Fall brings pumpkin spice everything, a “Gilmore Girls” binge or two, knit beanie caps and, of course, an abundance of photos of the one thing Pennsylvania is never short of — fall foliage.
A fall foliage prediction map created by Smoky Mountains, a promotional site for the Smoky Mountains region, predicted that Allegheny and Westmoreland counties would see a slight color change in foliage the week of Sept. 25, with the peak autumn colors hitting around Oct. 16.
Ben Dunigan, horticultural collections manager at Phipps Conservatory in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, has enjoyed multiple fall drives in the past. He said that the perfect formula for a drive is a two to three hour round trip with a destination of sorts in the middle. Whether the destination is one of Pennsylvania’s scenic state parks or a place to stop for lunch, the goal is for people to have their fill of reds, oranges and yellows.
“I’ve definitely had quite a few drives in the past that I’ve enjoyed,” Dunigan said. “Pennsylvania is probably one of the best states in the country for seeing fall foliage.”
Raccoon Creek State Park, Beaver County
Dunigan said the park is nice and offers some good hiking trails with a variety of tree types. If people don’t get their fill of fall colors in the park, he said that he enjoys taking Route 18 south through Washington County and then getting on Route 19 south into Waynesburg, Greene County.
“It’s a nice two lane highway that you can cruise on, and really take in the view,” Dunigan said.
Fall Run Park, Shaler
Just around 15 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, Fall Run Park in Glenshaw offers hikes featuring a wide variety of deciduous trees and a 25-foot waterfall. Dunigan recommended visiting the lake after a rain to see the waterfall in full action.
Moraine State Park, Butler County
Dunigan said his second favorite drive is right up Route 8.
“Initially, it’s just the suburb, but it’s quite beautiful once you get past Gibsonia,” Dunigan said. “If you go through Butler and toward Slippery Rock, it’s just beautiful scenery.”
Dunigan said he takes this route to Moraine State Park, a 16,725 acre park surrounded by game lands. The forests provide a bright backdrop when the leaves begin to change color. The park is popular in the summer for its two beaches. Dunigan said that he loves to visit the park in the sunshine and see 3,225 acre Lake Aurthur.
Keystone State Park, Derry Township
Recently named the nation’s Best Destination for Fall Foliage by readers of USA Today, the 1,200-acre park is a part of Dunigan’s favorite fall drives.
He said that he travels down U.S. Route 22 and into New Alexandria until he hits Keystone Park Road. Dunigan said that he follows that road through the park, taking in the scenery until he reaches the lake.
“It’s a beautiful lake,” Dunigan said. “I take my kids swimming there in the summer. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful state park.”
He recommends that people keep going to Ligonier Township by way of Route 30. He said traveling along the Loyalhanna Creek offers even more scenery, and Ligonier offers a wide variety of fall foliage within the town.
“I really like that trip because it’s just so hard to beat,” Dunigan said.
Pia van de Venne, president of Friends of Murrysville Parks nonprofit organization, said that at the end of September, many maple trees start turning red and yellow.
“Black tupelo has possibly the brightest red leaf color in our area, when we are talking about native trees,” van de Venne said. “Less bright, but still very beautiful, with soft shades of red, orange, and purple, my favorite tree is the flowering dogwood.”
Townsend Park, Murrysville
Van de Venne specifically recommended the view from the top of Heart Attack Hill, where people are given an elevated view of trees of all different colors throughout the park.
School Road South, Murrysville
“The road provides great views of Duff Park’s colored canopy,” van de Venne said. “From across the 22 corridor the huge mass of these fall colors are visible as well.”
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For those in Pittsburgh who are not a big fan of longer car rides, or just don’t want to stray too far from the city, Dunigan pointed out a few places within reach.
Allegheny Cemetery, Lawrenceville
“Allegheny Cemetery has beautiful falls colors,” Dunigan said. “People could also look at the spooky, Halloween angle of visiting.”
He also gave a shout to Frick Park in that spans Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze and Regent Square, and Riverview in Brighton Heights. The latter features an observatory.
“I’m sure everyone in the city has their favorite spots,” Dunigan said.
Haley Daugherty is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Haley at 724-850-1203 or hdaugherty@triblive.com.