Mother Nature couldn’t have picked better weather for First Day Hike participants at Laurel Hill State Park on Jan. 1. About three dozen of us set out with Kimberly Peck, an environmental education specialist at the park, on a 3.5-mile, out-and-back hike to Jones Mill Run Dam. With temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, it was a…

Holiday shoppers are out in full force, but outdoor sports lovers will once again be relying on Mother Nature to deliver their favorite gift: Snow! Luckily, the Laurel Highlands should have that covered this winter. Several long-range forecasts for the 2022-23 season are calling for colder temperatures and higher snowfall totals in the Laurel…

Whether you’re renting a rustic cabin for the week or planning a weekend getaway to a treehouse, put on a warm sweater, pour a mug of hot cider and enjoy all that fall in the Laurel Highlands has to offer. Camping in the Laurel Highlands is a year-round activity but autumn is arguably the most beautiful time of year to visit, with dozens of…

Here comes the sun! Summer is kicking off in the Laurel Highlands and we've rounded up the best spots for cooling down. Warning: All of these spots pair well with onsite or nearby lodging and camping options, so stay a while and make it a fun getaway for the family! Idlewild & SoakZone When you take the family to Idlewild & SoakZone,…

The stunning 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT) stretches across Laurel Mountain from the Youghiogheny River Gorge in Ohiopyle, all the way to the Conemaugh Gorge near Johnstown. A backpackers’ dream, the LHHT offers a semi-wilderness backpacking and day trip excursion into the mountain forests of Pennsylvania’s Laurel…

As a young girl growing up in the river town of Confluence, Kara Weld spent countless days paddling on the water. Perhaps paddling was in her blood as her parents owned the local kayaking school, Riversport. It was here that Kara found her passion and her husband, John, who worked for Kara’s parents. That same passion guided Kara as a…

Mountain-laurel is in bloom in the Laurel Highlands! The shrub keeps its foliage year-round, but keep an eye out in May and June for umbrella-like flowers that range in color from white to pink, with unique purple markings. Not only is mountain-laurel absolutely beautiful, but it is also Pennsylvania's state flower and can be found all over…

Father’s Day is just around the corner! Need some inspiration for a special gift? I get it. Shopping for Dad or Grandpa can sometimes be trickier than shopping for Mom or Grandma. So I picked the brains of some of the father figures in my life and came up with this home-grown list of things your dear old dad might enjoy… For the Grill…

When you hear the word “camping,” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Roasting marshmallows? Campfires? Sleeping bags? Flashlights? Lightning bugs? Camping is a treasured tradition in Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands and can be done in a number of different ways. Maybe it’s in an air-conditioned RV or…

The natural beauty of the Laurel Highlands is stunning any time of year. With so many of us spending more and more time outside, exploring new nooks and crannies of our great outdoors, it got me thinking about the region's array of fascinating flowers and wildlife. I'm certainly no botanist, naturalist, or biologist, so I reached out to…