Looking for a one-day activity to do with the family this summer? There are plenty of places in and around Somerset County to visit, from Mount Davis, the highest point in Pennsylvania, to Laurel Caverns, Pennsylvania's largest cave. Here are 12 places to consider when planning your next-day trip adventure.
Pennsylvania Maple Museum
Located at the Somerset Historical Center, this new museum, which opened in late June, offers exhibits and showing how maple syrup is produced and why Somerset County is the state's largest producer of maple syrup.
Where: 10649 Somerset Pike, Somerset.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday
Admission fee: $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors, $3 for children 3-11. Children under 2 get in free.
Phone number: 814-445-6077
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Mount Davis
Part of the Forbes State Forest, Mount Davis Natural Area is located at the highest elevation in all of Pennsylvania, at 3,213 feet above sea level. The area sits on the crest of a 30-mile ridge extending from central Somerset County southward into Garrett County, Maryland. Visitors can climb the observation tower at the high point to look out across the state from its highest point. There are also hiking trails and a picnic area about one mile from Mount Davis, along Mount Davis Road.
Where: Mount Davis Road, Meyersdale.
Flight 93 National Memorial
On Sept. 11, 2001, 19 terrorists boarded and hijacked four airplanes, using them to attack America. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when the hijacked planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed near Shanksville. Flight 93 National Memorial is a place to learn about the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93 whose actions thwarted the hijackers’ plan to fly this plane into a target in Washington, D.C., possibly the U.S. Capitol.
Listen to the Tower of Voices, walk along the path next to their final resting place, read the Wall of Names and honor the courage of those who fought back against the terrorists. Outdoor exhibits, a cell phone tour, park rangers and volunteers provide more information to visitors.
Where: 6424 Lincoln Highway, Stoystown, PA.
Phone number: 814-893-6322.
The Great Allegheny Passage
The Great Allegheny Passage, linking Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., has 150 miles of hiking and bicycling adventure, with a gentle grade and smooth surface through scenic views, trail towns, 16 bridges and four tunnels. There are places offering bikes to rent, trailhead parking and wayfinding signage, lodging, eateries, creameries, breweries and shuttle services along the trail. The C&O Canal Towpath is a 184.5-mile trail between Cumberland, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., along the Chesapeake & Ohio National Historical Park and paralleling the Potomac River. The towpath offers access to historic canal locks, seven restored blockhouses, 11 stone aqueducts and nine canal towns in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, with their breweries, bed and breakfasts, cafes and restaurants, bike shops and local shopping.
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Mountain Ridge ATV Park
Mountain Ridge ATV Park has more than 150 miles of trails and 3,000 acres to provide a full day or a week of adventure. There are hill climbs, night rides, mud bogs, kiddie track, a motocross track, a drag strip and 40 miles of single track. The park also offers camping and rustic cabins. There's a small convenience store selling camping supplies, firewood and personal hygiene items.
Where: 517 Boone Road, Central City
Phone: 814-279-3147
Summer hours: Daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Memorial Day to Labor Day
Powdermill Nature Reserve
This is the environmental research center for the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, where scientists come to study the plants, birds, animals and wildlife of western Pennsylvania. Its public exhibits offer visitors a closer look at Pennsylvania's natural environment, including bird migration, aquatic life in local streams, native plants and more.
There's even a taxidermy exhibit of animals native to Pennsylvania and a working "Marsh Machine" that shows how wastewater from the facility is reclaimed and treated for reuse using natural plants and organisms. There are nature trails open from dawn to dusk to walk around the property.
Where: 1795 Route 381 in Rector
Admission: Free
Hours: 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday in the summer. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday in winter
Phone: 724-593-6105
Idlewild and SoakZone
For generations, families in the Laurel Highlands and beyond have planned day trips to Idlewild for the rides, entertainment, amusem*nts and activities that the whole family can enjoy. Visit Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood or Storybook Forest, ride the Loyalhanna Limited railroad, play at Jumpin' Jungle, ride the rides at Olde Idlewild, Racoon Lagoon Kiddieland and Hootin' Holler and cool off with the water-themed fun at SoakZone.
Daily and weekend hours vary, so check the website for details and to take advantage of special promotions and admission discounts when purchasing tickets online.
Where: 2574 Lincoln Highway (Route 30 East), Ligonier
Phone number: 724-238-3666
Heritage Discovery Center and the Johnstown Children's Museum
Learn why people came from other parts of the world to live and work in Johnstown and western Pennsylvania, building lives and families in the area and shaping its social climate in the process. There is also an Iron and Steel Gallery that shows how steel and coal brought economic prosperity to the region for over a century.
The Johnstown Children's Museum offers a variety of educational and entertaining play areas that help children learn about the area's history and explore career opportunities in medicine, business and other fields.
Where: 201 Sixth Ave., Johnstown
Hours: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May to December.
Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and children.
Phone number: 814-539-1889
Horseshoe Curve
Considered one of the "eight engineering marvels of the world" when it was built in 1854, the Horseshoe Curve made it possible for the Pennsylvania Railroad to move rail freight and passengers across the Allegheny Mountains from central Pennsylvania to cities in western Pennsylvania, including Johnstown.
Visitors can walk up the steps to the observation platform to watch as Norfolk Southern trains move freight east and west across the mountains, and there is also a small museum and a gift shop. The Railroaders Memorial Museum is also located nearby, at 1200 Ninth Ave.
The Horseshoe Curve and the Railroaders Museum are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online and must be used on the day for which the tickets are reserved.
Where: 2400 Veterans Memorial Highway, Altoona
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday
Tickets: $17 for adults, $14 for children.
Phone: 814-946-0834, ext. 2101
Laurel Caverns
Laurel Caverns is a large, natural sandstone cave with more than four miles of passages to explore below ground at a consistent air temperature of 52 degrees year-round. Visitors can choose from guided tours, self-guided tours and group tours; reservations are required only for groups of 15 or more, including Scout troops and field trips. Other activities include the Grottos of Learning, Panning for Gemstones and a scenic above-ground lookout over the Laurel Ridge. Laurel Caverns is open during the visitor season (spring through fall) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week.
Where: 1065 Skyline Drive, Farmington
Tickets: $17 for adults, $15 for seniors, $13 for children 12-17, $11 for kids 5-11, $3 for children under 4, free for infants.
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily
Phone: 800-515-4150.
Living Treasures Animal Park
A family-owned and operated wild animal park with more than 300 animals of 50 different species, according to its website. Visitors can walk through the park, feed the animals (with food sold by the park) and take photographs. A picnic area is on-site for those who bring a picnic lunch, and lodging is also available on the property at Log Cabin Lodge and Suites. Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from spring through fall; there is an admission charge to enter the park.
Where: 288 PA 711, Jones Mills
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through fall.
Admission: $18.50 for people 12 and older, $16.50 for seniors 62 and older with ID, $15.50 for children 3-11, free for children under 2.
Phone: 724-593-8300
Caddie Shak Family Fun Center
Located less than a mile from Living Treasures Animal Park, Caddie Shak Family Fun Center has three go-kart tracks, two mini golf courses, a driving range, bumper boats, small amusem*nt rides and other activities available for the whole family to enjoy. Open from spring to early fall; operating hours are from 12 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and from 12 to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday. 'Fun card" credits can be purchased online in advance to use in person or to give as gifts.
Where: 132 Caddie Shak Road, Donegal
Hours: noon to 8 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Phone: 724-593-7400
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Things to do: 12 day trip destinations in Somerset County
