Media & Press

Six Best Weekend Trips In The South

July 1, 2014 – Jess Daddio

There’s nothing that quite compares to hitting the open road. It’s exhilarating, liberating, intoxicating. You never know what’s around the corner, what hole-in-the-wall shop or hidden gem you may discover. Even if you’re just out for the day, breaking the 9-to-5 routine for a scenic drive might be enough to recharge your batteries and get you inspired to go outside and play. Read More

Pennsylvania: Multisport Adventure in the Keystone State

July 10, 2014 – Chris Kassar

What Is It? Pedal nine gradual, scenic miles along the Great Allegheny Passage until you reach the launch point, then ditch your bike and trade it for a raft, duck, or canoe—your choice. Here, you’ll begin a float of the Middle Yough—a Class 1 to 2 river with some small waves and numerous swimming opportunities. Read More

Beer Guide: Liquid Courage Beer Races

May 1, 2013 – Jedd Ferris

Nothing makes a race more satisfying than a pint of fresh craft beer waiting for you at the finish line. Here are six of our favorite beer races. Read More

United States: Cycling the Blue and the Gray

April 10, 2012 – Margaret Loftus

Visiting Civil War battlefields needn’t involve musty coach buses and dry accounts only a reenactor could appreciate. Here’s a trip that commemorates the war’s sesquicentennial with a bike ride from Leesburg, Va., to Gettysburg, Pa., taking in story-filled battlefield tours and landmark towns along the route. Read More

Laurel Highlands, Pa.

June 22, 2012- Blue Ridge Outdoors Admin

Water, water, everywhere: Laurel Highlands is an oasis of falls and cascades. Imagine wild rivers full of rapids and healthy trout, scenic mountaintops, and miles of singletrack through hardwood forests. Imagine that place lies just 45 minutes from the city suburbs. Now, imagine that city is Pittsburgh. Read More

Go Long In Pennsylvania’s Laurel Highlands

August 29, 2008 – Lesley Suppes

Shaded by a dense hardwood canopy, cut by clear, wildflower lined creeks, and pocked with postcard-worthy ridgetop views, the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail (LHHT) is one of the Keystone state’s marquee paths. An hour south of Pittsburgh, the Laurel Highlands hover around 2,500 feet, and stay 10 to 20 degrees cooler than the humid valley floor. Pack light: There are eight shelter sites along the five- to six-day trek. Each site is equipped with a water pump, outhouses, refuse bins, tent-camping areas, and five Adirondack-style lean-to’s, replete with stone fireplaces and built-in cooking racks. Read More

Adventure Families

September 28, 2017 – Jess Daddio

Want to take the kids on your next outdoor adventure? Take a gander at these tried and true tips from our four families before you hit the trail. Read More

How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Fallingwater

March 15, 2017 – Renee Sklarew

One of the most celebrated buildings in America, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater sits just 3½ hours from DC, in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. The house’s majesty is partly due to the surrounding woods, rivers, and mountains, all of which Wright made the most of. Yet despite being a region of untamed beauty, the area isn’t touristy. Read More

Legends of Ohiopyle

June 23, 2014 – Jess Daddio

Nestled among the rugged Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania lies an old logging town with an international renown that far outweighs its scant population of 59. That town is Ohiopyle, a sleepy little place with a few old buildings and one main road that runs through town uninterrupted by stop sign or traffic light. But what it lacks in appearances it makes up for in one thing. Whitewater. Read More

Cycling the Great Allegheny Passage

October 24, 2015 – Gloria Ballard

When we mentioned to friends that we would be bicycling in southwest Pennsylvania, there was a three-second pause, and a look of concern. And then, “You know that’s in the mountains, right?” Right. But our six-day bike trek would take place mostly on the Great Allegheny Passage, the 150-mile rail-trail that begins in Cumberland, Maryland, and winds its way northwest to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read More

8 Perfect Weekend Trails

June 19, 2017 – Graham Averill

Thru-hiking for months on end is out of reach for most of us. But a weekend backpacking trip? Most of us can carve that time into our schedules. Luckily, the Southern Appalachians are chock full of sub-100 mile trails that offer a thru-hiking experience in just a few days. Read More

Survey, guides say Yough River is haven for smallmouth bass

December 27, 2014 – Bob Frye

The Yough River has gotten a lot of attention in recent years for its often fantastic trout fishing. But don’t forget about its smallmouths. A recent survey of the river and the experiences of local guides show its bass fishery is topnotch, too. Read More

Summer Road Trip Guide: Travel More, Spend Less

July 6, 2016 – Jess Daddio

Roll down the windows, turn up the tunes, and hit the road. We have scoured the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic for the most affordable adventures. Read More

Rails to Trails Conservancy Sojourn comes to Salem

On Monday afternoon, the Salem International University soccer field was covered in tents, bicycles and riders for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s West Virginia Sojourn. “This ride is different from some of the others. It’s diverse with the tunnels and some other aspects,” said Kasia Martin, bike tour manager of Wilderness Voyagers. Read More

Eco-Tourism in the Laurel Highlands: By Bike, by Boat and On Foot

October 9, 2013 – John D. Ivanko

The Laurel Highlands stretch over three counties of mountainous terrain that starts a little over an hour east of Pittsburgh and encompass over 120,000 acres of state and federally managed parks and feature the spectacular Youghiogheny River Gorge in the Ohiopyle State Park – where we spent most of our time traipsing through the woods. Running the “Yough,” as it’s often called, is one of the best white water rafting opportunities in the Eastern US. Read More

Girl Guide: On Being a Woman and a Whitewater Guide

October 13, 2009 – Colleen Oneil

Tara Nathan stops adjusting her spray skirt for a minute to stand up in front of the sea of red rafts. She waves at the boats full of Boy Scouts (most of whom are a good five inches shorter than her) and grins, a flash of white teeth on tan skin, then plunks back down on her green kayak. Read More

Cheat Canyon in W.Va. permanently conserved

April 11, 2015 – Steve Ferris

The Cheat Canyon, eight miles of rugged West Virginia mountains with the Cheat River and the Allegheny Trail running through it, has been permanently conserved. State, federal and conservation organization officials named it the Cheat Canyon Wildlife Management Area after they pulled together $7 million to buy the property from a private owner last fall. The canyon had been a target for preservation since the 1970s. Read More

Top Three East Coast River Rafting Spots Surge into Spotlight as the ‘Triple Crown of Eastern Whitewater’

July 24, 2007

With majestic scenery and roaring rivers, the ‘Triple Crown of Eastern Whitewater’ is indisputable proof that adventure is alive and well on the East Coast. The ‘Triple Crown’ consists of a trio of dam-controlled rivers offering guided whitewater rafting adventures throughout the summer and into the early fall; the Dead River (Maine), the Gauley River (Virginia), and the Youghiogheny River (Pennsylvania). Read More

The Next Great Mountain Towns

June 29, 2011 – Graham Averill

You already love towns like Charlottesville, Asheville, and Fayetteville for their outdoor vibe, but the Southern Appalachians are full of lesser-known small towns that boast vibrant scenes and access to incredible adventure. Here’s a short list of candidates poised to become the South’s Next Great Mountain Town. Read More

Ride your bicycle from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.

June 17, 2013 – Jayne Clark

The final segment of the trail — from Homestead, Pa., to Pittsburgh — opened to fanfare on Saturday, completing a 150-mile route that links to the C&O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, Md. The C&O towpath continues another 185 miles into Washington, D.C. Like many of the nation’s multi-use trails, the GAP was created from an abandoned rail line. (The last train rolled through in 1975). It exists largely thanks to the vision and persistence of the Allegheny Trail Alliance, a coalition of local groups in southwestern Pennsylvania and western Maryland. Read More

Bicycling OMG

June 2016 – Taylor Rojek

Katy Trail, Missouri. AT 237 miles, it’s the nation’s longest rails-to-trails project. How often can you ride a rail trail (nearly) across an entire states? Flat and scenic – more than half of the trail follows Lewis and Clark’s route along the Missouri River – it’s also a good place for beginners to get started on a bike. Read More

Laid-Back Lodging for Outdoorsfolk

March 22, 2014 – Aaron Bible

Looking to step up your accommodations from the back of your Toyota truck? Got a new girlfriend who insists on having a shower? For all those who might wear their hair just a little too long, who always travel with at least one dog (call before you book), and who are looking for a bed or a bunk to lay their weary head, here’s a look at our top laid-back lodging picks for your outdoor adventures. We’re not sure what thread count you’ll find, but it beats washing up in the gas station bathroom. Many of these spots are truly first class in both atmosphere and service. Read More

The 9 Best Outdoor Guides in America (And Their Most Epic Adventures)

December 16, 2014 – Jayme Moye

Eric Martin’s parents started leading rafting trips for scouts on the Youghiogheny River in 1959. They launched Wilderness Voyageurs five years later, becoming the first whitewater rafting company on the Youghiogheny, and the entire east coast. “I grew up deep in the rafting business,” Martin says. “I got my first kayak at age 10, after my dad made me cut grass all summer to earn it.” Read More

Colors Without Crowds: 10 Fall Foliage Favorites

October 5, 2016 – Jess Daddio

Autumn can be a great time to get outdoors, but the change in season brings more than those beloved golden-red vistas. If you’re sick of the leaf peepin’ crowds, we’ve consulted some regional hiking experts for 10 hikes less traveled, rated on a solitude scale of 0 to 5 (0 = crowded; 5 = not a soul in sight), so you can still hit the trail and soak in the colors without competing with the masses. Read More