnels: restrictions on hazardous materials apply in Pittsburgh's tunnels and the PA Turnpike tunnels; check in advance whether they affect propane in motorhomes and watch the signs at the entrance. Close gas valves before entering.
- Deer crossings: Pennsylvania is one of the states with the most deer collisions. Drive more slowly at dusk and at night, especially from October to December.
- Emergency: 911. Mobile coverage is patchy in valleys such as the Youghiogheny gorge and on minor roads over the ridges.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- E-ZPass transponder (or confirmed toll arrangements with the rental company): on the PA Turnpike it saves considerably compared with Toll By Plate.
- Tick remover, tick repellent and long, light-coloured clothing: the forests and meadows of the Laurel Highlands are tick country.
- Water shoes with firm soles: for the Natural Waterslides, Cucumber Falls and the banks of the Youghiogheny, where the rock is slippery.
- Bikes or a bike rack: the Great Allegheny Passage between Confluence, Ohiopyle and Connellsville is flat and car-free.
- Warm sleeping bags or a parking heater: on October nights, temperatures on the ridges often drop below freezing.
- Printed ticket confirmations for Fallingwater and Kentuck Knob: mobile coverage is weak in the valley, and the tours start on time.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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