LIGONIER, Pa. (Sept. 18, 2024) – Fall is a season to celebrate in the Laurel Highlands, as the region and one of its signature festivals were named USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Award winners on Wednesday.
Westmoreland County’s Keystone State Park was named the top destination in 2023, and while Michigan’s Upper Peninsula captured the top spot this year, the Laurel Highlands’ second-place ranking marks the best finish for the entire 3,000-square-mile region.
The recognition has become almost as dependable as the changing of the leaves,as it marks the fifth consecutive year that the region has finished in the top 10 in voting for the Best Destination for Fall Foliage.
Ann Nemanic, the executive director for GO Laurel Highlands, the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties, said fall foliage is one of the many reasons visitors love the region.
“Stay. Play. Repeat,” Nemanic said. “Once again, we are honored to repeat as a Top Fall Foliage Destination. Leaves are turning early in the beautiful Laurel Highlands, so now is the time to book a stay and play with nature’s spectacular color wheel as your backdrop. Weekend fall festivals, corn mazes, pumpkin patches, and farmers markets can all be part of your fall foliage itinerary. We are one of the country’s best driving destinations, and this designation by USA Today once again signifies how the Laurel Highlands provides a season to remember.”
In August, a panel of experts and USA Today’s 10Best editors announced 20 fall foliage nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards, and online voting determined the top 10.
In announcing the Laurel Highlands’ nomination, USA Today noted that in addition to its beauty, the region’s many activities make it a great place to visit.
“Autumn colors peak in this region of the Allegheny Mountains around mid-October, making for a stunning show,” according to the USA Today article. “The plethora of hiking and biking trails, including a portion of the Great Allegheny Passage, mean it’s easy to explore the highlands during the height of the season. Several fall festivals add to the welcoming vibes in this region each October.”
USA Today readers also honored one of those – Seven Springs Mountain Resort’s Autumnfest – as one of the Best Fall Festivals in the nation. The annual event, which will be held Oct. 5-6, 12-13 and 19-20 this year, celebrates fall and fun on the mountain with scenic chairlift rides, live performances and outdoor adventures. Seven Springs finished fourth in the voting, which was won by Evansville, Indiana’s West Side Nut Club Fall Festival.
Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state in the nation -- or anywhere in the world – according to the state’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Finishing behind the Laurel Highlands in the Fall Foliage category were Arkansas’ Hot Springs, Georgia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Ohio’s Hocking Hills, New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Vermont’s Stowe, New York’s Finger Lakes, Massachusetts’ The Berkshires and New York’s Adirondacks.
The Laurel Highlands is an ideal destination for an autumn getaway, with nearly 200,000 acres of unspoiled state forests, parks, and game lands. A diverse population of trees – some with their own signature fall color – line the region’s mountain ridges and river valleys to provide a dramatic landscape.
Paired with fall’s natural beauty, the Laurel Highlands’ charming small towns, covered bridges, and iconic attractions such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater and the Flight 93 National Memorial are also must-see stops on a leaf-peeping getaway.
The Laurel Highlands region is a favorite of USA Today readers, with the three-county area being named one of the top five Best Summer Travel Destinations. Ohiopyle was named the Best Small Town in the Northeast, and Seven Springs’ Foggy Goggle claimed the top spot as the Best Apres-Ski Bar in North America.
Other 2024 honorees in the Laurel Highlands include:
- The Great Allegheny Passage (Recreation Trail)
- Greensburg’s SummerSounds (Outdoor Concert Series)
- Ohiopyle’s Wilderness Voyageurs (Bike Tour and White Water Rafting)
- Mill Run’s Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park (RV Campground)
- Greensburg’s El Diablo Brewing (New Brewery and Gluten-Free Dining)
- Mount Pleasant’s Evergreen Drive-In (Drive-In Theater)
- Nemacolin has been honored for
- Destination resort
- Hotel bar
- Hotel pool
- Hotel restaurant
- Resort spa.
About Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands
A magnificent mountainous region, the Laurel Highlands is an outdoors lover’s paradise that spans 3,000 square miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Located just an hour east of Pittsburgh, the beautiful four-season destination offers spectacular natural scenery, outstanding skiing, hiking, biking and golfing opportunities, historic sites and attractions, family activities and world-class resorts. Notable destinations within the region include four architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater®, Kentuck Knob, Mäntylä and Duncan House – as well as Nemacolin, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Flight 93 National Memorial, Idlewild and Soak Zone, whitewater rafting in Ohiopyle State Park and much more.
Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Washington D.C., Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands can be easily accessed from exits 67, 75, 91 and 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Visitors to the Laurel Highlands can find information online at GoLaurelHighlands.com. Established in 1958, GO Laurel Highlands, formerly known as Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, is the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.
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