Things to do / Travel Guide
Driving in and around southwestern Pennsylvania gives you a great perspective on this region's pastoral charm, pristine nature, and world-class architecture. Majestic hills, urban skylines, meandering rivers, waterfalls, and literally hundreds of bridges decorate the landscape, making for picturesque panoramas at every turn.
Scenic Drives around Pittsburgh
If you arrive to Pittsburgh by car from the direction of the airport (east) on I-376, you will pass through the Fort Pitt Tunnel. As you emerge from the Fort Pitt Tunnel don't be surprised if your mouth involuntarily drops open as you look out onto Pittsburgh's green lush hills, a series of arching bridges, and the towering urban skyline reflected in the Monongahela River's sparkling water. The spectacular vistas continue for several miles until the Squirrel Hill Tunnel.
You'll find another scenic drive going east from downtown towards the neighborhood of Oakland. This three or four mile stretch gives you a fantastic glimpse of the whole South Side of the Monongahela River, its houses and buildings stacked against the hillsides are reminiscent of small villages in the European Alps.
The Grand View Scenic Byway, Grandview Avenue, traces the entire length of the nearly 370-foot high Mount Washington. As you ascend the steep Grandview Avenue toward Mount Washington you'll have an increasingly spectacular view of Pittsburgh's skyline, with its world-renowned modern and historic architecture, and beautiful bridges that arch and bend majestically across the waterways. Peer down at the Point State Park's bubbling signature fountain and look out at the exact place from which the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers merge to form the Ohio River.
Scenic Drives around Ohiopyle
The Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway is a 68-mile expedition that will soothe the soul. The most beautiful stretch (particularly during the fall) runs for 25 miles along Pennsylvania Highway 381 from Normalville, PA, to the Pennsylvania-West Virginia state line. With its idyllic farmlands, lush hills and dense foliage, waterfalls and rushing brooks, the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway will also take you through Ohiopyle State Park and across the Youghiogheny River. The Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway is also the best way to get to world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright's modern masterpieces Fallingwater and Kentucky Knob, so make sure you schedule in detours to these beloved Ohiopyle attractions.
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