Who’s ready for an adventure? Just you and the open road! Roll down the windows. Let the wind rustle your hair. Explore the rolling hills, lush forests, and shimmering lakes of PA from the comfort of your car with tunes blaring or in the peaceful quiet. These are the 10 best scenic drives in Pennsylvania, and they’re perfect for a leisurely drive any time of the year. So, buckle up and hit the road!
- Bucktail Trail Scenic Byway
Flickr/Nicholas A. Tonelli Pack plenty of snacks for your picturesque drive along the Bucktail Trail Scenic Byway (PA Route 120). Drive all or part of the 100-mile road that spans from Sproul State Forest to Ridgway. During your journey, you’ll pass forests, valleys, hills, and wildlife. Click here for more information on the Bucktail Scenic Byway.
- Brandywine Valley Byway
Flickr/James Walsh Travel from Kennett Pike to Wilmington, Delaware, as you drive the Brandywine Valley Byway (Routes 100 and 52). The brief 15-mile scenic byway boasts winding roads that pass fields of wildflowers, tulips, and protective oak trees. Click here for more information from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
- National Road
Flickr/David Fulmer Journey along National Road - Route 40 - for a truly memorable experience. Route 40 in Pennsylvania winds through Somerset, Washington, and Fayette Counties. Stop and visit such landmarks as Bowman’s Castle and Fort Necessity National Battlefield. Click here for the official website of Historic National Road.
- Conestoga Ridge Road
Flickr/Thomas Gehrke Merge onto Route 23, Conestoga Ridge Road, in Lancaster County for a breathtaking drive. Watch the cozy country homes, gentle streams, hills and valleys, and rolling farmland pass as you drive. You might also want to stop at such attractions as Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve and Poole Forge Park. Click here for more information on Conestoga Ridge Road.
- West Branch Susquehanna Byway
Flickr/Nicholas A. Tonelli Gas up your car for the spectacular 72-mile drive along the West Branch Susquehanna Byway. Drink in unspoiled views of the Susquehanna River while stopping at such popular landmarks as McKees Mills Covered Bridge and Bilger’s Rocks. Click here for more information.
- Longhouse Scenic Byway
Flickr/Andy Arthur Pack a picnic and your hiking gear as you set out on the Longhouse Scenic Byway. The 29-mile byway loop travels through the Allegheny National Forest. There, you can go hiking, enjoy an old-fashioned picnic in the forest, or stop to admire the views of the Allegheny Reservoir. Click here for the official website of Allegheny National Forest.
- Lake Wilhelm Scenic Byway
Facebook/Melissa Hop onto the 6.4-mile Lake Wilhelm Scenic Byway in Mercer County for a truly enchanting experience. Gaze out the of window at the sprawling farms, rolling hills, and picturesque bridges as you travel to Lake Wilhelm in Maurice K. Goddard State Park. Click here for the official website of Maurice K. Goddard State Park.
- High Plateau Scenic Byway
Flickr/John McCullough Snap photos of local wildlife - elk and bear, for example - as you drive from Snow Shoe to Renovo along the 27-mile High Plateau Scenic Byway (Route 144). Sweeping views await as you stand at Fish Dam Run Scenic View and Two Run Rock Vista in Sproul State Forest. Click here for more information from Visit PA.
- Lincoln Highway
Flickr/Brad Join countless other Americans who have eagerly set out on an epic drive along the Lincoln Highway, which stretches from New York to California. While in Pennsylvania, you’ll drive by such tourist spots as the Lincoln Highway Experience in the Laurel Highlands. Be sure to also stop for a selfie with the Koontz Coffee Pot in Bedford. Click here for more information.
- Seaway Trail
Flickr/Matthew Warner Allow yourself to be mesmerized by the sweeping views of Lake Erie as you drive along the Seaway Trail (Route 5). However, you don’t have to stay in the car to admire the views. Hop out for a visit to Presque Isle State Park, where you can go swimming, boating, or just kick back and relax as you enjoy the unspoiled lake views. Click here for the official website of the Seaway Trail.
The best scenic drives in Pennsylvania promise a spectacular adventure no matter what time of the year you hit the open road. What are your favorite backroads and scenic drives in Pennsylvania? Let us know in the comments! If you’re up for some more exploring, drive along these 11 country roads in Pennsylvania.
Flickr/Nicholas A. Tonelli
Pack plenty of snacks for your picturesque drive along the Bucktail Trail Scenic Byway (PA Route 120). Drive all or part of the 100-mile road that spans from Sproul State Forest to Ridgway. During your journey, you’ll pass forests, valleys, hills, and wildlife. Click here for more information on the Bucktail Scenic Byway.
Flickr/James Walsh
Travel from Kennett Pike to Wilmington, Delaware, as you drive the Brandywine Valley Byway (Routes 100 and 52). The brief 15-mile scenic byway boasts winding roads that pass fields of wildflowers, tulips, and protective oak trees. Click here for more information from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Flickr/David Fulmer
Journey along National Road - Route 40 - for a truly memorable experience. Route 40 in Pennsylvania winds through Somerset, Washington, and Fayette Counties. Stop and visit such landmarks as Bowman’s Castle and Fort Necessity National Battlefield. Click here for the official website of Historic National Road.
Flickr/Thomas Gehrke
Merge onto Route 23, Conestoga Ridge Road, in Lancaster County for a breathtaking drive. Watch the cozy country homes, gentle streams, hills and valleys, and rolling farmland pass as you drive. You might also want to stop at such attractions as Welsh Mountain Nature Preserve and Poole Forge Park. Click here for more information on Conestoga Ridge Road.
Gas up your car for the spectacular 72-mile drive along the West Branch Susquehanna Byway. Drink in unspoiled views of the Susquehanna River while stopping at such popular landmarks as McKees Mills Covered Bridge and Bilger’s Rocks. Click here for more information.
Flickr/Andy Arthur
Pack a picnic and your hiking gear as you set out on the Longhouse Scenic Byway. The 29-mile byway loop travels through the Allegheny National Forest. There, you can go hiking, enjoy an old-fashioned picnic in the forest, or stop to admire the views of the Allegheny Reservoir. Click here for the official website of Allegheny National Forest.
Facebook/Melissa
Hop onto the 6.4-mile Lake Wilhelm Scenic Byway in Mercer County for a truly enchanting experience. Gaze out the of window at the sprawling farms, rolling hills, and picturesque bridges as you travel to Lake Wilhelm in Maurice K. Goddard State Park. Click here for the official website of Maurice K. Goddard State Park.
Flickr/John McCullough
Snap photos of local wildlife - elk and bear, for example - as you drive from Snow Shoe to Renovo along the 27-mile High Plateau Scenic Byway (Route 144). Sweeping views await as you stand at Fish Dam Run Scenic View and Two Run Rock Vista in Sproul State Forest. Click here for more information from Visit PA.
Flickr/Brad
Join countless other Americans who have eagerly set out on an epic drive along the Lincoln Highway, which stretches from New York to California. While in Pennsylvania, you’ll drive by such tourist spots as the Lincoln Highway Experience in the Laurel Highlands. Be sure to also stop for a selfie with the Koontz Coffee Pot in Bedford. Click here for more information.
Flickr/Matthew Warner
Allow yourself to be mesmerized by the sweeping views of Lake Erie as you drive along the Seaway Trail (Route 5). However, you don’t have to stay in the car to admire the views. Hop out for a visit to Presque Isle State Park, where you can go swimming, boating, or just kick back and relax as you enjoy the unspoiled lake views. Click here for the official website of the Seaway Trail.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
Address: Sproul State Forest, 15187 Renovo Rd, Renovo, PA 17764, USAAddress: Brandywine Valley Scenic Byway, Wilmington, DE 19807, USAAddress: US-40, Hopwood, PA, USAAddress: 1101 Ridge Rd #8703, Pottstown, PA 19465, USAAddress: Bilger’s Rocks, 1921 Bilgers Rocks Rd, Grampian, PA 16838, USAAddress: Longhouse Scenic Dr, Kane, PA 16735, USAAddress: Lake Wilhelm, Pennsylvania, USAAddress: Snow Shoe, PA 16874, USAAddress: 1404 Lincoln Hwy, North Versailles, PA 15137, USAAddress: PA-5, Erie, PA, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
best scenic drives In Pennsylvania March 21, 2020 Beth Price-Williams What are the best roadside attractions in Pennsylvania? You’ll find an abundance of unique roadside attractions in Pennsylvania, like the Haines Shoe House. Yep, you’ll get to see just what the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe felt like when you enter this building-sized shoe. A popular fixture in York since 1948, the Haines Shoe House welcomes visitors to embark on a guided tour and to enjoy a delicious ice cream treat. Still looking for things to do in Pennsylvania? How about a visit to The World’s Largest Pothole? You’ll find it at Archbald State Park, a tiny 150-acre state park. The pothole is 38 feet deep and 42 feet by 24 feet at its widest point. Are there any other scenic backroads to drive along in Pennsylvania? Gas up the car; turn up the tunes, and hit the road for a scenic drive on Historic National Road. The historic road spans a whopping 620 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Vandalia, Illinois. Ninety of those miles meander through Pennsylvania, from Addison to West Alexander. Along the way, you’ll see such sights as Fort Necessity Battlefield, Fallingwater, and Laurel Caverns. If you’ve only got a half of a day, embark on a two-hour drive along the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway, which stretches through Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. Stop by such towns as Ohiopyle, Ligonier, and Donegal. Are there other similar things to do in Pennsylvania when you have a free afternoon? If you’re looking for fun things to do in Pennsylvania, consider lacing up your hiking boots for a scenic hike. For a truly sensational hike, set off on the Toms Run or Birch Trail that will take you through the Forest Cathedral in Cook Forest. Angel Falls Waterfall is the highlight of the 2.4-mile Angel Falls Trail, tucked in Loyalsock State Forest. The scenic trail also features an abundance of lush trees and streams.
The OIYS Visitor Center
best scenic drives In Pennsylvania
March 21, 2020
Beth Price-Williams
What are the best roadside attractions in Pennsylvania? You’ll find an abundance of unique roadside attractions in Pennsylvania, like the Haines Shoe House. Yep, you’ll get to see just what the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe felt like when you enter this building-sized shoe. A popular fixture in York since 1948, the Haines Shoe House welcomes visitors to embark on a guided tour and to enjoy a delicious ice cream treat. Still looking for things to do in Pennsylvania? How about a visit to The World’s Largest Pothole? You’ll find it at Archbald State Park, a tiny 150-acre state park. The pothole is 38 feet deep and 42 feet by 24 feet at its widest point. Are there any other scenic backroads to drive along in Pennsylvania? Gas up the car; turn up the tunes, and hit the road for a scenic drive on Historic National Road. The historic road spans a whopping 620 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Vandalia, Illinois. Ninety of those miles meander through Pennsylvania, from Addison to West Alexander. Along the way, you’ll see such sights as Fort Necessity Battlefield, Fallingwater, and Laurel Caverns. If you’ve only got a half of a day, embark on a two-hour drive along the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway, which stretches through Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. Stop by such towns as Ohiopyle, Ligonier, and Donegal. Are there other similar things to do in Pennsylvania when you have a free afternoon? If you’re looking for fun things to do in Pennsylvania, consider lacing up your hiking boots for a scenic hike. For a truly sensational hike, set off on the Toms Run or Birch Trail that will take you through the Forest Cathedral in Cook Forest. Angel Falls Waterfall is the highlight of the 2.4-mile Angel Falls Trail, tucked in Loyalsock State Forest. The scenic trail also features an abundance of lush trees and streams.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
You’ll find an abundance of unique roadside attractions in Pennsylvania, like the Haines Shoe House. Yep, you’ll get to see just what the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe felt like when you enter this building-sized shoe. A popular fixture in York since 1948, the Haines Shoe House welcomes visitors to embark on a guided tour and to enjoy a delicious ice cream treat.
Still looking for things to do in Pennsylvania? How about a visit to The World’s Largest Pothole? You’ll find it at Archbald State Park, a tiny 150-acre state park. The pothole is 38 feet deep and 42 feet by 24 feet at its widest point.
Are there any other scenic backroads to drive along in Pennsylvania?
Gas up the car; turn up the tunes, and hit the road for a scenic drive on Historic National Road. The historic road spans a whopping 620 miles from Cumberland, Maryland, to Vandalia, Illinois. Ninety of those miles meander through Pennsylvania, from Addison to West Alexander. Along the way, you’ll see such sights as Fort Necessity Battlefield, Fallingwater, and Laurel Caverns.
If you’ve only got a half of a day, embark on a two-hour drive along the Laurel Highlands Scenic Byway, which stretches through Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. Stop by such towns as Ohiopyle, Ligonier, and Donegal.
Are there other similar things to do in Pennsylvania when you have a free afternoon?
If you’re looking for fun things to do in Pennsylvania, consider lacing up your hiking boots for a scenic hike. For a truly sensational hike, set off on the Toms Run or Birch Trail that will take you through the Forest Cathedral in Cook Forest.
Angel Falls Waterfall is the highlight of the 2.4-mile Angel Falls Trail, tucked in Loyalsock State Forest. The scenic trail also features an abundance of lush trees and streams.
