Laurel Mountain Snowmobile Trails

Located in Westmoreland County in southwestern Pennsylvania, the Laurel Mountains form part of the Pennsylvania highlands and are at an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet. Several state parks are located in the Laurel highlands, including Laurel Mountain State Park, Laurel Hills State Park, Kooser State Park and Laurel Ridge State Park. During the winter, snowmobiles are allowed on trails along the mountainside. Many trails traverse the edge of the mountain, running north and south. Other trails loop around the highlands or travel east and west.

  1. Trail Use

    • The snowmobile trails in the Laurel highlands run atop state park land as well as private property, traversing Westmoreland and Somerset counties. Seven Springs Farms, located in the southern section of the highlands, is a private resort. Only authorized snowmobilers can use the trails that run through the resort. The trails in the Laurel highlands are either exclusively dedicated to snowmobile traffic or joint-use paths. Joint-use trails are shared with licensed highway vehicles. Trails are clearly marked as joint-use or exclusive snowmobile trails.

    Joint-Use Trails

    • Hickory Flats, in the northern section of the Laurel highlands, is a joint-use trail that travels north and south from the Laurel Summit State Park to the area close to the Pennsylvania Turnpike, running east and west for the latter portion of the trail. In the southern section of the Laurel highlands, the Jones Mill Run Road snowmobile trail, another joint-use path, follows the Jones Mill Run River, running north and south and crossing the river at some points.

    Exclusive Trails

    • Cherry Hill and Red Oak trails run north and south in the southern part of the Laurel highlands. Beam Road offers a lengthy trail traversing from the parking area near Laurel Mountain State Park all the way south to the borders of the Laurel highlands region near the Pennsylvania turnpike. The Quarry Trail, an equally lengthy trail, originates at the Linn Run State Park and runs down to the area near the turnpike. Other exclusive-use trails, such as Marshall Fields and Powdermill Loop, are shorter-distance trails just north of the turnpike.