Keystone State Park honored as top fall foliage destination in U.S.

Western Pennsylvania residents have a colorful fall season ahead of them.

According to a fall foliage prediction map created by smokymountains.com, a promotional site for the Smoky Mountains region, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties should begin to see slight foliage changes the week of Sept. 25, with the peak autumn colors hitting about Oct. 16.

And during those periods, one spot in the region will stand above the rest when it comes to fall leaves: Keystone State Park in Derry Township, which was declared the nation’s Best Destination for Fall Foliage by readers of USA Today.

It’s the first time the 1,200-acre park has been honored with the distinction through USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards, though the Laurel Highlands has placed consistently in the top 10 leaf-peeping spots for the past three years.

Readers were able to vote daily online for their favorite spot through Sept. 4.

“I am extremely excited for Keystone State Park winning the competition as the nation’s best fall foliage destination,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, in a statement.

“We are fortunate to have some of the best locations to view fall foliage in the world, and it is wonderful to have this honor bestowed on one of our state parks. I am hopeful that this recognition will get more people out to the Laurel Highlands this fall.”

“Fall is just such a special time in the Laurel Highlands and in Westmoreland County,” said Eric Knopsnyder, spokesperson for Go Laurel Highlands.

He emphasized that the whole region is a great spot to enjoy the autumn season.

“There’s so much going on — Fort Ligonier Days, and all the fall festivals going on like the Delmont Apple ’n Arts Festival. This is tremendous for Keystone State Park, and we’re thrilled for them, but there’s so many places in Westmoreland County and the Laurel Highlands, as a whole, where you can see great fall foliage.”

Any spot around the park’s lake, especially at sunset, is usually a fantastic viewpoint to see colorful autumn leaves, Knopsnyder said.

Fall foliage times are usually around the same period each year, though some slight variation can occur, said Tim Cermak of the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office.

“Drought versus ample precipitation, heat versus cold, these patterns can impact to some degree early or late fall foliage changing,” he said. “In general, it happens around the same time every year, and you’ll see minor fluctuations year to year, based on how the preceding conditions were over the summer or early fall. But really, there’s not a whole lot of change — you’re talking about on the order of a couple of days.”

Those looking for other leaf-peeping spots can check out Pleasant Valley Park in Murrysville; Tredway Trail in Allegheny Township and Lower Burrell; and Forbes State Forest in Westmoreland, Somerset and Fayette counties, among other highlights .