Latrobe | Hikes and Hops

Westmoreland County, PA

Looking for a shorter hike that offers a taste of the incredible Laurel Highlands? Look no further than Linn Run State Park! This family friendly park has a 2.2 mile trail loop with views of a waterfall, natural water slides and more! Afterward, grab dinner at Unity Brewing in Latrobe which has a full kitchen menu in a laid-back taproom.

THE HIKE: Flat Rock & Adam Falls

Length: 2.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 289 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1 hour
Trail use: Foot traffic only, Leashed pets welcome
Parking: Two large lots at trailhead with overflow parking across street. Vault toilet at upper lot.

Find the Parking lot: You can use 770 Linn Run Rd, Rector, PA 15677 or coordinates 40.16944, -79.23383

Linn Run is one of the several PA state parks tucked into the Laurel Highlands region of Western PA. This mountainous region lies about an hour to the west of Pittsburgh and is a beautiful area for hiking, skiing, fishing, and so much more! Linn Run is a small park but can be enjoyed as a day trip from Pittsburgh or as part of a larger Laurel Highlands itinerary.

The area that is now Linn Run was purchased by the PA Commonwealth from a logging company in 1909. Formerly an old growth forest, at the time of purchase it was completely deforested! The dried out husks of trees frequently caught fire from the steam engines that roared through the area during the height of the lumber industry. The damage was so devastating that the government had to import deer back into the area during revitalization efforts. Thankfully, Linn Run has undergone a complete transformation since those dark days and is now a flourishing second-growth forest. Linn Run also borders the 50,000 acre Forbes State Forest and is close to Laurel Ridge and Laurel Mountain State Parks.

Linn Run is a popular park for camping and picnicking, being tucked away along the Linn Run stream. While you may see many children playing in the stream and on the natural water slides by flat rock, it is technically not allowed by the park. There are just over 6 miles of trails, although some connect up to longer trails in Forbes State Forest. Note that the trails in Linn Run are hiking only, so save the mountain bikes for another park!

This hike offers a family friendly loop to see the Flat Rocks and Adam Falls. It’s a good idea to download the hiking route and driving directions before heading out because there is no cell service in the park! The hike starts from the Adam Fall parking lot off Linn Run Road. There is an upper and lower lot and overflow parking across the street. Be aware that it can get very busy here in the summer!

From the parking lot, follow signs for Flat Rocks Trail, a nice wide path that follows along the creek. ABout 0.3 miles in, you’ll come across some impressive stone ruins. According to the wonderful folks at PA Bucket List, these are the remains of an old hunting lodge that was destroyed by a fire in the 1940s. These ruins are pretty interesting to explore, especially how intact the enormous chimney still is! From here, it’s just a brief 0.2 more miles until you reach Flat Rocks. True to its name, this is a very shallow section of Linn Run where a large flat rock creates an interesting feature in the water. Although many use this as a natural water slide, please remember that swimming is prohibited in Linn Run State Park.

From Flat Rock, retrace your steps to just past the hunting lodge ruins and turn left to follow the signs for Adam Falls. Briefly walk through the upper park lot then turn slightly left up the gravel lot. You will see signs for Adam Falls Loop. Bear to the right and the trail places you directly on top of the falls. Please be aware that there are signs warning to stay on trail and the park would prefer hikers not venture to the bottom of the falls.

From the falls, continue straight on the trail for a pleasant loop through the park that encounters a few minor rocky spots. As of 2023, there are some large trees down in the park from some extreme storms that hit in July. Be aware that some sections have been rerouted because of this! After a pleasant mile in the woods, the loop finishes at the waterfall again and you can follow the gravel road back to the parking lot.

THE BEER: Unity Brewing

Address: 3862 US-30, Latrobe, PA 15650
Distance from Trail Head: 16 miles, 21 mins
Website: http://unitybrewingpa.com/
Food?: Full kitchen
Details: Outdoor seating, no pets, live music

Unity Brewing is a colorful taproom located right on the main road through downtown Latrobe. With indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a full menu of sandwiches and pub snacks, this is a great spot to stay a while. The taproom is bright and features the Pittsburgh-themed art of local artist Cody Sabol. Take a seat at the bar and watch as the line cooks whip up a tasty meal right in front of your eyes! Unity also offers cider, wine, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages. They have a solid selection of traditional brews that make up of their year-round staples and switch up seasonally with more unique and experimental brews. My most recent visit was during a chilly November weekend so I was all about those dark brews. Thankfully, Unity was serving up a delightful roasty Oatmeal Stout. This is one of my favorite styles and this was a solid example. It was quite bitter, just how I like my coffee! There was also a vanilla porter on the list that I’ll definitely have to sample next time around!

Loving the Laurel Highlands craft beverages? Be sure to get a Pour Tour Passport from the GO Laurel Highlands!

I highly suggest visiting Linn Run State Park as part of a larger day or weekend trip to the Laurel Highlands! Also check out: Wolf Rocks & Helltown, Ohiopyle & Yough River , Duff Park & Devout, Powdermill Nature Reserve & Four Seasons

Rector, PA

Powdermill Nature Preserve is a hidden gem tucked in the Laurel Highlands about an hour outside of Pittsburgh. Often overlooked by its better known neighbors, this small reserve has about 5 miles of hiking trails and a beautiful visitor center with educational exhibits that are fun and interesting for the whole family. Full of signs with nature facts and tree identifications, these peaceful trails taught me so much! After a peaceful, secluded hike, you can head over to Four Seasons Brewing in Latrobe for a pour in their spacious taproom.

THE HIKE: Powdermill Nature Reserve Trails

Length: 4.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 725 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Large lot at nature center
H&H: 5/5

Powdermill Nature Reserve really flies under the radar in the Laurel Highlands as there are so many other more popular places to hike (ahem, here’s looking at you Ohiopyle) but I would highly recommend planning a visit out here. Powdermill is actually a part of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and functions as its environmental research center. So in addition to educational programming in the visitor center, Powdermill is also a field station and research laboratory. There’s a lot going on at Powdermill but one of their biggest projects is the Avian Research Center which tracks birds in the area to see how these creatures are adapting to the changing world. Check out the Avian Research Center’s website for more info on the current research projects!

As you may tell from my hikes, I love learning more about nature and the environment. Powdermill has been on my radar for a while and I’m so glad I finally made the time to visit! Be aware that the trails do not appear on AllTrails so be sure to check out the trail map on Powdermill’s website beforehand. Also, the area is a bit of a deadzone, so downloading the area to Google Maps is a great idea! The trail is also posted outside of the visitor center.

There are a few different trails to explore here, all of a fairly manageable length. The longest is Porcupine Ridge which is 3 miles out-and-back from the visitor center. There is also a small system of trails behind the visitor center which add up to about 1.5 miles. I did a big loop of all the trails to experience the whole space!

To start, carefully cross the street from the visitor center to find the Porcupine Ridge Trailhead. From here, you immediately head into dense woods. These trails are pretty secluded so you’re pretty likely to have the place to yourself! Not long after starting, there’s the option to add on the Sugar Camp Trail. I highly recommend this as it was full of cool fungi and had lots of interpretative signs about the flora and fauna of the area. I learned so much! After about 0.5 miles, the Sugar Camp Trail meets back up with the Porcupine Ridge Trail and you can continue towards the overlook. At one point, the trail crosses over a private road so be sure to stay on the trail! After the road crossing, the trail becomes more rocky and heads uphill. This is the most difficult part of the trail and can be muddy. The trail also passes through an area that suffered tornado damage some years ago. New trees have been planted and it’s critical to stay on the trail here so as not to disturb the reforestation. Finally, you’ll take the last hill up to the overlook. There is a small platform with a bench to take in the view of the hills. It’s not the most incredible view especially for the Laurel Highlands, but I thought it was a nice place to relax. Then, you can just retrace your steps back to the visitor center! From there, definitely explore the shorter trails behind the Visitor Center. There’s a beautiful spot where two creeks come together. I also really appreciated how many of the plants were labeled so that I could work on my identification skills!

Finally, after your hike, be sure to check out the exhibits in the visitor center! I was particularly interested in their “marsh machine” that filters waste water. They also have some nice exhibits about the animals that can be found in the area. Plus, there’s a fun flow chart about finding out what bird you are. Apparently I’m a hawk!

THE BEER: Four Seasons Brewing Co.

Address: 745 Lloyd Ave Exd, Latrobe, PA 15650
Distance from Trail Head: 18 miles, 25 mins
Website: http://www.fsbrewing.com/
Food?: Full Kitchen
Details: Outdoor seating, Pets outside

Four Seasons has been brewing up delicious brews in Latrobe since 2013. They’ve got a huge indoor taproom complete with an in-house restaurant and outdoor seating. Their warehouse taproom vibe is complemented by artwork by renowned illustrator Mark Brewer, whose work is also featured on cans from Four Seasons. The owner and head brewer is born and raised in Latrobe, which is evident from the neighborhood vibe of the place. It very much feels like a place for locals, although always welcome to out of towners! Head over for live music on the weekends! You can also find them pouring local wines, ciders, and liquors for you non-beer drinkers. Next time you’re in Latrobe, be sure to check out Four Seasons!