Eric Knopsnyder enjoys the exercise benefits that hiking provides. But there’s more to it than that.
“There’s also the mental aspect of getting away from traffic, away from people, out into the woods,” said Knopsnyder, director of public relations for Go Laurel Highlands. “It’s such a healthy way to enjoy a couple hours or, in this case, a whole weekend.”
The Keystone Trail Association will host a Spring Hiking Weekend through May 3, with a wide variety of hiking opportunities across the region.
Knopsnyder is leading a hike on Saturday.
“It’ll start in Ohiopyle and go about 2 miles to a gorgeous overlook of the Youghiogheny River Valley Gorge,” he said. “I love the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, and it’s marking its 50th anniversary this year.”
The 70-mile trail connects Ohiopyle State Park to the Conemaugh Gorge at the southeastern tip of Indiana County.
The trail is the main feature of Laurel Ridge State Park. It crosses state parks, state forests, state game lands, other public lands and private lands.
The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a major segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, a network of trails between the mouth of the Potomac River and the Allegheny Highlands.
“I want to help get the word out and make sure people understand how great of a trail we have in our backyard,” Knopsnyder said.
Participants can register for a number of different hikes and events happening throughout the weekend. Activities wil depart at 1 p.m. from the Summit Inn, 101 Skyline Drive in Farmington.
Some of the weekend’s highlights include:
• Wilderness first aid skills training, hosted by Wilderness Medical Associates and Blue Mountain Medic.
• A 2 1/2-hour tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural masterpiece, the Fallingwater house.
• A 21-mile bike ride along the Great Allegheny Passage from Ohiopyle to Confluence and back.
• A 2.2-mile hike through Old Mitchell Place, one of the lesser-known parts of Ohiopyle State Park.
• A 6-mile hike that will stop at Friendship Hill, the home of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin. If time permits, the hike also will include a stop near Jumonville Glen, site of the opening battle in the French & Indian War.
• A 1.8-mile mushroom identification hike hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club. This specific hike will depart from the Summit Inn at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.
• A quarter-mile hike exploring Fort Necessity, built in the mid-1700s under the direction of Gen. George Washington. This hike also will take place at 9:30 a.m.
For registration information and a full list of weekend events, see KTA-hike.org/shw2026.html.