Beat the heat—and the coming crowds—by exploring Pennsylvania lakes, parks, and small towns in early fall.
The fall season is one of the best times to explore Pennsylvania, but you don’t need to wait for peak foliage or Halloween events to take advantage of it. The shoulder season of late summer and early fall—when school schedules have thinned out crowds and sweltering temperatures have dropped—is a great time to visit some of the state’s best attractions. From outdoor adventures to small-town escapes, here are 10 of our favorite early-fall activities to enjoy in Pennsylvania—before autumn’s biggest crowds arrive.
Spend time at a Pennsylvania lake
Early fall is a wonderful season to spend some time relaxing at one of Pennsylvania’s scenic lakes. Summer vacation may be over, but lake season doesn’t have to be! While some lakes may not have swimming after Labor Day, you may be pleasantly surprised at the swimming opportunities (if the weather is still warm, of course). But even without swimming, you might push a kayak into the lake, take a shoreside walk, or just rest easy along the water without having to fight for the best spot to lay out.
The swimming area at Lake Jean at Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Ricketts Glen State Park is open for swimming through mid-September, and boat rentals are also available. In Western Pennsylvania, Lake Arthur at Moraine State Park is a boater’s paradise. Which of the thousands of Pennsylvania lakes might you visit?
Hike a famed trail before peak foliage
Pennsylvania is one of the best states to visit for glorious fall foliage, when the reds, yellows, and oranges of autumn take over the state’s mountains and forests. But the commonwealth’s autumn splendor necessarily attracts a great number of leaf peepers, meaning many trails can be crowded during peak foliage. If you’d rather have more solitude, why not head to a popular fall trail in early fall, when the leaves are just turning but by no means at peak color?
The waterfalls of the Falls Trail in Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Ricketts Glen State Park are gorgeous anytime of the year, but September—before peak foliage—likely promises a quieter hike. Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Ohiopyle State Park’s Ferncliff Trail is another lovely option for early fall.
Take a camping trip
Camping in Pennsylvania state parks is possible, depending on where you are, at any time of the year. But early fall is an especially nice time because the summer heat has dissipated but any big fall crowds, likely seeking fall foliage, have not yet arrived. Indeed, many campsites and cabins at state parks currently have greater availability in September rather than October (ask me how I know).
You can book tent sites, RV camping sites, cabins, and other lodging options, such as yurts, on the Pennsylvania state parks reservation website. One fun feature, the “camping this weekend” tab, allows you to search for sites (cabin, tent, and RV) available for last-minute bookings.
Embark on an early fall train ride
Many of Pennsylvania’s scenic tourist trains plan incredible routes through fall foliage. But these train rides are just as fun before the leaves start to turn. Regular season tickets can sometimes be cheaper, too! Consider taking a September train ride before leaf peepers board. You might check out the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway in Carbon County’s Jim Thorpe or the East Broad Top Railroad in Huntingdon County’s Rockhill Furnace.
Take a day trip to a small town—before its fall festival
Pennsylvania’s small towns love their fall festivals—and we love them too. City streets, brimming with visitors, are dotted with art and food vendors while live music can be heard all weekend. The festivities, of course, attract many people who love small town festivals. (Good luck finding parking during the Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival weekends.) While fall festivals are certainly a highlight of the season, you might also consider visiting a charming small town in early fall—before the popularity of fall festivals makes it difficult to navigate the sidewalk.
You might head to the aforementioned Jim Thorpe or other quaint towns such as Bedford before the Bedford Fall Foliage Festival, and Ligonier before Fort Ligonier Days.
Visit a botanic garden in shoulder season
In early fall, garden summer festivals are winding down—but may not have entirely ended yet. Visiting beautiful gardens such as Longwood Gardens and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens during the transition from summer to fall can offer a quieter escape, especially since the weather will likely be mild. Weekdays are particularly smart times to visit.
Longwood Gardens’ summertime Festival of Fountains runs through Sept. 27, as does Phipps’ summer flower show, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Head to a historic site
No matter how fascinating the history, summer heat can make walking around a battlefield or other historic site exhausting. But by early fall, temperatures have typically become more comfortable while the crowds of autumn festivals and Halloween events have yet to appear. You might consider taking advantage of quieter September weekends to explore popular sites such as Gettysburg National Military Park or outdoor museums like the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum in Lancaster.
Go to an amusement park
After school starts, amusement park visitation declines, and the parks begin preparing for their big fall events—usually fall festivals or Halloween park takeovers. As such, early fall is a great time to visit for shorter lines and cooler temperatures, even if you won’t yet get to enjoy any haunted houses or fall festival entertainment.
Check out the calendars of the amusement parks in your area to see your best options for early fall. For example, Kennywood in Pittsburgh is open on weekends after Aug. 17 before its Phantom Fall Fest begins in late September. Knoebels Amusement Resort is open daily through Sept. 7, and then on September weekends before its Hallo-Fun event begins in October.
Get spooked on a haunted tour before Halloween
Peppered with old towns and historic buildings, Pennsylvania is full of ghost stories. October—the peak of “spooky season”—is naturally one of the most popular times to take a ghost tour or visit a haunted house. But many haunted happenings take place year-round, and you can beat the crowds by planning to hang out with ghosts before October rolls around.
Book a ghost or haunted house tour in September to learn about creepy local lore before demand spikes ahead of Halloween. Ghost tours of haunted Gettysburg are always a hit, but you can also find creepy tour options in less-famously-haunted locales like Lancaster County’s Lititz. Haunted tours are also available year-round in both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
Visit a farm market or pick-your-own farm
Pennsylvania’s agritourism farms get super popular in the fall, when day trippers take to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes. But if you visit in the first weeks of the season, you’ll likely have access to both late summer produce and early autumn favorites before the height of apple picking season. Many farms may also be offering pick-your-own berries and flowers—sometimes in addition to the first apples to appear.
Check out Triple B Farms near Pittsburgh, particularly for flowers and early apples. At Spring Mountain Farms in Carbon County’s Lehighton, pick-your-own raspberries and kiwiberries are available in early fall.
