This past Saturday turned out to be a great day to get out and do some exploring. The weather was beautiful, the leaves were starting to change, and I decided to head out toward Normalville, PA, to check out a couple of trails around Laurel Ridge State Park.
I always enjoy getting out in the Laurel Highlands, especially this time of year. Fall is just starting to show up, and you can see the colors beginning to change throughout the woods. It’s not quite peak foliage yet, but there were already some nice patches of color along the way.
I spent the day checking out a couple of trails in the area, mostly winding through the woods on dirt and gravel roads. Nothing too crazy, but that’s part of what I enjoy about getting out here. You don’t have to find some extreme off-road trail to have a good time.
Some sections were smoother than others, with the usual bumps and uneven spots you’d expect on these kinds of roads. It was a pretty relaxed day of driving, taking my time and seeing what was around the next bend.
That’s really what I like about exploring this area. You can head out with a general idea of where you want to go without needing to plan every minute of the trip. Sometimes you find a road worth following, and sometimes you just keep moving and see what else is out there.
The changing leaves were probably my favorite part of the trip. There was still plenty of green, but you could see the yellows, oranges, and reds starting to come through. Give it another week or two, and the area should look completely different.
With the weather being as nice as it was Saturday, it was hard to complain about spending the day outside. It’s a good time of year to get out on the back roads before the colder weather settles in.
I’ll definitely be making more trips out this way. There are still plenty of roads around the Laurel Highlands I’d like to explore, and with fall just getting started, the next few weekends should be a good opportunity to get back out there.