Pennsylvania's Underrated Historic Tourist Town Just Outside Pittsburgh Offers A Charming Getaway

As a tourist destination, Pennsylvania is largely defined by its largest city, Philadelphia. To be sure, the City of Brotherly Love contains numerous worthwhile tourist attractions, including such famous sites as Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. However, Pennsylvania is much larger than Philadelphia, and all of its various corners contain underrated destinations that are just as worth a visit. 

Southwestern Pennsylvania boasts the charming "Steel City" of Pittsburgh, a city with its own amazing museums, cultural scenes, and attractions. And if you're traveling through Southwestern Pennsylvania and have already experienced the picturesque, scenic overlooks of Pittsburgh's skyline, you'll quickly find that the rest of Southwestern Pennsylvania also has tons of hidden treasures to share. Around the Pittsburgh Metropolitan area, you can find some of Pennsylvania's best small towns with equal amounts of history, outdoor activities, and charm. Less than an hour east of Pittsburgh is the lovely town of Saltsburg. With a fascinating local history and easy access to many of the region's top outdoor destinations, Saltsburg is the perfect Pennsylvania getaway. 

When most people picture "small Pennsylvania towns," their thoughts probably turn to places like White Haven and its cozy charms tucked away in the popular Pocono Mountains. However, Pittsburgh-area towns like Saltsburg have just as many superb attractions and historical sites as their Eastern Pennsylvania counterparts, often without the numerous tourists to go along with them. Saltsburg is particularly attractive for Pennsylvania history buffs. Founded in the 18th century, Saltsburg originated around salt mining communities in the area (hence the town's name). From 1829 to 1865, the town was a major stop along the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal, which served as a main transportation hub across Western Pennsylvania. Many of Saltsburg's historic buildings are still standing as local landmarks that are open to visitors. 

Saltsburg's Rebecca B. Hadden House dates back to 1830, a time when Western Pennsylvania was still very much a "Western frontier" for the relatively new country. Today, the house operates as the Saltsburg Stone House Museum, which features several informative exhibits on the region's history while preserving authentic Victorian-era architecture, designs, and outdoor gardens. The museum is one of the main stops on Saltsburg's Historic Building Tour across many of the town's best-preserved buildings from over a century ago. In the 20th century, the town was further transformed by the creation of several nearby dams, particularly the Loyalhanna and Conemaugh Dams. Today, visitors can stop at the Tunnelview Historic Site to experience the charming parkland surrounding the dams, as well as a photogenic stone arch bridge across the Conemaugh River that dates back to 1907. 

In addition to its historic charms, Saltsburg is a gateway to many of the best outdoor destinations in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Geographically, the town sits at the confluence of the Conemaugh River and Loyalhanna Creek, which merge to form the photogenic Kiskiminetas River. The easy access to scenic waterways provides Saltsburg with some of Pennsylvania's best opportunities for canoeing and kayaking, with several prominent outfitters in the town offering canoe or kayak rentals and memorable river tours. Saltsburg's Canal Park is one of Pennsylvania's best success stories in community redevelopment and natural conservation. Once a heavily used water route along the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal, Canal Park is now a beautiful community park space with well-maintained trails and lovely views. 

Hikers can also access some of the region's more vigorous trails from Saltsburg. The 10-mile West Penn Trail and the 8.7-mile Westmoreland Heritage Trail both pass by Saltsburg, while some of Pennsylvania's best state parks are within a short drive from the town. For example, Keystone State Park, a popular destination for hiking, boating, and picnicking, is just 16 minutes away by car. Even better, Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater — considered "the best all-time work of American architecture" — is tucked away in the Pennsylvania mountains a little over an hour away. 

If you're flying into Southwestern Pennsylvania, Saltsburg is just an hour from Pittsburgh International Airport and 30 minutes away from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe. If you're driving from Pittsburgh, Saltsburg is a roughly 45-minute drive via the Golden Mile Highway and Pennsylvania Route 380. No matter how you get there, Saltsburg is the perfect stop to experience Pennsylvania's historic small-town charms and one of the state's most underrated regions.