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 visitors to hike and explore the park and observe the diversity of plants and wildlife. Hemlock Trail passes through a beautiful stand of old growth hemlocks. Laurel Hill is a featured park, October, in the 2010 Pennsylvania State Parks Calendar.

Explore

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  - Snowshoeing  - 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, a large ball field and playground equipment. Picnic Area No. 3 is by the beach and has playground equipment, horseshoe pits and a sand volleyball court. Picnic Area No. 4 is at the upper end of the lake by the boat mooring and launching area.

Five 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 No. 1 and three picnic pavilions in Picnic Area No. 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. Swimming is only permitted in the designated buoy areas. Maximum depth is five feet. The beach has an ADA accessible ramp to the lake and an ADA accessible restroom. A food concession is available from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Hiking: The hiking trails of Laurel Hill State Park are listed according to difficulty, arranged from the easiest to the most difficult. Most trails 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, black bear, Canada goose and raccoon. Most of Laurel Hill Lake is open to goose and waterfowl hunting.

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. 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.

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 launches. A boat rental at the beach has paddleboats, canoes and kayaks. 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 There are 264 campsites, 149 have electric hook-ups. The campground has flush toilets, hot showers, sanitary dumping stations and drinking water. Pets are permitted in designated sites. Please follow all pet camping rules. Pets are permitted on designated sites. 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 first Friday in April and closes the third Sunday in 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 120-person capacity area. This area is open year-round and has limited facilities with vault toilets, drinking water, fire rings and picnic tables. Reservations are required. Youth groups must have one adult leader for each 10 youths. Trailers are prohibited. Groups must submit a roster. Fires can only be made in designated locations. Standing timber cannot be cut.

Explore organized group tenting for more information.

Organized Group Camps: Large, cabin camps are available for nonprofit organized youth and adult groups from the first Friday in May to October 1. 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 (pull-out couches) 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 keeps renters 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 70-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. Ice thickness is not monitored. For your safety, be sure the ice is four inches thick and carry safety equipment.

Snowshoeing: All 12 miles of hiking trails are ideal for showshoeing.

Sleddingand Tobogganing: A sledding hill is in the field loop area 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 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

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

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 Trail Natural Area escaped the loggers’ reach.

Beginning in 1935, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration began purchasing sub-marginal 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.

Friends of Laurel Hill State Park Complex

The Friends of Laurel Hill State Park Complex is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and enhancing the Laurel Hill State Park Complex. It as an affiliate chapter of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forestry Foundation, and is a qualified 501(c)(3) organization, which means that your contribution is tax deductible. Any money that you donate to the Friends will benefit the Laurel Hill State Park Complex directly. The Friends coordinate a wide variety of volunteer activities that benefit the parks. www.friendsoflhsp.org/

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, a campground and fishing. Laurel Ridge State Park has a 70-mile backpacking trail, Adirondack-style shelters, snowmobiling and cross-country skiing. Ohiopyle State Park has whitewater rafting and biking on the Great Allegheny Passage. The 60,000-acre Forbes State Forest provides hunting, fishing, hiking, general recreation and the highest point in Pennsylvania—Mount Davis, 3,213 feet.

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.