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Plan the perfect summer day trip from Pittsburgh using this insider’s guide!

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If you’re looking to get out of Pittsburgh for a day this summer, consider taking a day trip to one of these exciting places near Pittsburgh! In this post, we’re sharing our favorite day trips from Pittsburgh within a 2-hour drive of the city. From state parks to cultural attractions to smaller cities and towns, the areas surrounding Pittsburgh are full of fun things to do during the summer!

Because there are so many options for Pittsburgh day trips, we’ve included day trips from Pittsburgh that could fit any interest from families to couples to friends looking to getaway! For each destination, we have a list of suggested things to do and places to explore.

The best part about some of these ideas is that if you need more time away, you can consider extending your day trip to a weekend getaway from Pittsburgh!

11 Awesome Day Trips to Take From Pittsburgh This Summer

Day Trips within 2 Hours of Pittsburgh

Each of these day trips from Pittsburgh is within a two-hour drive of Pittsburgh so they’re easily accessible and perfect for beautiful summer days.

Raccoon Creek State Park: 40-minute drive

During the summers, we love visiting Raccoon Creek State Park (among our other favorite green spaces in Pittsburgh) because there is SO much to do. You can have a picnic, enjoy the beach, rent a boat (or bring your own), hike, bike, and enjoy everything the outdoors has to offer! Raccoon Creek State Park is a perfect outdoor day trip from Pittsburgh if you’re looking for a family-friendly activity! Racoon Creek is located about 40-minutes west of Pittsburgh.

Things to do in Raccoon Creek State Park

• Wildflower Reserve: a beautiful secluded trail system blooming with wildflowers and plants
• Fish or hunt during the season
• Frankfort Mineral Springs Falls: Take a short walk along the Mineral Spring trail and you’ll come upon this waterfall
• Rent a kayak, canoe, or hydrobike at the lake

McConnells Mill and Moraine State Park: 40-minute drive

We recently discovered McConnells Mill and Moraine State Park, two state parks in Bulter County. Moraine State Park is a lot like Raccoon Creek with lots of trails, family-friendly spaces, and a lake! McConnells Mill State Park is located a short drive from Moraine State Park and is a little more “off the map” and less visited. At McConnells Mill, you can visit the historic grist mill, hike, and picnic. Getting around McConnells Mill is a little more difficult because you’ll likely lose service on your way there, so make sure to download a map or directions before you go! McConnells Mill encompasses Slippery Rock Creek Gorge, which is a National Natural Landmark!

Things to Do a McConnells Mill

• Visit the Old Mill
• Hike the Geology Trail and learn about local geology
• Visit during September for the Heritage Festival
• Whitewater raft along Slippery Rock Creek

Things to Do in Moraine State Park

• Go swimming or boating on the lake
• Fish during the fishing season

Learn more about Pittsburgh’s Parks!

Ohiopyle State Park: 1-hour drive

If you’re looking for a fun, summer outdoor adventure in Western Pennsylvania, consider visiting one of the gems of the Laurel Highlands, Ohiopyle State Park. Ohiopyle is full of so many outdoor things to do including hiking, biking, whitewater rafting, climbing, visiting historic sites, and exploring. We love visiting Ohiopyle because the park has many beautiful, scenic waterfalls and sites.

When visiting Ohiopyle, you can also make a stop at Fallingwater, a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site!

Learn more about visiting Ohiopyle!

Visit Wheeling, West Virginia: 45-minute drive

We’ve talked about visiting Wheeling, WV during the wintertime for their Christmas light show, but Wheeling is also a great place to visit during the summer as well! The Oglebay Resort still has lots of summer fun featuring a golf course, a zoo, and multiple museums. In downtown Wheeling, you can explore local museums and history and walk along the waterfront or see the Wheeling Nailers play!

Wheeling also makes for a great weekend getaway from Pittsburgh if you’re looking for resort-style family-friendly activities.

Places to Explore in Wheeling:

• Oglebay Resort: a charming woodland resort featuring golf courses, swimming pools, a nature center, and other family-friendly outdoor activities
• Wheeling Casino
• Independence Hall in downtown Wheeling
• Wheeling Suspension Bridge: one of the country’s oldest suspension bridges
• Wheeling Central Market: a market full of shopping and local cuisine

Learn more about exploring Wheeling!

Explore Washington, PA: 40-minute drive

Washington, PA was surprisingly a great day trip from Pittsburgh if you’re looking to do some off-the-map exploring. Washington Country is interestingly home to the most covered bridges in Pennsylvania (other than Lancaster County!) and the local chamber has put together a fun covered bridge driving tour throughout the county!

In downtown Washington, you can tour a few historic houses including the Bradford and Le Moyne Houses. The Bradford House was the birthplace of the father of the Whisky Rebellion, while the Le Moyne house was the home of Julius Le Moyne, a leader in the Underground Railroad.

Washington is also home to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and offers trolley rides in addition to exhibitions.

Downtown Washington is also home to Washington and Jefferson College, so naturally, there are some college town attractions such as local breweries, wineries, a distillery, and plenty of restaurants.

Finish off your day trip from Pittsburgh to Washington, PA, with a Washington Wild Things Baseball Game.

Places to Explore in Washington PA

• The Bradford House: the birthplace of the father of the Whiskey Rebellion
• Le Moyne House: the birthplace of a leader in the Underground Railroad
• Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
• Washington Wild Things Baseball
• Washington’s Covered Bridges

Meadowcroft Rock Shelter: 1-hour drive

The Meadowcroft Rockshelter is an archaeological site in Washington County, Pennsylvania that contains evidence of human inhabitation for more than 19,000 years! This site is affiliated with the Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh.

Explore the Laurel Highlands: 1-hour drive

If you’re looking for more than outdoor activities on a day trip from Pittsburgh, consider exploring more of the Laurel Highlands. The Laurel Highlands is full of charming small towns like Ligoneir, historic sites like Fort Necessity, and smaller “off the map” parks. We grew up in the Laurel Highlands in a small town called Latrobe, (birthplace of the banana split, Arnold Palmer, Rolling Rock, Mister Rogers, have you convinced you to visit yet???) so we can confidently say that the Laurel Highlands is totally worth visiting! The Laurel Highlands is full of small communities like Somerset and Ligonier that are worth visiting!

Exciting Things to Do and Places to Explore in the Laurel Highlands:

• Visit Somerset and See the Flight 93 National Memorial
• Go Hiking in the Laurel Highlands 
• Learn about Mister Rogers and the Banana Split in Latrobe 
• Explore Fort Ligonier 
• Fall Activities in the Laurel Highlands 
• Winter Activities in the Laurel Highlands 

Visit Morgantown, West Virginia: 1.5-hour drive

Another personal place to us: Morgantown WV. Both of us pursued our graduate degrees at WVU, so naturally, Morgantown had to be on our list of day trips from Pittsburgh.

Morgantown is full of exciting outdoor activities, Mountaineer sporting events, and college town vibes. For those wanting to explore the wild and wonderful, you can get a taste of what the state has to offer by visiting Morgantown!

Places to Explore in Morgantown

• Cheat Lake
• Coopers Rock State Forest
• West Virginia Botanical Garden
• WVU Art Museum
• WVU sporting events

Learn more about things to do in Morgantown!

Explore a National Park or Historic Site: 1-2 Hours

The Pittsburgh area and Southwestern region of Pennsylvania are full of National Historic sites and parks! Friendship Hill, the Allegheny Portage, Fort Necessity, and Flight 93 National Parks are all within two hours of Pittsburgh. Historic sites make for great destinations to visit because of their free or low-cost admission, family atmosphere, and educational setting.

Go to the Beach in Erie, Pennsylvania: 2 Hours

Need your beach fix but don’t want to make the drive to the coast? Consider visiting Erie! Erie is home to Pennsylvania’s only beach! Erie is a perfect day trip within two hours of Pittsburgh because it’s so easy to get to and it offers fun for all different interests. Erie is full of vineyards for wine enthusiasts, the beach and parks for the outdoor lover, and minor league sports teams.

Places to Explore in Erie

• Presque Isle State Park
• Erie Seawolves Baseball
• Erie Otters Hockey
• Lake Erie Wine Trail

Learn more about visiting Erie!

Visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio: 1.5 hours

For the football fan in your life, taking a day trip from Pittsburgh to Canton is perfect! Canton is a short 1.5-hour drive from Pittsburgh. Canton’s main claim to fame is the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The museum is a great way to spend a day away from Pittsburgh.

Places to Explore in Canton

• Pro Football Hall of Fame
• National First Ladies Memorial and Museum
• William McKinley Library and Museum

Learn more about visiting Canton

Who’s Ready to Take a Day Trip from Pittsburgh?!

Surrounding parks and communities offer plenty of things to do for a day trip from Pittsburgh! Hopefully, one of these places to visit near Pittsburgh sparked your interest! Do you have any other favorite day trips from Pittsburgh? Let us know in the comments below!