Blue Ridge Summit, PA

Perched near the top of South Mountain right along the Maryland border, Blue Ridge Summit is a quiet mountain village with fewer than a thousand residents. In the late 1800s, the arrival of the railroad turned the area into a popular summer escape for folks from Baltimore looking to beat the city heat. Today, that resort-era charm lingers in the leafy neighborhoods, historic cottages, and peaceful, slower pace of life up on the ridge.

ATTRSmallbones / CC0

There is a surprising amount of history tucked into these hills. Wallis Simpson, who later married King Edward VIII, was born in a cottage here in 1896, and several U.S. presidents played rounds at the historic Monterey Country Club down the road. Between the scenic mountain vistas, nearby Civil War landmarks, and easy access to towns across the Maryland line, it offers a laid-back lifestyle with deep local roots.