Linn Run State Park

Hiking   -  Horseback Riding   -  Picnicking   -  Fishing   -  Hunting   -  Snowmobiling   -  Cabins  

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Picnicking: The Adams Falls and Grove Run picnic areas have picnic tables, drinking water, playgrounds and restrooms. Adams Falls has a picnic pavilion that may be reserved up to 11 months in advance for a fee. Unreserved picnic pavilions are free on a first-come, first-served basis. Recycling is available in both picnic areas. Please help by disposing of your trash in proper receptacles.

Make a reservation.

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Fishing: Linn Run offers trout fishing. Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission laws apply.

Complete information on fishing rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site.

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Hunting: Over 400 acres are open to hunting, trapping and the training of dogs during established seasons. Common game species are deer, turkey, bear and squirrel. The park priveds access to hunting in Forbes State Forest.

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

Use extreme caution with firearms at all times. Other visitors use the park during hunting seasons. Firearms and archery equipment used for hunting 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 shall be kept in the owner's car, trailer or leased campsite. The only exception is that law enforcement officers and individuals with a valid Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms may carry said firearm concealed on their person while they are within the park.

Complete information on hunting rules and regulations in Pennsylvania is available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission Web site.

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Hiking: 6.25 miles of trails
Many of Linn Run’s hiking trails connect to many miles of trails in Forbes State Forest.

Mountain bikes are NOT permitted on hiking trails in Linn Run State Park, but are permitted on designated trails in Forbes State Forest.

Adams Falls Trail is a 1-mile loop that features a mountain waterfall tucked in among rhododendron and hemlock. This very rocky trail passes by large boulders.

Iscrupe Trail is a 0.75-mile trail that follows the original Linn Run Road and was used by early visitors to the Adams Falls Picnic Area.

Flat Rock Trail is a 0.5-mile trail that ends at a large, smooth rock in the stream Linn Run. Swimming is not permitted in this area. Please be cautious, the rocks are very slippery!

Grove Run Trail is a 4-mile loop that starts with a gentle slope behind the Grove Run Picnic Area and becomes progressively steeper. Part of this trail follows Grove Run.

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Horseback Riding: Horseback riding is permitted along Linn Run Road and on designated trails in Forbes State Forest.

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Stay the Night

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Modern Cabins: Nine rustic cabins and one modern cabin are available for year-round rental. During the summer season, only weekly rentals are available. Rustic cabins have simple furnishings that include: benches, tables, beds, electric heaters, fireplace inserts for heating, electric stove and refrigerator. Rustic cabins are served by outside water spigots, rustic toilets, and a modern washhouse with showers and flush toilets. The modern cabin (7) is ADA accessible.

Explore the cabin map.

Explore cabins for more information.

Make a reservation.

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Winter Activities

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Explore the Winter Report for the current snow and ice depths.

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Snowmobiling: Snowmobiles are permitted on the road in the cabin area only. Road access to Forbes State Forest snowmobile trails is near the cabin area.

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Access for People with Disabilities

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If you need an accommodation to participate in park activities due to a disability, please contact the park you plan to visit.

 

Discover Fall - Scenic Driving Tour

Welcome to the beautiful Laurel Highlands, filled with scenic byways, picturesque overlooks, and unique, quaint communities. This area spans a four county region including Westmoreland, Fayette, Cambria and Somerset counties. Beginning in October the ridges and valleys come to life with color, with the peak near mid October. The Discover Fall tour provides two distinct driving routes through the Laurel Highlands linking state forest and state park lands, small town community events and programs with scenic drives of fall color.

Northern Loop: This approximately 125-mile loop is the quintessential “leaf peeper” road trip. The tour closely follows the ridge offering views at every turn. Highlights include a stop at the third deepest gorge in Pennsylvania, a ride on the world’s steepest vehicular incline, a walk to a bog and a pleasant drive through and past five state parks and a state forest. Allow a minimum of four hours to complete the tour. Laurel Hill, Laurel Mountain, Laurel Ridge, Laurel Summit  and Linn Run state parks.
Northern Loop (133 kb, 8/12)

Discover Birds and Blossoms - Scenic Driving Tour

The return of our feathered friends coupled with the bloom of spring flowers provides the perfect opportunity to explore the Laurel Highlands. This tour will guide you to some of our area’s best birding spots from a mountaintop bog to the deepest gorge in Pennsylvania. The tour visits Laurel Hill, Linn Run and Ohiopyle state parks.
Birds and Blooms (830 kb, 4/13)

 

Linn Run is in the heart of the Laurel Mountains. The mountainous land ranges from 1,300 feet to 2,800 feet above sea level. Most of the land was bought from the Byers and Allen Lumber Company for $42,662. When the Commonwealth acquired this land in 1909, it was the first major public purchase of denuded forest land in the Ohio River Basin. Today, it is difficult to visualize what this land looked like in 1909 or to imagine that some people questioned the wisdom of purchasing so much “wasteland.”

About fifteen years prior to the acquisition of the Linn Run property, this entire area was clearcut. The old growth forest was transformed into an area devoid of timber and wildlife. Treetops littered the area. Saw logs were sold for lumber. Small logs were used for props in nearby coal mines. Hemlock bark, a source of tannin, was bundled and shipped to tanneries. The railroad that hauled timber and other products to market caused many severe wildfires.

In his first report (September 1909), Forester John R. Williams wrote, “I should say that fully three-fifths of the reserve has been burned over since lumbering was done. The fires did great damage to the young growth. Some places are covered with nothing but ferns and blackberry bushes.”

Occasional scars from those early fires can still be seen after years of forest rehabilitation.

In 1910, the newly formed Pennsylvania Game Commission cooperated with the former Department of Forestry to restock deer. White-tailed deer were imported from New York and Michigan for release throughout Pennsylvania.

Interesting traces remain of the Pittsburgh, Westmoreland and Somerset Railroad that serviced the area. The main line extended from Rector to Somerset. Because of heavy loads, the tracks switched back and forth across Linn Run several times. Along the Fish Run Trail in Forbes State Forest you will find traces of the old railroad bed.

Keep in Touch

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Volunteering

Like to spend time in the outdoors, meet friendly people and help make Pennsylvania State Parks great? Volunteering at a park might be for you.

Becoming a Conservation Volunteer is easy.

• Sign up to be a Conservation Volunteer
  OR
• Contact your local state park directly and ask for the Conservation Volunteer coordinator - you'll be hooked up with an interesting and appropriate project in Pennsylvania's natural resources.
   

Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation

Believing that each generation is responsible for leaving behind a better legacy of good conservation, the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation (PPFF) was created in 1999 to give supporters and users of Pennsylvania's parks and forests a positive way to contribute to the conservation of our publicly-owned properties. The Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation welcomes the support of individuals and businesses who share a commitment to conserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural, scenic, and recreational areas of this commonwealth. www.paparksandforests.org

Make a Donation

To a park - find this park's address below

To a park or the Bureau of State Parks - Pennsylvania Parks and Forestry Foundation www.paparksandforests.org

Through a purchase at a park gift shop

Thank you for your support!

Education Programs

We love when young people ask us how to get involved!

DiscoverE has programs for young people ages 4 to 17, provided by Pennsylvania State Park educators. By combining recreation and education, we hope to motivate children to learn more and return often, leading to a lifetime of outdoor enjoyment and conservation leadership. 

In Watershed Education, teachers and students assess water quality of a local stream on a quarterly basis and develop strategies to solve local water quality problems. 

ECO Camp - Exploring Careers Outdoors - is a week-long residential camp for a cross-section of high school youth from across Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). Participate in action-packed, hands on activities and recreational adventures in Pennsylvania’s state parks and forests that expose youth to conservation, recreation and careers in natural resources. Learn how people make a living working in the outdoors.

Explore education for more information on these and other programs.

Explore the Calendar of Events to find a program near you.

iConservePA

Do you take conservation personally? iConservePA is a Web site managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources whose vision is to inspire citizens to value their natural resources, engage in conservation practices and experience the outdoors. Take conservation personally.

Come Work with Us

Pennsylvania State Parks and the Department of Conservation and Natrual Resources offer a wide range of civil service and non-civil service jobs, from foresters, to rangers, to engineers, to educators, to botanists and so much more. Learn what is currently available.

Tell us What You Think

Contact this park with compliments, concerns and issues about the park.

Linn Run State Park

Nearby Attractions

Information on nearby attractions is available from the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau. www.laurelhighlands.org

Laurel Summit State Park: This six-acre area offers picnic tables, a pavilion, drinking water and restrooms. In 1922, Laurel Summit campground had the highest elevation of any public campground in Pennsylvania. The “Summit” remained a public camping area until the late 1940s when it was designated a state park picnic area. This scenic area is 2,739 feet above sea level and several degrees cooler than surrounding towns. Laurel Summit is a carry-in/carry-out area. Please take all of your trash with you.

Laurel Summit provides trailhead parking for Forbes State Forest’s Wolf Rocks Trail, Spruce Flats Bog and access to many of the mountain biking and snowmobile trails in Forbes State Forest. 724-238-6623

Laurel Ridge State Park: The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a 70-mile backpacking trail that runs from Ohiopyle, Pa., to the Conemaugh River near Johnstown.

Kooser State Park: This 250-acre wooded area has cabins, camping, group tenting, swimming and fishing.

Laurel Hill State Park: In Somerset County, Laurel Hill offers camping, hunting, organized group tenting, organized group cabin camps, boating, fishing, hiking, environmental education programs, and swimming in 65-acre Laurel Hill Lake.

Forbes State Forest: The 50,000 acres of Forbes State Forest offer hiking, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and other outdoor recreation in a nearly wilderness setting. Contact Forbes State Forest or Linn Run State Park for a map. Mountain bikes are permitted only on designated trails.

Maps and Downloadables

Below are many of the maps and publications for this park. You can read them or download them and might need special software (all free) to view the publications.

You must have the free Adobe Reader to view the maps and brochures that are in pdf format (.pdf).

Alternate versions of the text of the brochures are in rich text and text formats. Click on the files to view them. To download (.rtf) files:
For Windows users, right click on the link then left click on "Save target as" to download the file to your computer. For Mac users, hold down the "Options" button and click on the link, then select "Save" to download the file to your computer.

Recreational Guide

Linn Run State Park Map (.pdf) (900 kb, 3/11)
Linn Run State Park Recreational Guide (.pdf) (369 kb, 4/13)
    large print version of the guide text (.rtf)

Interactive GIS Map

The interactive map uses Geographic Information Systems to create a map that does not need to be downloaded and features driving directions, searchable park amenities and customizable maps. Please note that the background maps are maintained by a variety of public sources.

Cabin Map

Linn Run State Park Cabin Map (.pdf) (47 kb, 3/11)