Updated June 13, 2026
Looking for a wintery escape in Pennsylvania? Check out the Laurel Highlands region in Western PA for all your winter adventures!
Disclaimer - Many of the activities mentioned in this blog post were sponsored by Go Laurel Highlands. As always, my opinions are unbiased and my own. I want to thank Go Laurel Highlands for their generosity!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I only recommend things I've tried myself or that a trusted peer has recommended. Thanks in advance for supporting my work!
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Why Visit the Laurel Highlands in the Winter
If you think about the best winter destination in the US, where are you thinking about? Utah? Colorado? Montana? You should be thinking about Pennsylvania!
Winter might be my favorite season in the Laurel Highlands. The crowds are gone, waterfalls are frozen, there’s no bugs, there are so many activities to do, and did I mention that there are no bugs?! It’s a great time of year to visit.
This amazing winter wonderland is located in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania, just an hour away from the Pittsburgh metro area.
As always, follow the principles of leave no trace when you're out exploring! Pack out all trash, leave wildlife alone, and generally leave it better than you found it - for more information visit the Leave No Trace Center.
What to Do – Outdoors
The outdoors are the main attraction of this region. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a snow bunny or a beginner to winter outdoor activities.
Go for a Hike
Winter hiking in the Laurel Highlands is amazing. If you’ve got the right gear and you’re willing to brave the cold, the views are insane. I highly recommend microspikes for all of these hikes if it’s icy and snowy.
Spruce Bog
Spruce Bog is one of the highest elevation bogs in the US. The half mile trail leads to a boardwalk over a scenic bog. It’s beautiful with all the snow, there are no bugs (rare for a bog), and it’s a short enough hike that you won’t freeze.
Beam Rocks
This 0.9 mile hike has a great view. This relatively flat trail takes you to a beautiful overlook that looks out over the Laurel Highlands. Be careful near the edge in wintery conditions!
Beam Rocks and Spruce Bog are located very close together so make a great pair for a hike. Be aware that the road to this trail is a forest road and unmaintained in winter. Monitor weather conditions carefully and please make a smart, informed decision about whether your car can handle it!
Ferncliff Peninsula
This 1.8 mile hike has great views of the Ohiopyle Falls and the Youghiogheny River and some fun terrain change. It can be very slippery on the rocks near the falls in winter.
Pumphouse Trail to Jones Mill Run Dam
This hike has a longer and a shorter version. If you just want to see the dam, the trail is about a mile and a half out and back. The longer version is a 5.3 mile loop that treks through Laurel Hill State Park.
Cucumber Falls
Who doesn’t love a frozen waterfall? This 30 foot waterfall is stunning when frozen and is only a short walk from the parking area.
Check out my guide to Best Hikes in the Laurel Highlands for more options on your visit!
Cross Country Skiing
Cross country skiing is a great way to get outside in the winter. While many people prefer downhill, I actually love breaking a sweat and getting a workout in. XC skiing is also a lot easier to learn as a beginner than downhill. And the Laurel Highlands has so many great places to cross country ski.
If you’re new and need rentals, check out the Laurel Ridge XC Ski Center. You will need to pay a rental fee as well as a trail usage fee, but it’s worth it to ski on groomed trails. There’s also a webcam at Laurel Ridge, so you can see if there’s enough snow to make it worth the journey!
For more details, check out my guide to Cross Country Skiing in the Laurel Highlands!
Snowshoe
If the idea of skis strapped to your feet is terrifying, snowshoeing is also a great option in the Laurel Highlands. The Laurel Ridge XC ski center also rents out snowshoes for $25 or you can bring your own. If you snowshoe on the groomed trails, you’ll need to pay the trail fee as well. However, if you’re skipping the groomed trail, you can also skip the trail fee. My friends snowshoed on the ungroomed Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, which is easy to follow.
For more information about the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, check out my guide to hiking all 70 miles (but maybe wait til it's a bit warmer!)
Downhill Ski
The Laurel Highlands is also a great place to shred the gnar. There are quite a few options for places for skiing in the region and they’re all really close to each other. While I am not a downhill skier, I’ve heard great things about each of these ski mountains. My husband’s personal favorite is Seven Springs, because it is on the EPIC pass.
- Hidden Valley – best for beginners
- Seven Springs – best for intermediate skiers
- Laurel Mountain – best if you really know what you’re doing
Check out the Covered Bridges
Winter is a great time to check out covered bridges because the red pops against the snow. Here are some of the great covered bridges in the area!
Packsaddle Covered Bridge
This bridge features a mini waterfall on the downward side of the bridge. Be careful in wintery conditions – the road to the bridge is not particularly maintained and hiking down to the waterfall may be icy. Remember to stay on trail and off private property. This is the only one of three bridges that can be driven over.
Barronvale Bridge
Unlike Packsaddle, this bridge has open sides to be able to see the creek from the side if you’re willing to stand on the sides a little. This bridge is located close to the Laurel Ridge XC ski center if you want to combine activities on your visit.
Looking for things to do in Ohiopyle? Check out my guide to one of my favorite state parks!
What to Do – Indoors
Flight 93 Memorial
This touching and beautifully designed memorial memorializes the lives lost in Flight 93 on September 11th, 2001. This flight was hijacked by terrorists and was aimed for the Capitol building. The passengers of flight 93 overtook the terrorists and unfortunately lost their lives when the plane crashed into a field outside Johnstown.
Grounds are open from sunrise to sunset all year round and the visitors center is open from 9a to 5p every day. The memorial is free to all visitors. While I categorized this as an indoor activity, the grounds are worth walking around so bundle up!
For more information, and to plan your visit, check out the National Park Service Flight 93 memorial page.
Listen to Live Music from a VIP Section
I am usually not a fan of random live music, but Hillbilly’s is an amazing restaurant and live music venue. Our appetizers were amazing – we got the Hillbilly fries and fried pickles. I also ordered the pierogis, which were some of the best I’ve ever had.
After dinner and for a $10 cover, you can head to the venue’s upstairs and watch a live band. For an extra cost, you can rent out the VIH (very important Hillbilly section) for you and seven of your friends. The VIH section features something that I’ve never seen anywhere else. There’s a goat (fake, of course) that your bottle service goes in and you can “milk” the goat for the drink to come out. It was truly a unique experience.
Bowling at the Wicked Googly / Ligonier Lanes
This bar slash bowling alley in Ligonier is a great way to stay active but warm. It’s the type of place where it feels like the bartender would know your order if you When I was there on a Saturday night, they had live music. They also have a TouchTunes jukebox, which is great if you want to play some tunes while bowling. (Unfortunately they turned off my choice of Mambo Number 5 when it was time for the live music to start).
Work at Uptown Works in Somerset
Ideally, you won’t be working on your perfect winter weekend, but in case you need to, I’ve got a spot. The Uptown Works in Somerset makes you feel like home away from home while you’re working. It was a super cozy atmosphere with a perfect place to sit for every type of remote worker. If you want a desk – there’s desks with extendable monitors. Since I am on calls all the time, I used one of their studio rooms.
The kitchen has everything you need and more. They have a system where you can grab a stocked snack and Venmo them for the cost of the snack. The staff was so thoughtful and responsive when booking. Uptown Works has thought of literally everything a working professional could need.
If you’re looking for a place to stay, they also have an Airbnb on top of the coworking space. For more information and to book your workspace, visit the Uptown Works website.
If you're looking for a place to stay during your winter weekend in the Laurel Highlands, check out my guide to the best places to stay in the Laurel Highlands!
Are you planning a winter wonderland weekend in the Laurel Highlands? Let me know in the comments below!