From my stop at Laurel Summit State Park, I headed north toward Route 30 along the ridge of Laurel Mountain. Laurel Summit Road is a good, compacted gravel road and provided some good birdwatching and sightseeing opportunities.





Atop Laurel Ridge at close to 3,000 feet in elevation, Laurel Mountain State Park features a family-oriented downhill skiing area and beautiful views of the Ligonier Valley. Opened in 1939, Laurel Mountain was one of the first ski areas in Pennsylvania and was known as the “ski capital” of the state.
The history of ski areas in Pennsylvania state parks is a checkered one. After closing for business in 2005, Laurel Mountain has been operating again as a ski area since 2016. The ski assets of the park were purchased by Seven Springs Mountain Resort in November 2008 with the goal of reopening the slopes. The are operated under a contract with DCNR by the management of Seven Springs.Seven Springs signed a 10-year lease with DCNR in November 2009. This allowed the ski company to move ahead with plans to renovate and reopen the ski slopes. It was open for the 2024-25 season, and it appears it will be open next season.
Laurel Summit Road brings you out onto Route 30 just before a long downhill section heading west into Laughlintown.
