Forbes State Forest
The Forbes State Forest was named in honor of General John Forbes,
who in 1757, ordered the construction of a road from Bedford to Fort
Pitt for the movement of an expeditionary Army. The Forbes State
Forest contains over 20 separate tracts of State Forest Land in
Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland Counties. The total acreage is
over 50,000 acres. Most of the Forbes State Forest lies along Laurel
Ridge. This area is a favorite of people from the greater Pittsburgh
area and is heavily used for all types of outdoor recreation. To
play host to the millions of visitors to this area, six state parks
and three state forest picnic areas have been developed. In addition
to these developed facilities there are a number of undeveloped
Attractions which appeal to those with an adventurous spirit. For
more information on Forbes State Forest write: District Forester,
P.O. Box 519, Laughlintown, PA 15655 or call (724) 238-1200.
Mt. Davis Natural Area -Pennsylvania's Highest Point
The Mt. Davis Natural Area comprises 581 acres of Elk Lick Township,
Somerset County, surrounding the rock known as Mt. Davison the summit
of Negro Mountain. The top of this rock is 3,213 feet above sea level,
and is the highest point in Pennsylvania. The elevation of the lowest
point in the natural area is 2,823 feet. Drainage is to the southeast
into Tub Mill Run, a tributary of the Casselman River, a part of the
Mississippi River watershed. An interesting geologic feature of the
area is the scattering of small concentric stone rings caused by
localized frost heaving. Each ring surrounds a spot in the soil which
is a little softer and looser than the adjacent ground. Under the
action of frost, these soft spots rise up as slight humps. Surface
rocks on the humps tend to slide off, and over thousands of years,
the sliding progresses enough to deposit the rocks in ring-like
formations at the bases of the humps. The Natural Area is bounded
by SR 2004, Mt. Davis Road, on the north, by the Shelter Rock Road
on the east, and on the south by Wolf Rock Road from Mt. Davis Road.
The Shelter Rock Road is closed to vehicles. A picnic area is located
about 1 mile from Mt. Davis along Mt. Davis Road. Hiking trails connect
the picnic area with the high point, and from Mt. Davis lead into the
lower elevations of the natural area. Motorized vehicles are not
permitted in the area except on the road to the High Point.
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