Pennsylvania is one of those states that quietly becomes a road-trip addiction.
At first, you come for Philadelphia.
Maybe Gettysburg.
Perhaps Hershey if chocolate is involved—which, let’s face it, improves most travel plans.
Then you discover waterfall trails in the mountains.
Victorian towns tucked into narrow valleys.
Old railroad communities.
Covered bridges.
Frank Lloyd Wright houses hidden in forests.
Lake Erie beaches.
Dark-sky parks.
Coal-mining towns.
Amish farms.
Caves.
Abandoned industrial sites.
And enough wonderfully strange roadside attractions to keep City Unknown busy for years.
The best day trips in Pennsylvania range from some of America’s most important historic sites to places most travelers have never heard of.
So we’re not staying on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Let’s take the interesting roads.
Jump to a Pennsylvania Region
Philadelphia & the Countryside
American history, gardens, museums, New Hope and Bucks County.
Lehigh Valley
Bethlehem, Easton, industrial history and unusual attractions.
Pocono Mountains
Waterfalls, Jim Thorpe, Boulder Field and mountain adventures.
Upstate Pennsylvania
Ricketts Glen, Scranton, Endless Mountains and northeastern scenery.
Dutch Country Roads
Lancaster, Gettysburg, Hershey, Harrisburg and Pennsylvania Dutch Country.
Valleys of the Susquehanna
Knoebels, river towns, forests and central Pennsylvania backroads.
Pennsylvania Wilds
PA Grand Canyon, Cherry Springs, elk country and enormous forests.
The Alleghenies
State College, railroad history, caves and mountain towns.
Laurel Highlands
Ohiopyle, Fallingwater, mountains and historic sites.
Pittsburgh & Its Countryside
Pittsburgh, inclines, museums and western Pennsylvania history.
Great Lakes Region
Erie, Presque Isle, oil history and Lake Erie country.
Or jump directly to:
Waterfalls | Small Towns | Scenic Drives | Hidden Gems | Family Trips | History
Philadelphia & the Countryside Day Trips
You could spend a week exploring Philadelphia and still leave with a list.
American history is the obvious attraction.
But this region also delivers world-class gardens, art museums, river towns and some surprisingly peaceful countryside.
Independence National Historical Park
Location: Philadelphia
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: National Park Service
Few places contain this much American history within a few blocks.
Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and other historic buildings tell stories surrounding the creation of the United States.
Don’t reduce the visit to snapping a photograph of the Liberty Bell.
Take time to explore the complicated history surrounding ideas of liberty, including who those promises originally excluded.
Best for: American history, families and first-time Pennsylvania visitors.
Independence Hall
Location: Philadelphia
Map: Open in Google Maps
The Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution were debated and signed here.
Check current National Park Service ticketing procedures before your visit.
Liberty Bell
Location: Philadelphia
Map: Open in Google Maps
Yes.
It has a crack.
But the more interesting story is how the bell became a symbol used by abolitionists, suffragists and civil-rights advocates.
Reading Terminal Market
Location: Philadelphia
Map: Open in Google Maps
This historic indoor market is where sightseeing turns into lunch.
Pennsylvania Dutch foods, sandwiches, baked goods and dozens of vendors make it one of Philadelphia’s essential food stops.
City Unknown Tip: Arrive hungry.
That’s really the entire strategy.
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Location: Philadelphia
Map: Open in Google Maps
Come for the art.
Run up the Rocky Steps if you must.
We won’t judge.
Much.
Eastern State Penitentiary
Location: Philadelphia
Map: Open in Google Maps
The enormous ruined prison once held some of America’s most notorious inmates.
Its radial design influenced prisons around the world.
It’s fascinating during the day.
Around Halloween?
That’s an entirely different City Unknown article waiting to happen.
Longwood Gardens
Location: Kennett Square
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: Longwood Gardens
Gardens, fountains, conservatories and seasonal displays make Longwood one of Pennsylvania’s premier destinations.
Allow several hours.
New Hope
Location: Bucks County
Map: Open in Google Maps
This Delaware River town combines historic buildings, restaurants, shops, galleries and easy access to the Delaware Canal towpath.
Walk across the bridge into Lambertville, New Jersey, and you’ve managed a two-state day trip without starting the car.
Doylestown
Location: Bucks County
Map: Open in Google Maps
Doylestown’s museums are delightfully unusual.
Start with the Mercer Museum and Fonthill Castle.
Fonthill Castle
Location: Doylestown
Map: Open in Google Maps
Henry Chapman Mercer’s concrete castle contains an eccentric maze of rooms, tiles and architectural details.
If City Unknown were a building, it might look something like this.
Lehigh Valley Day Trips
Bethlehem, Allentown and Easton combine industrial history, arts, food and family attractions.
Bethlehem
Location: Bethlehem
Map: Open in Google Maps
Bethlehem combines Moravian history with the enormous industrial legacy of Bethlehem Steel.
Historic downtown and the former steel complex make a surprisingly interesting pairing.
SteelStacks
Location: Bethlehem
Map: Open in Google Maps
The towering blast furnaces of Bethlehem Steel now form the backdrop for an arts and entertainment district.
Industrial ruins rarely look this dramatic.
Easton
Location: Easton
Map: Open in Google Maps
Historic architecture and a lively downtown make Easton worth exploring beyond its best-known family attraction.
Crayola Experience
Location: Easton
Map: Open in Google Maps
If you’re traveling with children, this one practically plans itself.
Ringing Rocks County Park
Location: Upper Black Eddy
Map: Open in Google Maps
Here’s a classic City Unknown stop.
Some of the boulders in this unusual field produce bell-like tones when struck.
Why?
Science has explanations.
But standing in a forest hitting rocks that ring like metal is considerably more entertaining than the explanation.
Pocono Mountains Day Trips
The Poconos aren’t just resorts.
Waterfalls, river valleys, forests and mountain towns make northeastern Pennsylvania one of the state’s easiest outdoor escapes.
Jim Thorpe
Location: Jim Thorpe
Map: Open in Google Maps
Steep mountains surround Victorian architecture in one of Pennsylvania’s most distinctive small towns.
Scenic train rides, shops and nearby trails make it an easy full-day destination.
Best for: Couples, fall trips, history and scenic railroads.
Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway
Location: Jim Thorpe
Map: Open in Google Maps
Ride through the Lehigh Gorge without doing any of the driving.
Fall trips are especially popular.
Book ahead during peak foliage season.
Hickory Run State Park
Location: White Haven
Map: Open in Google Maps
Forests, streams and trails surround one of Pennsylvania’s strangest geological attractions.
Boulder Field
An enormous field of rocks stretches across the landscape.
No forest.
No soil visible.
Just boulders.
Thousands of them.
Wear proper footwear.
Ankle injuries make poor souvenirs.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
Location: Pennsylvania-New Jersey border
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: National Park Service
The Delaware River cuts through forested mountains here, creating hiking, waterfalls and scenic drives.
Bushkill Falls
Location: Bushkill
Map: Open in Google Maps
A network of trails and boardwalks leads past multiple waterfalls.
It’s privately operated, so check current admission and hours before visiting.
Upstate Pennsylvania Day Trips
Northern and northeastern Pennsylvania contain waterfall country, railroad history and some of the state’s quieter mountain scenery.
Ricketts Glen State Park
Location: Benton area
Map: Open in Google Maps
This is one of Pennsylvania’s great waterfall hikes.
The Falls Trail passes 21 named waterfalls, including 94-foot Ganoga Falls.
The trail is beautiful.
It can also be steep, wet, icy and slippery.
Take it seriously.
Best for: Waterfalls and experienced hikers.
Scranton
Location: Scranton
Map: Open in Google Maps
Railroad and coal history make Scranton considerably more interesting than its reputation as the setting for The Office.
Although yes.
We know that’s why some of you came.
Steamtown National Historic Site
Location: Scranton
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: National Park Service
Historic locomotives and railroad facilities tell the story of steam railroading in America.
Dutch Country Roads Day Trips
This region is loaded.
Gettysburg.
Lancaster.
Hershey.
Harrisburg.
Amish Country.
You could easily spend a week here.
Gettysburg National Military Park
Location: Gettysburg
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: National Park Service
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1–3, 1863 and became one of the Civil War’s defining battles.
Don’t rush through simply checking monuments off a list.
Start with the visitor center.
Understand the battlefield.
Then explore.
Best for: Civil War history and American history.
Gettysburg
Location: Gettysburg
Map: Open in Google Maps
The town itself deserves time.
Museums, historic buildings and restaurants complement the battlefield experience.
And yes.
Gettysburg also has enough ghost stories to keep our Halloween section extremely busy.
Lancaster
Location: Lancaster
Map: Open in Google Maps
Historic Lancaster combines markets, restaurants and easy access to surrounding farmland.
Lancaster Central Market
Location: Lancaster
Map: Open in Google Maps
Food vendors operate inside a beautiful historic market building in downtown Lancaster.
Come hungry.
Pennsylvania seems determined to make that a recurring travel instruction.
Pennsylvania Amish Country
Location: Lancaster County
Map: Open in Google Maps
Rural roads, farms and small communities surround Lancaster.
Remember that Amish families live here.
They aren’t performers in a tourism attraction.
Drive carefully around horse-drawn buggies and respect requests regarding photography.
Hershey
Location: Hershey
Map: Open in Google Maps
Chocolate built the town.
And the town has leaned into that fact enthusiastically.
Hershey’s Chocolate World
Location: Hershey
Map: Open in Google Maps
Chocolate experiences, shopping and the famous tour ride make this an easy family stop.
Hersheypark
Location: Hershey
Map: Open in Google Maps
Roller coasters and family attractions can easily occupy an entire day.
Harrisburg
Location: Harrisburg
Map: Open in Google Maps
Pennsylvania’s capital sits along the Susquehanna River.
Pennsylvania State Capitol
Location: Harrisburg
Map: Open in Google Maps
The ornate interior makes this one of the country’s more impressive state capitol buildings.
Valleys of the Susquehanna Day Trips
Central Pennsylvania is where some travelers make a mistake.
They drive through it.
Don’t.
River valleys, small towns, forests and wonderfully old-school attractions reward anyone willing to leave the interstate.
Knoebels Amusement Resort
Location: Elysburg
Map: Open in Google Maps
Knoebels feels like somebody preserved the classic American amusement park and forgot to modernize away all the charm.
Traditional rides, wooden coasters and pay-per-ride options make it especially good for families.
Shikellamy State Park
Location: Sunbury
Map: Open in Google Maps
The overlook provides sweeping views where branches of the Susquehanna River meet.
Lewisburg
Location: Lewisburg
Map: Open in Google Maps
Historic architecture and a walkable downtown make Lewisburg an easy addition to a central Pennsylvania trip.
Pennsylvania Wilds Day Trips
Now Pennsylvania gets properly wild.
Large forests, elk, dark skies and deep gorges dominate north-central Pennsylvania.
Distances increase.
Cell service decreases.
Exactly the sort of equation we like.
Pine Creek Gorge
Location: North-central Pennsylvania
Map: Open in Google Maps
Often called the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, Pine Creek Gorge cuts through the Allegheny Plateau.
Two state parks provide classic overlooks.
Leonard Harrison State Park
Location: Wellsboro area
Map: Open in Google Maps
One of the easiest places to experience the gorge.
Colton Point State Park
Location: Pine Creek Gorge
Map: Open in Google Maps
The western rim provides a more rustic experience.
Wellsboro
Location: Wellsboro
Map: Open in Google Maps
Gas-lit streets and historic buildings make Wellsboro a natural base for exploring Pine Creek Gorge.
Cherry Springs State Park
Location: Potter County
Map: Open in Google Maps
Pennsylvania has one of the East’s premier dark-sky destinations.
On a clear moonless night, the Milky Way can become dramatically visible.
Best for: Stargazing and astrophotography.
Bring red lighting.
Dress warmer than you think necessary.
And give your eyes time to adjust.
Elk Country
Location: Benezette area
Map: Open in Google Maps
Wild elk roam portions of north-central Pennsylvania.
Fall is especially popular during the rut.
Observe from a safe distance.
That bull elk is not interested in becoming your selfie partner.
Kinzua Bridge State Park
Location: McKean County
Map: Open in Google Maps
A tornado destroyed much of the enormous railroad viaduct in 2003.
Part of the remaining structure was transformed into the Kinzua Sky Walk.
The twisted remains below make the scale of the destruction remarkably clear.
The Alleghenies Day Trips
Central Pennsylvania’s mountains contain university towns, railroad history, caves and some excellent overlooked state parks.
State College
Location: State College
Map: Open in Google Maps
Penn State dominates the town, but gardens, museums and nearby outdoor recreation make it worthwhile even when football isn’t involved.
Penn State Berkey Creamery
Location: University Park
Map: Open in Google Maps
Ice cream has been part of Penn State’s dairy tradition for generations.
This is educational travel.
We’re sticking with that explanation.
Horseshoe Curve
Location: Altoona
Map: Open in Google Maps
This engineering landmark helped trains cross the Allegheny Mountains and remains an impressive place to watch modern freight trains navigate the curve.
Trough Creek State Park
Location: Huntingdon County
Map: Open in Google Maps
A small park packed with interesting features including Balanced Rock, cliffs and a suspension bridge.
Thousand Steps
Location: Mount Union area
Map: Open in Google Maps
Stone steps climb steeply up the mountain along a former quarry workers’ route.
There are indeed a lot of steps.
Pennsylvania did not engage in false advertising here.
Laurel Highlands Day Trips
If you like waterfalls, architecture and mountain scenery, southwestern Pennsylvania delivers.
Ohiopyle State Park
Location: Ohiopyle
Map: Open in Google Maps
The Youghiogheny River cuts through forested hills, creating waterfalls and some of the East’s best-known whitewater.
Cucumber Falls
Location: Ohiopyle State Park
Map: Open in Google Maps
This beautiful waterfall is one of Ohiopyle’s easiest natural highlights.
Fallingwater
Location: Mill Run
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: Fallingwater
Frank Lloyd Wright designed this extraordinary house directly over a waterfall.
Architecture and landscape become inseparable.
Reserve tours in advance.
Kentuck Knob
Location: Chalk Hill
Map: Open in Google Maps
Another Frank Lloyd Wright house sits only a short drive from Fallingwater.
Pair the two for an architecture-heavy road trip.
Flight 93 National Memorial
Location: Stoystown
Map: Open in Google Maps
Official Site: National Park Service
The memorial honors the passengers and crew of United Flight 93, which crashed here on September 11, 2001.
Give the site the time and respect it deserves.
Pittsburgh & Its Countryside Day Trips
Pittsburgh is a fantastic road-trip city.
Rivers meet beneath steep hills.
Bridges appear everywhere.
Former industrial neighborhoods have transformed into cultural districts.
And somebody put trains on the side of a mountain.
Naturally we’re riding them.
Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh
Map: Open in Google Maps
Planning: Visit Pittsburgh
Museums, neighborhoods, food and riverfront scenery can easily fill a weekend.
Duquesne Incline
Location: Pittsburgh
Map: Open in Google Maps
Ride the historic incline up Mount Washington for one of Pittsburgh’s signature skyline views.
Point State Park
Location: Pittsburgh
Map: Open in Google Maps
The Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers meet here to form the Ohio River.
It’s one of the best places to understand Pittsburgh’s geography.
Andy Warhol Museum
Location: Pittsburgh
Map: Open in Google Maps
Pittsburgh-born Andy Warhol gets an entire museum devoted to his art and legacy.
McConnell’s Mill State Park
Location: Lawrence County
Map: Open in Google Maps
A historic mill and covered bridge sit inside a dramatic gorge carved by Slippery Rock Creek.
Fall is particularly beautiful.
Great Lakes Region Day Trips
Yes.
Pennsylvania has beaches.
Actual sandy beaches.
No ocean required.
Erie
Location: Erie
Map: Open in Google Maps
Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie city makes a good base for beaches, maritime history and wine country.
Presque Isle State Park
Location: Erie
Map: Open in Google Maps
A sandy peninsula curves into Lake Erie with beaches, trails, lagoons and wildlife habitat.
Sunset here can make you briefly forget you’re in Pennsylvania.
Titusville
Location: Titusville
Map: Open in Google Maps
Modern American petroleum history changed dramatically near this little northwestern Pennsylvania town.
Drake Well Museum
Location: Titusville
Map: Open in Google Maps
The museum interprets Pennsylvania’s early petroleum industry and the 1859 Drake Well.
Oil Creek State Park
Location: Oil City/Titusville area
Map: Open in Google Maps
Trails pass through landscapes where the early petroleum industry transformed northwestern Pennsylvania.
Best Waterfall Day Trips in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is considerably better waterfall country than many travelers realize.
Put these on the list:
Ricketts Glen waterfalls
Cucumber Falls
Raymondskill Falls
Dingmans Falls
Bushkill Falls
Buttermilk Falls
Glen Onoko area waterfalls — check current trail closures
Adams Falls
Shohola Falls
Tobyhanna Falls
Fall Brook Falls
Hell’s Hollow Falls
Freedom Falls
Waterfall conditions vary by season and rainfall.
Spring generally delivers stronger flow.
Winter can create spectacular ice—but also dangerous trails.
Best Small-Town Day Trips in Pennsylvania
Put these on your Pennsylvania road-trip list:
Jim Thorpe
New Hope
Doylestown
Gettysburg
Lititz
Wellsboro
Bellefonte
Bedford
Ligonier
Strasburg
Lewisburg
Milford
Kennett Square
Bird-in-Hand
Honesdale
Titusville
Pennsylvania’s smaller towns are particularly good for City Unknown-style wandering.
Park the car.
Walk downtown.
Find lunch somewhere local.
Follow a historic marker.
Then investigate whatever strange building caught your eye three blocks ago.
Hidden Gems Worth the Pennsylvania Detour
Ringing Rocks
A field of musical boulders.
That’s enough explanation.
We’re going.
Columcille Megalith Park
Location: Bangor
Map: Open in Google Maps
Stone structures inspired by Celtic landscapes create one of Pennsylvania’s more unusual peaceful escapes.
Reading Pagoda
Location: Reading
Map: Open in Google Maps
A Japanese-style pagoda sits high above Reading.
It’s one of those landmarks that immediately prompts:
“Why is THAT here?”
Exactly our kind of place.
Kinzua Sky Walk
Walk onto the remains of a railroad viaduct destroyed by a tornado.
White Cliffs of Conoy
Location: Lancaster County
Map: Open in Google Maps
Bright industrial limestone remnants create an unusual landscape above the Susquehanna River.
Stay on permitted trails and respect current access rules.
Centralia
Location: Columbia County
Map: Open in Google Maps
An underground mine fire dramatically reduced this former coal town’s population.
Centralia has become famous online, but don’t treat abandoned or private property as an invitation to trespass.
And don’t expect the old graffiti highway experience you’ve seen in older articles.
Things change.
Pennsylvania History Road Trips
Few states can compete with Pennsylvania for American history.
Build trips around:
Independence Hall
Gettysburg
Valley Forge
Hopewell Furnace
Eisenhower National Historic Site
Flight 93 National Memorial
Fort Necessity
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Steamtown
Drake Well
Bethlehem Steel
Pennsylvania State Capitol
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Horseshoe Curve
Fort Pitt
The important thing is not to turn these into a checklist.
Many involve war, displacement, industrial exploitation, immigration, disasters and struggles over civil rights.
Give the stories room to breathe.
Best Pennsylvania Day Trips for Families
Try:
Hersheypark
Hershey’s Chocolate World
Knoebels
Crayola Experience
Philadelphia Zoo
Please Touch Museum
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Strasburg Rail Road
Presque Isle
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm
Carnegie Science Center
Crystal Cave
Penn’s Cave
Pittsburgh Zoo
Lake Tobias Wildlife Park
Pennsylvania is particularly good for combining educational attractions with something the kids actually believe is fun.
A surprisingly useful parenting trick.
Pennsylvania Cave Day Trips
Pennsylvania goes underground surprisingly often.
Consider:
Penn’s Cave
Crystal Cave
Laurel Caverns
Indian Echo Caverns
Lincoln Caverns
Woodward Cave
Cave temperatures stay cool even in summer.
Bring a jacket.
Your July shorts-and-flip-flops strategy may seem less brilliant 15 minutes underground.
Best Scenic Drives in Pennsylvania
Route 6
One of Pennsylvania’s great cross-state road-trip routes.
Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway
Mountains, forests and historic sites.
Longhouse National Scenic Byway
Allegheny National Forest scenery.
Bucktail Trail Scenic Byway
Remote forest and wildlife country.
Delaware River Scenic Byway
River towns and historic landscapes.
Lincoln Highway
Follow one of America’s classic transcontinental highways.
Pennsylvania Route 32
Bucks County river towns and Delaware River scenery.
Elk Scenic Drive
Explore Pennsylvania Wilds and elk country.
Best Pennsylvania Fall Day Trips
This state becomes road-trip trouble in October.
In the best possible way.
Try:
Pine Creek Gorge
Jim Thorpe
Pennsylvania Wilds
Pocono Mountains
Laurel Highlands
Ohiopyle
Allegheny National Forest
Wellsboro
Kinzua Bridge
Delaware Water Gap
Cook Forest
Raystown Lake
Fall-color timing varies dramatically by elevation and region.
Northern Pennsylvania generally changes before Philadelphia.
Check current foliage reports instead of planning solely around last year’s Instagram post.
Trees remain stubbornly unwilling to follow tourism calendars.
Best Pennsylvania Winter Day Trips
Try:
Jim Thorpe
Poconos
Bethlehem
Hershey
Philadelphia
Gettysburg
Pittsburgh
Longwood Gardens
Pennsylvania Wilds
Presque Isle
Mountain roads can become icy quickly.
Check conditions before heading into remote areas.
Best Pennsylvania Spring Day Trips
Spring is waterfall season.
Try:
Ricketts Glen
Ohiopyle
Delaware Water Gap
Pocono Mountains
Longwood Gardens
Brandywine Valley
Cook Forest
Bucks County
Raystown Lake
Laurel Highlands
Pennsylvania Food Road Trips
We can’t travel Pennsylvania without eating.
That would be irresponsible journalism.
Try:
Philadelphia cheesesteaks
Reading Terminal Market
Lancaster Central Market
Pennsylvania Dutch cooking
Hershey chocolate
Pittsburgh pierogies
Scrapple
Lebanon bologna
Whoopie pies
Soft pretzels
Berkey Creamery ice cream
Primanti-style sandwiches
And remember:
You don’t have to settle every “best cheesesteak” argument.
Sometimes the wiser move is eating two.
For research.
Pennsylvania Road-Trip Planning
Good combinations include:
Philadelphia → Independence Hall → Reading Terminal Market
Philadelphia → Longwood Gardens
New Hope → Doylestown
Bethlehem → Easton
Jim Thorpe → Hickory Run
Lancaster → Strasburg
Gettysburg → Eisenhower National Historic Site
Hershey → Harrisburg
Ricketts Glen → Bloomsburg
Wellsboro → Pine Creek Gorge
Cherry Springs → Coudersport
Benezette → Elk Country
State College → Bellefonte
Altoona → Horseshoe Curve
Ohiopyle → Fallingwater → Kentuck Knob
Pittsburgh → McConnell’s Mill
Erie → Presque Isle
Titusville → Oil Creek
Don’t attempt:
Philadelphia → Erie → Gettysburg → Pittsburgh in one day.
Pennsylvania is not a tiny rectangle.
The state is roughly 300 miles across.
Give it time.
Pennsylvania Road-Trip Safety
Keep an eye on:
Winter snow and ice
Mountain weather
Flash flooding
Deer on rural roads
Steep waterfall trails
Ticks
Limited cell service in Pennsylvania Wilds
Seasonal park roads
Hunting seasons
High water near rivers
Trail closures
Download maps before exploring remote sections of the Pennsylvania Wilds.
Carry water.
Wear actual hiking shoes on waterfall trails.
And if the sign says the trail is closed?
That isn’t the park service challenging you to prove yourself.
More Pennsylvania Adventures from City Unknown
Continue exploring the Keystone State:
Pennsylvania Hidden Gems — Strange places, overlooked towns and forgotten history.
Pennsylvania Waterfall Road Trip — Chase waterfalls across the mountains.
Pennsylvania Small-Town Road Trip — Explore Jim Thorpe, Lititz, Wellsboro, New Hope and more.
Pennsylvania Ghost Town Road Trip — Find abandoned mining towns and forgotten communities.
Pennsylvania Covered Bridge Road Trip — Explore historic bridges across the state.
Pennsylvania Fall Color Road Trip — Follow the mountains during peak autumn color.
Pennsylvania Railroad Road Trip — Explore historic stations, museums and scenic railroads.
Pennsylvania Weird & Unusual Places — Ringing rocks, pagodas, abandoned towns and roadside oddities.
Pennsylvania Civil War Road Trip — Explore Gettysburg and related historic sites.
Pennsylvania Dark-Sky Road Trip — Explore Cherry Springs and remote northern Pennsylvania.
Best Day Trips from Philadelphia
Best Day Trips from Pittsburgh
Best Day Trips from Harrisburg
Find Your Next Pennsylvania Adventure
See the Liberty Bell.
Walk Gettysburg.
Eat chocolate in Hershey.
Those are classics for a reason.
Then keep going.
Stand beneath 20 waterfalls.
Walk onto the remains of a bridge destroyed by a tornado.
Listen to rocks ring like bells.
Watch wild elk wander through a mountain valley.
Look at the Milky Way from one of the darkest places in the East.
Explore a town built around steel.
Walk through a former prison.
Ride an old railroad.
Drive through Pennsylvania Dutch farm country.
Find a tiny mountain town you didn’t know existed.
Pennsylvania gets better when you stop thinking of it as the state between New York and Ohio.
It’s a road-trip state all its own.
City Unknown Tip
Don’t try to explore Pennsylvania from one hotel.
Pick a region.
Spend one trip in Philadelphia.
Another chasing waterfalls through the Poconos.
Another exploring Gettysburg and Lancaster.
Another wandering through Pennsylvania Wilds.
Another in Pittsburgh and the Laurel Highlands.
Another following Route 6.
And another exploring Lake Erie.
Pennsylvania isn’t one destination.
It’s eleven very different travel regions stitched together by mountains, rivers, small towns and an impressive number of roads that make you say:
“What’s down there?”
Those are usually the roads worth taking.