Laurel Mountain State Park

Laurel Mountain State Park is a 493-acre (200 ha) Pennsylvania state park in Ligonier Township, Westmoreland County and Jenner Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Laurel Mountain State Park
Near the entrance to the ski area
Location of Laurel Mountain State Park in Pennsylvania
LocationPennsylvania, United States
Coordinates40°09′53″N 79°09′54″W
Area493 acres (200 ha)
Elevation2,723 ft (830 m)[1]
Established1964
Governing bodyPennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
WebsiteLaurel Mountain State Park

Geography

Laurel Mountain State Park is 2 miles (3.2 km) south of U.S. Route 30 near Jennerstown. Several communications and broadcast towers are located on the top of Laurel Mountain, which serves the eastern Pittsburgh area and Greater Johnstown.[2]

History

The park was opened as a private ski area in 1939 by General Richard K. Mellon and the Rolling Rock brewery from nearby Latrobe.[3] It was one of the first ski areas in Pennsylvania and although World War II caused the ski resort to be temporarily closed, in the years following the war, it was the "Ski Capital of Pennsylvania". General Mellon leased the land to the state in 1963 and gave it to the state in 1964, when it officially became "Laurel Mountain State Park".

This state park is a ski resort that closed for business in 2005. The ski assets of the park were purchased by Seven Springs Mountain Resort in November 2008 with the goal of reopening the slopes. They would be operated under contract with PA-DCNR by the management of Seven Springs.[4] Seven Springs signed a 10-year lease with PA-DCNR in November 2009. This allows the ski company to move ahead with plans to renovate and reopen the ski slopes.[5]

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Laurel Mountain State Park:[6][7][8][9]

References
  1. "Laurel Mountain State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. August 2, 1979. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  2. "Laurel Mountain State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  3. "Laurel Mountain State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved 2006-11-29.
  4. "Seven Springs acquires Laurel Mountain ski assets". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 2008-12-06. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  5. Faher, Mike (2009-11-11). "Seven Springs signs lease to operate Laurel Mountain". The Tribune-Democrat. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2009-11-21.
  6. Michels, Chris (1997). "Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation". Northern Arizona University. Retrieved 2008-04-23.
  7. "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  8. 2007 General Highway Map Somerset County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2006-07-27. Note: shows Laurel Mountain State Park
  9. 2007 General Highway Map Westmoreland County Pennsylvania (PDF) (Map). 1:65,000. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. Retrieved 2006-07-27. Note: shows Laurel Mountain State Park
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