Laurel Hill State Park

Laurel Hill State Park consists of 3,935 acres of mountainous terrain in Somerset County. The 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake is a focal point of the park. Laurel Hill is surrounded by thousands of acres of pristine state park and state forest lands. A trail system invites you to hike and explore the park and observe a diversity of plants and wildlife. A beautiful stand of old growth hemlocks lies along the Hemlock Trail.

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Directions - Weather  - Recreation  - Stay the Night  - Hiking  - Winter Activities  - Winter Report  - Environmental Education  - Calendar of Events  - Accessibility  - History  - Wildlife Watching  - Gift Shop  - Nearby Attractions  - Volunteers  - Rules and Regs  - In an Emergency  - Contact Us  - Downloadables and Maps

Park Advisories

Directions

From I-76 Exit 110 (Somerset), drive west on PA 31 from Somerset for eight miles, turn left onto Trent Road and follow the directional signs to Laurel Hill State Park. The park may also be reached from I-76 Exit 91 (Donegal) by turning left on PA 31 east and traveling 14 miles. Follow the directional signs to the right turn onto Trent Road then follow directional signs to the park.

Recreational Opportunities

Hiking  - Picnicking  - Swimming  - Boating  - Fishing  - Hunting  - Wildlife Watching  - Cross-country Skiing  - Sledding  - Snowmobiling  - Ice Fishing  - Organized Group Cabin Camps  - Organized Group Tenting  - Laurel Hill Lodge  - Camping Cottages  - Camping

Fishing: The 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake has bass, trout, catfish, sucker, bluegill, perch, crappie and sunfish. Laurel Hill Creek and Jones Mill Run are excellent trout streams. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission laws apply. A fishing license, not available at the park office, is required for people ages 16 and older. For complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Picnicking: Three picnic areas have over 500 picnic tables. Picnic Area No. 1 has horseshoe pits, large ball field and playground equipment. Picnic Area No. 3 is by the beach and has playground equipment. Picnic Area No. 4 is at the head of the lake and is by the boat mooring and launching area. Four picnic pavilions may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis. There are two picnic pavilions in Picnic Area 1 and two picnic pavilions in Picnic Area 3.

Make a reservation

Swimming: A 1,200-foot sandy beach is open from late-May to mid-September, 8 a.m. to sunset. Swim at your own risk. Please read and follow posted rules for swimming. Maximum depth is five feet.

A snack bar is a short distance from the beach.

Hiking: The twleve miles of hiking trails of Laurel Hill State Park are listed according to difficulty, arranged from the easiest to the most difficult. Most are wide, easily followed and, therefore, not color blazed. Where deemed necessary, blazes are yellow. Explore Trails for complete trail listings.

Hunting and Firearms: About 2,100 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are rabbit, squirrel, grouse, turkey, deer, ring-necked pheasant and raccoon. Contact the park office for accessible hunting information.

Hunting woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, is prohibited. Dog training is only permitted from the day following Labor Day to March 31 in designated hunting areas. The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations apply.

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. The park is used by other visitors during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment may be uncased and ready for use only in authorized hunting areas during hunting seasons. In areas not open to hunting or during non-hunting seasons, firearms and archery equipment must be kept in the owner&%39;s car, trailer or camp.

For complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

Boating: electric motors only The 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake has 30 mooring sites and two boat launch areas. Motorboats must display a boat registration from any state. Non-powered boats must display one of the following: boat registration from any state; launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks that are available at most state park offices; launch use permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. For complete information on boating rules and regulations in Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

Stay the Night

Camping: modern sites, some with electricity The camping area consists of 264 tent or trailer sites (149 with electric) with flush toilets, hot water showers, sanitary dumping stations and drinking water. One walled tent is available for rent. The tent sleeps six people and has a refrigerator, bunk beds with mattresses and electricity. Campers must bring bedding, camping stove, and cooking and eating utensils. The campground is open from the second Friday in April until mid-October. Site occupancy is limited to one family unit (persons living under one household) or one non-family unit limited to five persons, including one responsible individual 18 years of age or older. The maximum camping period is 14 consecutive nights.

Explore the campground map.

Explore camping for more information.

Make a reservation

Camping Cottages: Eight cottages near the campground sleep five people in single bunks and double/single bunks, and have wooden floors, windows, porch, picnic table, fire ring and electric lights and outlets.

Make a reservation

Organized Group Tenting: Qualified, organized adult and youth groups may use the 125-person capacity area. This area is open year-round and has limited facilities with vault toilets, drinking water, fire rings and picnic tables. Area regulations require that 1) A roster be submitted, 2) Fires are built only in designated locations, 3) Standing timber must not be cut, and 4) Trailers are not permitted in this area.

Explore organized group tenting for more information.

Organized Group Camps: Large, cabin camps are available for nonprofit organized youth and adult groups from mid-April to mid-October. Facilities include flush toilets, central shower house, large dining hall and kitchen, plus, small cabins for campers. Applications are only available at the park office.

Explore organized group camps for more information.

Laurel Hill Lodge: Tucked away in a secluded area of Laurel Hill State Park, Laurel Hill Lodge is modern yet has much rustic charm. The large fireplace, cathedral ceiling, and large, private deck overlooking the park and the Laurel Mountains make the lodge cozy and spectacular. The lodge is especially equipped for the winter recreation season, including ski and snowboard racks, and glove and boot dyers. The two-story lodge has five bedrooms, which sleep 14 guests in five double beds (including two futons) and six twin beds (bunk beds). The lodge has three bathrooms (two full, one ¾), one and one-half kitchens, recreation room and laundry. The hot water heating system will keep you warm and cozy. Explore Laurel Hill Lodge for more information. Make a reservation

Winter Activities

Explore the Winter Report for current snow and ice depths.

Snowmobiling: The ten-mile trail system in the park connects with an over 60-mile trail system in Forbes State Forest. The trail system is open daily for registered snowmobiles after the end of deer season in late December. Trail maps are available at the park office.

Ice Fishing: The 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake is open to ice fishing. Common species are bass, trout and perch.

Iceboating: Iceboats must display a current state park or Fish and Boat Commission launching permit.

Cross-country Skiing: There is a 20-mile cross-country ski touring concession adjacent to the PA 653 parking area of nearby Laurel Ridge State Park. Fee required on this trail. View conditions and snow depth on the live Web cam.

Sledding: A sledding area is at the lower end of the campground.

Environmental Education

The park offers a wide variety of environmental education and interpretive programs. Through hands-on activities, guided walks and evening programs, participants gain appreciation and understanding of the park’s natural and cultural resources.

Curriculum-based environmental education programs are available to schools and youth groups. Teacher workshops are available. Programs are offered year-round. Contact the park office for a schedule of programs.

A self-guiding trail is along Hemlock Trail. A visitor center is in the beige farmhouse at the entrance to the campground.

Explore the Calendar of Events for a listing of events from today forward.

Explore environmental education and interpretation for more information.

Access for People with Disabilities

Accessible picnic tables and parking spaces have been designated throughout the park. Accessible fishing is available near the dam breast.

If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks:
888-PA-PARKS (voice)
888-537-7294 (TTY)
711 (AT&T Relay Services)

History

The Laurel Hill Valley escaped the unbridled logging that swept through Pennsylvania—for longer than many areas of the state. The steep stream valleys and rugged hills made logging difficult until technology laid the tracks to enable the trees to be hauled to mills. Powerful, slow locomotives climbed the switchbacked tracks through Laurel Hill and hauled the logs to mills. From 1886 to 1940, logging companies clearcut the trees of the park, leaving behind a wasteland of brambles prone to forest fires and flooding. Only the area now called Hemlock Natural Area escaped the loggers’ reach.

Beginning in 1935, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration began purchasing submarginal agricultural and forest land so that it could be converted to better use. In 1936, the National Park Service was given the responsibility of the Recreational Demonstration Areas. Laurel Hill was one of five areas in Pennsylvania and targeted for restoration and reforestation, and organized group camping and day picnicking.

Nine elderly men sit on stones next to the dam they built as CCC boys at Laurel Hill.

Beginning in 1935, with cooperation of the Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, men of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began building roads, trails, bridges and recreational facilities. Two CCC camps, SP-8 and SP-15 arrived in July 1, 1935 and began building camps for themselves (currently Group Camp 8 and Group Camp 5). The 200 young men in each camp worked year-round building park facilities like group camps, picnic areas, waterlines, roads, the beach house and Laurel Hill Lake. World War II ended the CCC. For more information on the CCC, explore the Civilian Conservation Corps Online Archive.

In October of 1945, the Department of the Interior transferred the project to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and it became Laurel Hill State Park.

The Laurel Hill Recreational Demonstration Area Historic District includes all CCC-constructed buildings and structures that retain a significant degree of integrity. The district contains 202 buildings on 1,352 acres of land, which is the largest collection of CCC architecture in Pennsylvania State Parks.

Nearby Attractions

For information on nearby attractions, contact: Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, 800-333-5661. www.laurelhighlands.org

Nearby state parks offer great recreational opportunities. Kooser State Park has cabins and campgrounds. Laurel Ridge State Park has backpacking and hiking trails. Ohiopyle State Park has whitewater rafting, camping, hiking and biking. Mt. Davis, the highest point in Pennsylvania, is nearby in state forest land.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s home, Fallingwater, is near Ohiopyle State Park. Hidden Valley and Seven Springs resorts have skiing, dining and conference hosting.

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail

The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. An enterprise of many partners, the evolving trail network celebrates the heritage of the Potomac and upper Ohio river basins and offers opportunities for hiking, bicycling, boating, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing. National Park Service Passport Stamps for the trail are available at the Laurel Ridge State Park Office and at the visitor center in Ohiopyle. For more information, visit www.nps.gov/pohe.

In an Emergency

Contact a park employee or dial 911.
For directions to the nearest hospital, look on bulletin boards or at the park office.

Nearest Hospital:
Somerset Hospital
225 South Center Avenue
Somerset, PA 15501
814-443-5000

For More Information Contact

Laurel Hill State Park
1454 Laurel Hill Park Road
Somerset, PA 15501-5629
814-445-7725
Manager: Michael Mumau

E-mail: laurelhillsp@state.pa.us
An equal opportunity employer

Make online reservations or call toll-free 888-PA-PARKS, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday, for state park information and reservations.

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