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Nearby Attractions to Kooser State Park

Information about Kooser State Park’s nearby attractions is available from the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau.

Explore the Area

Bakersville is the closest community to the park. Somerset Borough, 10 miles from the park, offers sites on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as places to eat and shop.

Learn about some of the area businesses and things to do from the Somerset Chamber of Commerce.

Nearby State Parks and Forests

Kooser State Park is close to several state parks and one state forest, where visitors can enjoy recreation, education, and other activities.

Laurel Hill State Park

In Somerset County, Laurel Hill State Park offers camping, hunting, organized group tenting, organized group cabin camps, boating, hiking, environmental education programs, and also fishing and swimming in 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake.

Forbes State Forest

Forbes State Forest offers 58,500 acres of land for outdoor recreation including hiking, fishing, hunting, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, etc. Mountain bikes are permitted only on designated trails.

Contact Forbes State Forest or Linn Run State Park for maps.

Laurel Summit State Park

This six-acre Laurel Summit State Park offers picnic tables, a pavilion, drinking water, and restrooms.

This scenic area is 2,739 feet above sea level and several degrees cooler than surrounding towns. Laurel Summit is a carry-in/carry-out area, so visitors must take all trash with them.

Laurel Summit provides trailhead parking for Forbes State Forest’s Wolf Rocks Trail, Spruce Flats Bog, and access to many of the mountain biking and snowmobile trails in Forbes State Forest.

Linn Run State Park

The varied topography and mixed hardwood and evergreen forest makes the 612-acre Linn Run State Park a scenic place for picnicking, hiking, and cabin rentals.

Grove and rock runs join to make Linn Run an excellent trout stream. A lovely waterfall, Adam Falls, is a scenic spot nearby the picnic area.

Ohiopyle State Park

The nearly 20,500-acre Ohiopyle State Park is located on the southern reaches of the Laurel Ridge. The park encompasses rugged natural beauty and serves as the gateway to the Laurel Highlands. Close to major metropolitan areas and offering vast choices of activities, Ohiopyle State Park attracts millions of visitors annually.

Popular recreational activities include whitewater boating, hiking, biking, horseback riding, picnicking, fishing, hunting, rock climbing, wildlife watching, and camping.

Other Nearby Outdoor Spaces and Natural Places

Roaring Run Natural Area and State Game Lands 50 are not far from the park and offer additional recreational opportunities.

Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail

The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail is a segment of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. An enterprise of many partners, the evolving trail network celebrates the heritage of the Potomac and upper Ohio river basins and offers opportunities for hiking, bicycling, boating, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing.

National Park Service Passport Stamps for the trail are available at Laurel Hill and Kooser park offices and at the visitor center in Ohiopyle.