Johnstown, PA Road Trips

Like many other Rust Belt cities, Johnstown has fallen on hard times since the decline of the manufacturing industries that once provided the majority of jobs in the region. Certainly not helping matters is the fact that the area was subject to devastating floods for some time, most recently in 1977 (although modern dams and rainwater diversion systems have since been installed to mitigate further flooding). Nonetheless, for American history-minded travelers, Johnstown and the surrounding area offers a number of interesting attractions.

1 Johnstown Inclined Plane, 711 Edgehill Dr (Lower station at 206 Johns St), ☏ +1 814 536-1816, [email protected]. The Johnstown Inclined Plane is a 896.5-foot funicular - the steepest vehicular incline in the world. Its 30' cars, which are large enough to hold 60 people, 6 motorcycles, or a vehicle, travel at the steepest grade for cars their size. The observation deck provides an extensive view of the greater Johnstown region. (updated Aug 2020) 2 Johnstown Flood National Memorial, 733 Lake Rd, South Fork, ☏ +1 814 886-6170. There are two Johnstown Flood-related sites in the area. This park preserves the ruins of the South Fork Dam, part of the old lakebed, and some of the buildings of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club. A National Park Service-produced film, nicknamed "Black Friday," is shown at the visitor center. Free. 3 Johnstown Flood Museum, 304 Washington St, ☏ +1 814 539-1889. Part of the Johnstown Area Heritage Association. Tells the story of the Great 1889 Johnstown Flood, with small exhibits of photos featuring the other two major floods of 1936 and 1977. 4 Heritage Discovery Center, 6th and Broad Sts. Johnstown's Cambria City Neighborhood. Part of Johnstown Area Heritage Association. Museum tells story of immigrants life in Johnstown, also features Johnstown Children's Museum, and special Iron and Steel exhibit. The Point Park, Washington St. Formed by the juncture of the Stonycreek River and the Little Conemaugh River.

1 Gallitzin State Forest, ☏ +1 814-472-1862. Hike the Bog and Boulder Trail within the state forest. This footpath follows a series of boardwalks around a rare upland bog, which features an array of plants specalized for living in the harsh conditions. Trailhead is on Clear Shade Road east of Windber on PA Route 56. (updated Apr 2025) 2 Laurel Ridge State Park, 1117 Jim Mountain Rd, Rockwood, ☏ +1 724-455-3744, [email protected]. Sunrise-sunset. 13,625 acres, including the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail which snakes across the beautiful Laurel Ridge and offers spectacular scenery. Overnight shelters, cross-country skiing, snowmobile trails, hunting and picnicking. Accessible from Route 56 West of Johnstown, and Route 271 South of Johnstown. (updated Aug 2020) 3 Blue Knob State Park, ☏ +1 814 276-3576. Year-round wilderness adventures on 6,128 acres of woodland, 25 miles from Johnstown. Swimming pool, picnic areas, hiking trails, mountain biking, trout fishing, equestrian trails, camping, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, nearby downhill skiing, environmental education programs, wildlife viewing, scenic views. Thunder in the Valley. This annual motorcycle rally is held the fourth weekend in June. While the city serves as the hub of the rally, related events take place throughout the entire region. Live musical entertainment with bands playing rock, oldies, blues, country and jazz. The rally also attracts the participation of many motorcycle manufacturers including Yamaha, Can-Am, Harley-Davidson, Suzuki and Kymco. Annual PolkaFest.

Coney Island Lunch, 127 Clinton St. Very good hot dogs, also has a Johnstown delicacy called the sundowner. Flood City Cafe, 137 Clinton St, ☏ +1 814 254-4005, [email protected]. Amazing atmosphere, very inviting. Serves sandwiches, homemade soup, and salads. The staff are super friendly.

The Boulevard Grill. A full service restaurant, pub, banquet & entertainment facility, located at 165 Southmont Blvd. The Haven. A neighborhood bar & restaurant on the strip at 117 Langhorne Ave. The menu has a wide selection of sandwiches, burgers, wings, salads & more. Wide variety of imported & domestic bottles, nine beers on tap, & a variety of liquor and wine. Ohio Street Lounge, 340 Ohio St. Tavern restaurant with a lot of atmosphere. Big screen TV - great food at a good price. Murphy's Tavern. An Irish bar and restaurant for at 1189 Franklin St. Hamburgers, chicken wings and relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The dining room is separate from the bar, you can bring the kids. In the bar area, you can enjoy a creamy stout amid Irish flags, photos of immigrants and other Irish-American memorabilia.

Comfort Inn. Super 8 Motel. Holiday Inn Johnstown. Prominently visible in the middle of downtown. Walking distance to all points of interest. Indoor pool with retractable roof. Also they are pet-friendly and allow dogs.

The main highway connecting Johnstown to the Pennsylvania Turnpike is US 219. There is also State Route 56, which is an expressway from 219 until Walnut Street. From there, it provides a connection to US 22 to the north of Johnstown, which connects to Pittsburgh and Altoona. 1 John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport (JST IATA) (located three nautical miles (6 km) northeast of the central business district). Although centrally located, with just one airline (United Airlines) serving only two destinations (Chicago O’Hare and Washington-Dulles). (updated Oct 2023) A likely cheaper alternative (even factoring in rental car costs and tolls) would be to fly into Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT IATA) and then make the two-hour drive to Johnstown via I-376 to the PA Turnpike. 2 Johnstown station, 47 Walnut Street. Staffed ticket service is available for when trains depart. CamTran Route 16 Prospect and Route 18 Downtown Shuttle stop at the train station. The primary Camtran transit center is about 1/2 mile to the southeast of the station. (updated Nov 2023) Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates trains throughout the United States of America. (updated Dec 2020) Route stopping at Johnstown: Pennsylvanian operates daily between Pittsburgh and New York City with stops in Greensburg, Latrobe, Johnstown, Altoona, Huntingdon, Lewistown, Harrisburg, Elizabethtown, Lancaster, Exton, Paoli, Philadelphia, Trenton, and Newark. Greyhound buses also stop at CamTran's transit center.

CamTran operates the local bus service, a fleet of 51 buses on a rural and an urban fixed route system.