PA Route 6 Road Trip Ideas and Planning

Sometimes, the hardest part of a road trip is planning. Where do you go? Where should you stay? What should you see? Although some people enjoy the spontaneity of just figuring it out as they go, others enjoy having that itinerary figured out for them. And that’s where we come in.

There are many ways to explore PA Route 6, whether it’s all at once on a multi-day 427-mile road trip across the state or just a few days at a time discovering and appreciating the beauty of each region. Here are a few ideas to get you started, along with some itineraries that we’ve developed that can be modified to suit your traveling needs.

A Community Approach

We have 20 Heritage Communities within the Route 6 Corridor, and quite honestly, any of them could provide a nice weekend road trip. In Milford, you could take time to reflect on this country’s military history and the people who served to protect our freedom. In Carbondale, you could spend an entire weekend learning about railroad history. In Coudersport, you could attend a star party and view the night sky the way it was meant to be viewed. In Corry, you could spend days visiting mom-and-pop boutiques.

Each of our 20 Heritage Communities has something special to offer. That’s why we call them Heritage Communities. These charming small towns are the jewels scattered across PA Route 6, just waiting to be discovered.

Fall Foliage Road Trips

One of the most classic ways to explore PA Route 6 is a fall foliage road trip. As a whole, Pennsylvania offers lots of great leaf peeping opportunities, but the best of the best is found in northern part of the state, particularly along the Route 6 Corridor. During peak fall colors, the mountainsides and valleys come alive with brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows.

An important aspect to keep in mind, though, is because PA Route 6 spans such a long distance and passes through so many different regions, the fall foliage doesn’t peak at the same time everywhere. If planning a fall foliage road trip, check the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources website for an up-to-date map released each week of the fall season by the Bureau of Forestry with updates on fall foliage in each region of the state. You can then use one of our fall foliage itineraries to time your trip so that you’ll experience each region during peak color. Click each of the links below to view, download, and print fall foliage itineraries.

• 4-Day Western PA Fall Foliage Road Trip
• 4-Day Eastern PA Fall Foliage Road Trip Fall Foliage
• 6-Day PA Route 6 Fall Foliage Road Trip

The Complete “Do 6” Road Trip

Of course, you don’t need to wait until fall to explore a road trip across PA Route 6. All you need is a week. And if you want to really take your time and have an even richer experience, plan for two weeks.

“Do 6” in 6 Days – This 6-day road trip follows PA Route 6 from west to east across northern Pennsylvania, using the helpful “Do 6” Mile Markers as a guide. In 6 days, you’ll enjoy stops in numerous Heritage Communities to view popular tourist attractions such as the Linesville Spillway and Pymatuning State Park, where “ducks walk across the backs of fish” and Kinzua Bridge State Park where you can view the valley from the Kinzua Skywalk. From there you’ll journey through the Dark Sky Region as well as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon on your way to the scenic vistas in Bradford County and the plethora of outdoor recreation, historical sites, and waterfalls.

“Do 6” in 14 Days – Also arranged east to west, this road trip itinerary all the same great aspects of the 6-day version, but allows for more time spent within each community so that you can visit more attractions and experience more of what makes each place unique.

“Take the High Road” and Explore PA Route 6 on Motorcycle

PA Route 6 is perfect for motorcycle enthusiasts because the road itself is mainly a two-lane road through rural areas and communities. No big-city traffic. No hustle-bustle of too many people crammed into too small of a space. Here you can relax and enjoy the ride while taking in the charm of small-town America.

For the motorcycle enthusiast, we’ve developed 5 loops across PA Route 6 ranging from 189 miles to 270 miles in length. Each loop is designed to take riders through some of the most pleasant and scenic areas of northern Pennsylvania. We have loops for the Pocono Mountains, Endless Mounts, Pennsylvania Wilds East, Pennsylvania Wilds West, and the Great Lakes Region. View and download the “Take the High Road” Motorcycle Loop Map today and view and download itineraries that we’ve created for each of these loops as well.

Follow the Artisan Trail!

Northern Pennsylvania’s rich history, diverse regions, and friendly people come together to produce a vibrant culture of craftsmanship and creativity. Each year, we celebrate the unique talents of the artisans living and working within the Route 6 Corridor with our Artisan Trail Map. Each map is a directory of the many talented individuals and businesses in this region, and we have created itineraries that make discovering these folks even easier.

Our artisan-themed road trips take travelers on an artistic adventure through each region of PA Route 6. Visit this page and enjoy art-inspired road trips for the Pocono Mountains, Endless Mountains, Pennsylvania Wilds, and Great Lakes Region.

PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail

If you’re looking for another artsy road trip adventure, consider the PA Route 6 Public Art & Mural Trail, which consists of stops to view the dozens of murals and public art pieces scattered throughout the corridor. Many of these works detail local history and celebrate life in small towns. View this page and you’ll find an interactive map with the address for each mural and public art piece that we have located or had submitted to us from members of each community. Be sure to zoom in on the map, though, as some of these are so close to each other that you need to enlarge the map in order to see how many actually exist in each area.

The Ultimate Biking Road Trip

A “non-traditional” road trip is to cycle across PA Route 6, which carries both state and national bike route designations. But if you’re looking to get off of Route 6 and explore the more rural and scenic areas within the corridor, consider selecting one our bike loops. We have 6 Signature Loops as well as 20 Heritage Community Loops to choose from. Visit the bicycle page on our website and click on the loop you’d like to ride. You’ll be redirected to our Ride with GPS account which offers detailed cue sheets for each loop.

Our 6 Signature Loops were created with advanced riders in mind. These loops traverse some of the region’s most challenging riding, averaging around 67 miles per loop with numerous elevation gains. Some of them can be done in a single day while others might require a weekend.

Our Heritage Community Loops, however, are much shorter, with each one beginning and ending in one of our 20 Heritage Communities. These loops, when strung together using PA Route 6 as the connector, form the Trans Pennsylvania Cycle Tour. These loops range 15-30 miles in length with varying skill level and mixed surface riding. Each of our loops is designed to showcase the best that each community and surrounding areas has to offer.

Conclusion

There’s more than one way to experience a road trip! But as long as that road trip in along PA Route 6, you’re sure to have an enjoyable and memorable experience. You can follow these itineraries verbatim or use them as a general guide to help you customize a trip to suit your desires. Either way, the only thing you need to do next is decide when you want to go!