Western Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands has once again landed among the nation's best places to watch leaves turn, taking sixth place in USA Today's 2026 10Best Readers' Choice Award for Best Destination for Fall Colors. It's the seventh consecutive year the region spanning Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties has cracked the contest's top 10, a streak that regional tourism leaders say reflects both the area's nearly 200,000 acres of public land and a steady stream of national travel coverage.
The 2026 rankings, reported by WPXI, placed Michigan's Upper Peninsula first, followed by Ohio's Hocking Hills, Roanoke, Cuyahoga Valley National Park and Hot Springs rounding out the top five ahead of the Laurel Highlands, according to a list published by the Hot Springs Advertising & Promotion Commission. USA Today's 10Best contest selects nominees through travel experts before opening the field to a four-week public vote. The award follows a related 2026 finish for another regional destination — Allegany County grabbed the No. 2 spot in USA Today's separate Best Fall Destinations list.
Why the Laurel Highlands Keeps Winning
USA Today's panel praised the Laurel Highlands' trails and seasonal activities in naming it to the list, per the WPXI report. The region's public-land footprint is substantial: Forbes State Forest alone spans nearly 59,000 acres across the three counties, spread across 15 separate land tracts with more than 300 miles of multi-use trails, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Within that forest sits Mount Davis, the state's highest natural point at 3,213 feet, according to Wikipedia.
Ohiopyle State Park, the Fayette County recreation hub built around the Youghiogheny River gorge, covers roughly 20,500 acres, according to the 106 Group. The region also includes a stretch of the Great Allegheny Passage, the 150-mile rail-trail connecting Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, which was associated with an estimated $121 million-plus in tourism impact in 2019, according to a study commissioned by the Great Allegheny Passage Conservancy.
A Season Built for Peak Color
Autumn colors tend to peak around mid-October in the Allegheny Mountains, per the WPXI report, with the state's elevation changes staggering the display across the season. The Pennsylvania DCNR has said the state supports 134 native tree species that contribute to fall color. The WPXI report says Pennsylvania has a longer and more varied fall foliage season than any other state or location worldwide. September and October are considered the ideal months to visit, and the Laurel Highlands has picked up national attention beyond the USA Today contest this year, with Condé Nast Traveler including the region in a roundup of the country's best fall foliage spots and TravelPulse featuring it in a Sept. 12 article on family foliage getaways.
Ann Nemanic, executive director of Go Laurel Highlands, encouraged travelers whose summer trips got rained out to turn those plans into a Laurel Highlands autumn itinerary instead. Regional tourism leaders have been pushing that message after a wetter summer, per the WPXI report. The visitor economy behind that pitch is sizable — tourism produced $87.2 billion in total economic impact statewide in 2025, according to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office.
Festivals, Trails and a Coffee Crawl
Beyond the big landmarks, the region is leaning into smaller seasonal draws this fall, including the Laurel Highlands Coffee Club, the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour showcasing local craft beverages, and stargazing outings atop Chestnut Ridge. Fall festivals are scattered across September and October throughout the three counties. Confluence PumpkinFest ran October 1-4, and the Delmont Apple 'n Arts Festival took place October 3-4; Fort Ligonier Days is scheduled for next weekend, October 9-11.
Fayette County is also home to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in Mill Run, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Travelers looking to plan a visit can find more details at golaurelhighlands.com or by calling Go Laurel Highlands at 724-238-5661.
