7 Things to Know About Mount Davis in Somerset County

1.) Mount Davis is the highest point in Pennsylvania.

2.) Mount Davis is the absolute best place to leaf peep in Pennsylvania.

3.) A 50 foot metal observation tower / fire tower  sits a few feet away from the rock that marks the true high point. Here is a time lapse video that Jonathan took of the tower 4 years ago.

4.) Mount Davis is part of Forbes State Forest. Here are the maps from PA DCNR.

5.) Jonathan and I sometimes come up here to escape Pittsburgh-area heat waves. Keep that in mind when you choose clothing for your trip.

6.) You can travel between the High Point and the Mount Davis Picnic Area by car or by foot on a CCC trail. The picnic area includes picnic tables, a pavilion, and a primitive restroom. However, note that there is no place to shop or buy gas on the summit. If you intend to travel south from Meyersdale to Mount Davis, note that Meyersdale is the closest place where you can purchase any of these things.

7.) On your trip from Meyersdale to Mount Davis, watch your speed and watch out for Amish buggies. Be especially careful on Sundays. This area hosts many Amish farms, and the families who live here travel for Sunday worship. The first time that I brought Jonathan to Mount Davis, we missed the sign for our turn-off from Route 219 in our diligence regarding the buggies.

Remember that I’m biased about this area. My parents live only 20 miles away in Berlin, PA. (Snyder of Berlin, anyone? I just realized that they have a contest right here to win a weekend getaway to explore the Laurel Highlands. I’m disappointed that is isn’t a contest to win a weekend getaway in Berlin.)

Anyway, when I was nine years old, my sister Elizabeth arrived at Meyersdale Hospital. My sisters Katie and Annie and I met Elizabeth for the very first time the next day. (My Aunt Jeanne might possibly be reading this, so I want her to know that I remember that she and her son Jason and our grandmother, Margaret, were also there.) Afterward, my dad took us all to Mount Davis, because what else are you going to do with a large family group that includes 4 young, over-excited children?

Elizabeth now teaches high school English in Virginia. I want Elizabeth to know that Mount Davis still makes me think of her.