Western Pennsylvanians know that summer often sneaks up on us behind April’s wild weather swings and May’s beautiful blooms. With the constant cycle of rain and snow drying and melting, we can hear the echoes of our sump pumps ringing in our ears. 

Summer’s 70-80 degree days will be here before you know it and it’ll be time to get outside. While we all have our favorite spots, sometimes it’s nice to venture out and try something new. You can’t beat western PA for its outdoor adventure and the views that come with it. But what else does Cambria county offer? 

Plenty. Check out the rest of this information-packed guide so that the next time you’re thinking about wandering off the beaten path, you’ll know where to go for summer activities

Outdoor Adventure

There’s no better place to start than with outdoor adventure in Cambria county. 

Until you’ve explored the area, it’s hard to appreciate the abundance of outdoor opportunities in the area. 

Trails, Forests and Parks

There’s a bounty of trails, forests and parks here. TheCambria County Conservation & Recreation Authority maintains three of our better known rail-trails: the award-winning Ghost Town Trail, the recently designated Jim Mayer Riverswalk Trail and the Path of the Flood Trail, which is known for its popular annual race. Most area races take place in the spring and fall to avoid the heat, with one exception being the Ghost Town Trail Challenge. 

With Prince Gallitzin State Park, Gallitzin State Forest, Laurel Ridge State Park, Stackhouse Park, and Duman Lake County Park all inside Cambria county, you have plenty of recreation available to you. 

Consider the following summer options at each of these parks: 

• camping or glamping
• fishing
• bird and wildlife watching
• hiking or back-packing
• sightseeing

Pennsylvania State Parks and Alltrails.com are excellent resources for trail maps and tips. 

Biking

For bikers, Highland Regional Park offers 13 miles of beginner to advanced level trails. For expert mountain bikers, check out the Friends of the Inclined Plane trails. The trails do as advertised: cut through the steep Inclined Plane hill. It’s a can’t-miss for avid bikers. 

Off-roading

Into off-roading? Rock Run Recreation Area in Patton offers 140 miles for off-roading and both individual and corporate passes. Their Summer Blast event lasts from August 11-14th and their summer close-out event, Rally at the Rock extends from Sept 24-26th. Camping is also available here. 

Water sports

Coal Tubin is a Johnstown mainstay for water sports enthusiasts, with tubing, kayaking and rafting all on the menu. Bring the kids along for tubing, as the minimum age is 5+. 

Canoers and kayakers can paddle down Class I-V whitewater rapids on The Stonycreek River alone or join the Benscreek Canoe and Kayak Club if you’re looking for company. The club hosts several events per year and is also involved with conservation and environmental issues in the area. Check out Whitewater Park, next to Greenhouse Park, which is Pennsylvania’s first artificial set of rapids. 

Sports

Cambria county features plenty of sports options for those who aren’t interested in lacing up their hiking boots or picking up a paddle.

Baseball

The AAABA All Star Tournament will celebrate its 77th year in Johnstown in 2022 from August 1^st-6th. Its participants have featured hundreds of future Major League ballplayers, so it’s an excellent watch for amateur scouts and casual fans alike. Quoting Andy Bernard from The Office, “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.” You will remember your time at the AAABA tournament as the good old days. There’s just something about kids playing baseball in the summer. 

Sorry. We got a little choked up there. 

Speaking of baseball, have you been watching the Johnstown Mill Rats? They’re the newest member of the summer Prospect League, which gives college players an opportunity to showcase their skills in front of pro scouts. Areas like ours that are lacking in pro or minor league team still benefit from seeing top quality talent. 

Golf

The 2022 Sunnehanna Amateur will be the 69th playing of this storied amateur golf major. A long list of major winners have played there, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas. A list of participants would not be complete without legends: Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. With the amateur having been added to the Elite Amateur Golf Series this past year, it’s become an attractive option for future pros. The amateur is a must-see for golf aficionados. 

If you’re looking to play, Cambria county has plenty of options. There are five public courses in the area, including Richland Greens, Berkley Hills, Highlands at North Fork, Immergrun Golf Course, and Maple Crest. 

Richland Greens is an inexpensive 9 hole course. Berkley Hills is a well-maintained muni. Highlands at North Fork offers a 9-hole public course and indoor golf with some pleasant views. Immergrun is a rolling 9 hole course at St Francis. 9-hole Maple Crest has some views as well up in the mountains of Portage. 

Sunnehanna and Ebensburg Country Club are well-maintained and challenging 18 hole courses. 

Tennis

Ebensburg Tennis Center offers 24 court access, private lessons and clinics. Highlands at North Fork also offers court times, private lessons and clinics. If you have children, don’t forget to check with your school for summer tennis leagues! 

Soccer

Soccer Shots summer program is appropriate for kids ages 2-8 years old. It’s held both indoors and outdoors. It’ll teach your children basic soccer skills and drills for 30 minutes/session. 

The Alternative Community Resource Program or ACRP in Johnstown offers soccer. Call in to find out schedules. 

Basketball

The ACRP in Johnstown offers basketball. Call in to find out schedules. The Johnstown YMCA also offers court times for basketball. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for pickup basketball at nearby courts! 

Swimming

Nothing better than hitting the pool to cool off on a hot summer day. Here are some options for those who are looking to take a dip:

• Ebensburg Borough
• Greater Johnstown YWCA
• YWCA Greater Johnstown
• Sunnehanna Country Club
• Menoher Swim Club

Check sites for membership dues. 

Concerts, Festivals and Events 

PolkaFest (June 3rd- June 5th)

PolkaFest started in 1998, the same year as Thunder in the Valley. While it has kept a more regional appeal, it is still wildly popular. Held at People’s Natural Gas Park over three days, the area celebrates its central European ethnic heritage with music from grammy award winning bands. The festival isn’t just polka. There’s country and rock music and plenty of food! Come on down and enjoy some pierogies and Penn State Creamery ice cream. 

Penncrest Bank Music Fest (June 19th)

Cresson Lake Playhouse is featuring four local acts in this outdoor event. The event will feature classical guitarist Bruce Schettig, “the Best” winners Walt and Jackie, the versatile duo Two Far Gone, and crowd-pleasing Clay Bowser. 

Thunder in the Valley is Johnstown’s world-renowned annual biker rally. Every year in late June, bikers from all over the nation gather to party and enjoy live music and entertainment. Thunder will celebrate its 24th anniversary this year from June 23-26. Follow here for updates on vendors and entertainment. 

Johnstown’s Bottleworks hosts a monthly event called Jackie’s Garden Works on its rooftop garden, which features relaxing music, a cash bar and great food. The summer events will be 6/25, 7/22, 8/27. 

Johnstown Symphony Orchestra Ready for Takeoff (6/26)

What’s that you ask… The symphony? At the airport?!

Indeed. 

The area is fortunate to have the ultra- creative Grammy award winner James Blachly helming the Johnstown Symphony Orchestra. With season ticket sales having increased by 43% over the last five seasons, you must see this group in action. What better opportunity than this summer’s airport show? Whether you like classical music or classic rock, this is your jam with music from Jefferson Airplane, The Eagles, and Elton John. Buy tickets here. 

Tec Con 2022 features 3 days of competitive e-sports at the 1st Summit Arena in downtown Johnstown, including a Friday night performance featuring DJ Rammor. The YMCA and the up-and-coming E-sport Company sponsors the event. Gamers will play Rocket League, Halo Infinite and Valorant for a $10,000 prize pool. Registration is available here. E-sports are both the present and feature, especially for gen z (ages 10-25) and millennials (26-39), so parents…take your kids down for an up close look!

Flood City Music Festival (7/29-30)

Head down to People’s Natural Gas Park for this 2 day event from July 29-30th and spend an hour or five with friends and family. You can get a one or two-day pass to enjoy live music from local and nationally known acts and check out great food and merch from local vendors. 

Richland Community Days (Aug 19-22)

Richland Community Days is one of the best festivals for children. There are plenty of activities to keep them busy, a parade and an evening fireworks show. The festival offers a wide array of food trucks, vendors and live music. 

The Bandshell Bark is an event that is dedicated to supporting canine related projects in the area and preservation of the historic Roxbury Bandshell. Dog owners come out with their pets to visit with canine-related vendors and their products. Come out for the 15th Annual Bandshell Bark on August 20th. 

The Cambria County Arts & Heritage Festival at the Laurel Highlands Historical Festival will be at Duman Lake Park on September 10th & 11th. It features music, dance, historical reenactments and more. Attendees are encouraged to dress in historical attire. The goal is to celebrate local ethnic heritage and showcase our past and to show our children the future. 

Johnstown Slavic Festival (September 16th-17th)

JAHA will hold the 7th annual Johnstown Slavic Festival outside the Heritage Discovery Center on September 16th-17th. The popular event will feature authentic Slavic music, dance performances, dance performances, food, speakers and exhibits. Last year JAHA partnered with Stonebridge Brewing company to create a beer specifically for the festival. This year they’ll need a name for it. Got any ideas?

Food and More

There’s nothing like getting some fresh food in an open air market. Head over to one of your local farmer’s markets to get some fresh fruit or vegetables and support your local vendors. 

Farmer’s Markets

• Downtown Johnstown’s Farmers Market (Fridays in Central Park, 9am-2pm)
• Westmont Farmers Market (Saturdays 9am-12pm in Westmont Presby parking lot from 5/21- 10/21)

Everyone has their favorite ice cream spot. If you decide to mix it up, here is the list in no particular order. 

• Roxberry Creamery in Johnstown
• Little Sprinkles in Richland
• Shaffer’s Frosty Freeze in Johnstown
• Sweet Frog in Richland (if you’re looking for yogurt) 
• O’Shea’s Candies in Richland (great candy too)
• Dairy Queen (Richland and Westmont)
• Meadows (frozen custard, Ebensburg and Johnstown) 
• Ranger in Sidman (plus miniature golf!) 
• Buckhorn Drive In in Summerhill
• Krispy Kream Drive In in Belsano

Other kid friendly entertainment 

Movie nights are great, right? Switch it up and watch one at any of the several drive-in theaters in the county. You can find the Silver Drive-In on Scalp Avenue in Johnstown. There’s also the Bar-Ann Drive-Inn in Portage and the Carrolltown Hi-Way Drive-In. Plenty of kid friendly options and a concession stand at each of these locations.

If you’re looking to entertain the kids and it’s too hot outside, 814 Lanes and Games offers video games, laser tag, bowling and amazing bar style food. Whether it’s a rainy day indoors or you need to beat the heat, the Johnstown Heritage Discovery Center is great historical fun for the whole family. You can find the Children’s Museum on the third floor, but don’t forget to check out the rest of the exhibits too!

The Learning Lamp and Johnstown YMCA have summer programs that might interest your children. Check with the Learning Lamp to see which location works for you. 

ACRP has a brand new splash park outside. 

If you’re looking for ideas for kids, the Macaroni Kid website has volunteer events, farmer’s markets, book readings, camps and more. They also have plenty of guides and articles if you need ideas to keep your kids busy!

Make a list and start checking boxes 

Whether you’re looking to hit the trails or eat some ice cream, there’s plenty to do, see and eat around here. The world – er, county is your oyster (maybe make that pierogi instead). Now get going!

PS If we left anything off, let us know! We’ll add it! 

For more news and blogs about Cambria county – as well as fun giveaways and contests – visit our website at CambriaCounty.com! Let us be Your County Connection.