Laurel Summit State Park is a small Pennsylvania state park on Laurel Mountain in Westmoreland County, covering 6 acres at 2,739 feet. Known for its picnic area, scenic overlook, and cooler summit climate, it also reflects the larger history of Pennsylvania’s mountain forests. Old-growth timber on Laurel Mountain was clear-cut during the lumber era, with wood used for sawmills, coal mines, and tannin production. Fires sparked by passing steam locomotives repeatedly burned the logged land, leaving severe damage still visible today. Wildlife declined as well, and white-tailed deer were reestablished in Pennsylvania in 1910 with animals brought from Michigan and New York.

Edie, Pennsylvania · USA