High Plateau Scenic Byway
High Plateau Scenic Byway is a State Scenic Byway in Pennsylvania. Within Pennsylvania it covers roughly 30 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along High Plateau Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The High Plateau Scenic Byway climbs 27 miles along PA Route 144 between Snow Shoe, just off I-80, and the small town of Renovo. It runs along the top of the Allegheny Plateau through the Sproul State Forest. The road is known for some of the curviest, most abrupt terrain of any state highway in Pennsylvania, switchbacking across a high tableland where no power lines or houses interrupt views that have changed little in a century. Hardwood forest mixed with evergreens and mountain laurel covers the plateau, and the byway skirts the Burns Run and Fish Dam Wild Areas, undeveloped tracts managed to stay that way. Wildlife sightings — deer, black bear, and occasionally elk — are common along the drive. Near State Camp, the Dennison Overlook sits at about 2,200 feet elevation and more than 10 miles from the nearest light pollution, earning it a spot in the Dark Skies Directory as one of central Pennsylvania's better stargazing pull-offs.
- 27 miles of PA Route 144
- Snow Shoe to Renovo, Sproul State Forest
- Atop the Allegheny Plateau, no power lines visible
- Deer, black bear, and elk sightings
- Burns Run & Fish Dam Wild Areas
- Dennison Overlook, Dark Skies Directory site
Plan a drive on High Plateau Scenic Byway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along High Plateau Scenic Byway
No campgrounds are listed close to High Plateau Scenic Byway yet, but there are rooms near the route.
Campsite and lodging links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.