Living Landscapes

Located in the southwestern quadrant of the state, the Allegheny Ridge is a landscape which has witnessed centuries of Native American life, westward expansion of European settlers across the formidable Allegheny Mountains, and the rise and passing of the canal, railroad, coal and steel eras.

The Allegheny Ridge is a living resource of national significance which has been extensively documented and recognized. Its communities and industries illustrate how nature was harnessed to produce the underpinnings of our modern world. The area also preserves a unique pattern of regional settlement which emerged around these industries. The diverse yet interconnected culture of the Ridge lives in neighborhoods where strong blue collar values maintain ethnic churches, social groups, and long-standing traditions.

PA Heritage

Discover Pennsylvania's Heritage

Pennsylvania: The state that built a nation

Pennsylvania's heritage regions are about the eras of steel and iron-making, coal mining, the oil boom, canal- and railroad-building, the blazing of early roads and highways, and life on the frontier. They're about the influx of immigrants, the challenges and triumphs of a determined people, and the birth of liberty and independence. They're about transforming a frontier and forging a nation into an industrial giant. They are why Pennsylvania became the Hearth of America, and the state that built a nation.

Scenic vistas and byways, hiking and biking trails, whitewater rafting, historic towns and villages, ethnic foods, walking tours, abundant parkland and recreational areas, antique shops, B&B's, fairs and festivals, forest and agricultural landscapes, and thousands of miles of rivers and streams await you. Pennsylvania's Heritage Regions are your gateways to discovering yesterday - today!

Click on this link to visit the PA Heritage Region homepage. Administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (www.dcnr.state.pa.us), Pennsylvania's System of Heritage Regions (also called Heritage Parks) provides administrative and financial support for each heritage area in PA. Collectively, the PA Heritage Regions strive to generate economic development opportunities, preserve and protect the state's magnificent natural, historical and cultural resources, and enhance its existing system of state and local parks.