Alleghenies and Her Valleys

Alleghenies and Her Valleys covers the central mountain country of Pennsylvania, the rolling-to-rugged ridge-and-valley belt running from the Maryland line north past Lewisburg to the Susquehanna country. The terrain is the heart of the Ridge and Valley Province — long parallel ridges, narrow farming valleys between them, and the upper Susquehanna and Juniata rivers cutting through. Elevations climb to 3,000 feet on the ridges; valleys hold rich farmland and most of the regional towns. Thirteen counties cover the region. Blair holds Altoona (the largest city, with the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark); Cambria holds Johnstown (with the Johnstown Flood National Memorial); Union holds Lewisburg (with Bucknell University); Snyder holds Selinsgrove; Northumberland holds Sunbury; Bedford holds Bedford and Old Bedford Village; Huntingdon holds Raystown Lake; Schuylkill holds Pottsville (the home of Yuengling, the country’s oldest brewery). Raystown Lake, the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, and the Tussey Mountain ski area anchor the public-land scenery. Most trips here run rail-heritage and outdoor focused. The Horseshoe Curve and Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum carry the rail history; Johnstown’s flood memorial and the Johnstown Inclined Plane (the steepest vehicular incline in the world) anchor that city; Raystown Lake handles fishing and houseboats; Pottsville’s Yuengling brewery tour pulls beer-history visitors.