Once in a Lifetime
What’s on your ultimate must-see list? Internationally acclaimed art? Thrilling athletic
endeavors? Unique wildlife sightings? Pennsylvania abounds with once-in-a-lifetime
experiences, and we’ve picked some for every season.
Great Allegheny Passage
Pittsburgh and its Countryside/ Laurel Highlands
Somerset, Westmoreland, Washington, Fayette and Allegheny counties
www.atatrail.org
Considered to be one of the nation’s most popular rail trails, the Great Allegheny Passage
begins in Pittsburgh, Pa., and crosses the border into Maryland, eventually ending in the
nation’s capital. This 320-mile trail offers a flat ride for a close look at steel mills, roller coasters
and passing locomotives – all before you leave Allegheny County. Traverse amazing woodlands
and stick close to campgrounds, restaurants and even a few pubs!
Appalachian Trail Midway Point
Dutch Country Roads
Cumberland Valley
www.atmuseum.org
The midpoint of this 2,180-mile trek sits in Cumberland Valley, where day hikers can pick from
different routes near the Appalachian Trail Museum. Located in Pennsylvania’s Pine Grove
Furnace State Park, the museum is housed in a historical artifact that was built more than 200
years ago. Current exhibits include a trail shelter that was built by hiker legend Earl Shaffer.
Hikers that pass through this area love to pop off-trail for ice cream in the park.
Pine Creek Gorge
Pennsylvania Wilds
Wellsboro
www.pacanyon.com
Pine Creek Gorge, commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, is surrounded
by approximately 165,000 acres of the Tioga State Forest. The Turkey Paths carves a
challenging route from the east lip of the Pine Creek Gorge in Wellsboro, where a waterfall
rewards hikers at the bottom. The multi-use Pine Creek Rail Trail provides a flat path to explore
the bottom via covered wagon.
Wright Immersion
Laurel Highlands
Fayette and Westmoreland counties
www.polymathpark.com
Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece, Fallingwater, is stunning framed by autumn
foliage in the Laurel Highlands. This landmark was named on of “12 landmarks that will change
the way you see the world” by Travel + Leisure magazine. Pop over to Kentuck Knob, known for
being one of the last homes completed by the legendary architect. Then, book a stay in Duncan
House to actually sleep in one of his Usonian homes and feel how his designs bring the outside
in.
Stock Car Racing Experience
Pocono Mountains
Blakeslee
www.877stockcar.com
Are you ready for the experience of a lifetime? Take the checkered flag at NASCAR®’s famous
2.5 mile Pocono Raceway and turn that dream into reality. The Poconos Raceway facility in
Blakeslee offer NASCAR® fans opportunities to learn to drive the cars they see their favorite
stars maneuver each week – or race their own on the track!
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Philadelphia and the Countryside
Kempton
www.hawkmountain.org
Come watch the birds of prey migrate: a flock of raptors heads south along the Appalachian
Mountains in Cumberland County. This 2,600-acre natural area in Southwestern Pennsylvania
is famous as the world’s first refuge for birds of prey and provides visitors an eye-level view of
the annual hawk migration. Staff are on hand to teach visitors about 16 species in this ecotourism destination, under protection for the last 80 years.
Beaver Stadium
The Alleghenies
State College
www.gopsusports.com
Have you ever stood among a wall of 106,000 people, all cheering for the same thing?
Particularly at a “whiteout” game, where all Penn State fans wear white shirts in State college?
The experience is practically an American rite of passage.
Groundhog Day
PA Great Outdoors
Punxsutawney
www.groundhog.org
Bill Murray fans might find the Groundhog Day celebration wilder than the film of the same
name – even the Groundhog Ball in Punxsutawney. Prepare to stand outside overnight to
glimpse Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction atop Gobbler’s Knob.
Dog Sledding in the Poconos
Pocono Mountains
Skytop
www.skytop.com
Learn what it takes to raise and train sled dogs that enter Alaska’s Iditarod race. The 5,500-acre
Skytop Lodge resort allows you to take these dogs out for a ride and feel what it’s like to drive
the sled in the Pocono Mountains.
Bethlehem and Christkindlmarkt
Lehigh Valley
Bethlehem
www.christmascity.org
Experience holiday shopping like never before at a tradition that dates back to medieval
Germany. Known as Christmas City, shoppers can nibble pastries, browse artisan wares or buy
cocoa for a horse-drawn carriage ride through historic Bethlehem.