Oooo, just visited this divine natural area and it is gorgeous! They have a very nice woodland…read morewith a beautiful stream, rock formations, well marked trails and pretty hemlock trees. It is owned by the Audubon Society and is in Sarver, P.A. We went at the end of February and some of the trails were extremely muddy. We had to back track and go different paths because we didn't want to be steeped in mud. You should for sure bring some good boots with lots of traction. It is definitely worth the visit!

A great place to hike not far off of route 28 that's quiet and scenic with lots to see. There's a…read morereally nice pond not far from the beginning of the trail. Great place to take the kids to see wildlife and explore nature plus it's Free.

I discovered Thornburg Conservation Park earlier this year, when I was searching for a new place to…read morego for regular walks. I now really love coming here for a quick dose of nature during my week! Finding the parking lot ended up being my first adventure here, because Google maps kept taking me to a residential street on the other side of the railroad tracks that sit above the park. The actual entrance is behind the Thornburg Public Works Building; easy to get to once you know where you're going, but boy did the GPS make it hard initially. The park itself is apparently thirty-eight acres (so says the borough website), and it has interconnecting trails that are very easy to navigate. The terrain is fairly flat overall, although if you walk further up the creek it can get bumpy in spots. It's definitely worth stopping by throughout the year to see the changing colors and the seasonal blooms come and go. I even saw a hummingbird during one visit this summer - not sure anything will top that! Note that dogs are allowed in the park by permit only, although I tend to see a lot of folks walking with their four legged friends so I don't think it's hard to get a permit. All in all, this is a peaceful and beautiful place to visit, and is especially nice on days where a shorter and easy-paced nature walk is needed. Here's to my next stroll at Thornburg!

I just took a venture over this way for some very light hiking. I usually bring my hiking boots,…read morebut this time I just wore regular shoes and that was a bad choice. There is grass covering the main trails that is very wet and kind of like a bog. My shoes and socks got very wet romping through here. There was multiple species of butterfly including cabbage white, silvery checkerspot, pearl crescent, hackberry emperor and a hawk moth. I also saw some white tailed deer and squirrels. There were two sets of wooden steps that looked very dilapidated. The wood is rotten and uneven. If I was not more agile I would have fallen trying to walk on them. This didn't make me want to walk on the rest of this trail. Besides the fact that some of the park is in a sad state of disrepair and there is very thick grass covering a good portion of the trails, it is a nice place to explore and very picturesque scenery. The Chartiers Creek is a nice big body of water that is relaxing to enjoy. There is beautiful wildlife to experience and it is quiet and peaceful. The trails are of a very mild difficulty for hiking as it is mostly pretty flat. Not too bad.

Townsend Park is very nice! We play baseball here so we come here at least twice a week. The fields…read moreare very nice and the equipment is helpful to rake the field. I have never hiked the whole trail but I did see the entrance to one. The park is also very clean and you can tell it's well kept.

Townsend Park is part of the Murrysville Parks Department and like its sister Duff Park, it offers…read morea surprisingly extensive trail system. I did some winter hiking here along with some of my co-workers as part of my job's wellness program. Most of Townsend Park's trails are loops, so it's possible to hike as little or as much as you want. This does mean doing some doubling back, but that doesn't detract from an enjoyable hike. We started out from the parking lot on the Ron Stoll Trail, going in a clockwise direction. The Ron Stoll is the park's main trail, being rather wide and an easy hike. We turned left onto the Pine Grove Trail for about .10 mile. The park's website says that owls are known to roost here. We then made another left and went clockwise on the Twin Oaks Loop Trail, paralleling a stream for much of its length. This trail ends at the main access road, but a left and another left put us back on the Twin Oaks Loop Trail. We then completed the Pine Grove Trail back to the Ron Stoll Trail. We the went clockwise on the Pokeberry Hill Trail, which has some moderate hills. We then regained the Ron Stoll Strail, backtracking down to the Heart Attack Hill Trail. Don't worry folks--it's not as bad as its name implies! But it is a vigorous walk up to the top of the hill from about an elevation of 1200 feet to 1340 feet. The hike on this trail is o-so worth it with views of the Laurel Mountains. We took a break here before descending counterclockwise on the Spring Hill Trail. This trail goes down the back of Heart Attack Hill towards a natural spring. We then did another clockwise loop on the Sunset and Sunrise Trails before going down the Bulltown Link Trail. We then did another backtrack to the Heart Attack Trail before returning to the parking lot. Townsend Park may not have the extensive trail system that, say, Frick Park has. But in looping the trails, it's possible to get a good 4 mile hike in. It's definitely worth a morning's exercise here.

You should really check out Montour Woods Conservation Area out by Moon Township if you want a…read moregood, quiet place to hike. I was honestly surprised by how many trails they have packed in there. It's mostly deep woods with a bunch of little stream crossings, and you can do anything from an easy, flat walk to some pretty steep climbs if you want a decent workout. It also connects right to the Montour Trail if you want to keep going. You'll see a decent amount of mountain bikers out there, but the paths are wide enough that it doesn't feel crowded at all. It's just a great, low-key spot to clear your head for an hour or two without having to drive all the way out of the city.

Oh my goodness. How beautiful was this hike!? My son stopped to take a picture in the valley…read morebecause it was so beautiful and he didnt want to miss it. He also recorded the rushing creek and nature sounds. I love trails that feel like a fairy tale. Theres a cave and a gorgeous creek the color of Maine water (not what were used to with the Allegheny river) I do have a warning though snd thats to use the bathroom anywhere before you arrive. There seems to be one port a potty that has not been serviced in far too long.

Its a nice bike trail but its worth noting its an uphill slope if youre going from Freeport to…read moreButler. Its barely noticable but coming back down is a much easier ride.

Beautiful green lush landscape surrounds trails through this area. Be careful in case you…read moreencounter ticks.

The Panhandle Trail presently stretches from Rennerdale, PA to Weirton, WV although the Rennerdale…read moretrail head has a Carnegie mailing address. Eventually it will go to Stuebenville, OH when completed, a three-state, 34-mile ride will be possible. The Panhandle Trail isn't named because there are a lot of beggars on the path! Although if the economy continues the way it has been, that just might be the case! "Brother, can you spare a quarter so I can work the airhose?" No, it's a rails-to-trails conversion and the Panhandle Trail is named for the former Conrail Railroad Panhandle Line over whose route it traverses. My husband Rick and I are avid trail riders and we did about 50 miles today round trip on the Panhandle Trail. The trail itself is an easy grade although it gets a bit rough in places. Portions of it are paved, but much of it is gravel. I strongly recommend a good mountain bike or trail bike, unless you know you're sticking to the paved portions. It goes through some very pretty rural areas and some scenic small towns too. Along the way you'll notice that many of the locals have created colorful sculptures out of recycled materials and have built homemade bird houses to enhance the trail. Rick and I began our ride right at the eastern trailhead at the corner of Walker's Mill Road and Scott Avenue in Rennerdale/Carnegie, across the street from The Market. There's trail parking available there. A secondary access point in Rennerdale is at Sunnyside Avenue, about two blocks south of the fire department. So if the lot at the trailhead is full, you can try your luck there. One thing we noticed was that a lot of train stations and station sites (from when this was a passenger train line) remain as point of refernces for cyclists. About 1/4 mile into our ride we saw a windmill, which provided aeration for a quarry. About 1 3/4 mile we entered a cut through the rocks and we saw some very intersting formations on both sides of the trail. Just beyond that we saw a mile marker left over from the railroad. It's milepost 13 because it was 13 train miles from Pittsburgh. Between Gregg Station and Oakdale Station, we traversed a double arch stone bridge over a river. If you need to make a pit stop, Sturgeon is the place to do it. There are permanent restrooms, vending machines, and a water fountain here. I'm told that just outside Sturgeon, goats frequent the trail. The trail is paved between Sturgeon and Montour, but it's kind of rough. One of the scenic highpoints between Sturgeon and Primrose is the Montour Bridge. This carried the Montour RR across the Conrail RR and it's now where the Montour Trail goes across the Panhandle Trail. Rick and I rode the Montour Trail last year and the bridge across the Panhandle Trail is an absolutlely spectacular ride! A one mile trail connects the two. Between Bulger and Burgettstown, the trail gets really rough. You have to ride with caution for about a 2.5 mile stretch because the trail is really rutted in places. Plus it can get very muddy in through here after a storm. The next town is Burgettstown. If you are going any further, be advised. There are no services between Burgettstown and the end of the trail at Collier, which is a distance of about 12 miles. So if you need food or fluids be sure to stop at the IGA here http://www.yelp.com/biz/petrucci-market-iga-burgettstown#hrid:VzKJJ0_mD_QnUQAU3XbtLA/src:self because it's your last chance! From Burgettstown to the State Line, the path travels through some scenic rock cuts, over some streams, and through some short tunnels under the roads. At MP 17.47, there's a bench--the Beer Bench because it supposedly smells like beer! Hmmm! Rick and I wrapped things up at MP 24.67, the state line. A marker leftover from the railroad days marks the border here. It is marked for the P.C.C. & St.L. RR. I have no idea what that stands for (Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cincinnati, & St. Louis?). Conrail was the last rail company to run trains here and Rick says that line was most famously known as the Pennsylvania RR. This is a fantastic ride and you should really take your time and enjoy it. Once again, here are Susan's bike tips: 1) Wear a helmet. Yes girls, we get helmet hair from it--deal with it. 2) When doing a long ride such as this, ride with someone. 3) Bring a chain tool, tire repair kit, & mini pump. It's easy to learn how to do quick repairs. Remember, few things can spoil a ride like a breakdown. Ain't much fun walking your bike several miles! 4) Be sure to bring plenty of water, snacks such as dried fruit, nuts, etc, and a cell phone. 5) Make sure your bike is in tip-top mechanical condition.

We didn't get far as it was a family affair and some of us walked and some of us rode our bikes but…read moreall of us stopped at the creek. It was such a beautiful unexpected trail and creeks make everything better for my kids.

When I lived in Bloomfield, I'd often walk over to Oakland and the Panther Hollow Trail. The trail…read moreis part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail system. It's well-maintained and kept clean. The trail is perfect for walking and biking. Whether you're out for a casual & leisurely walk or to get your jog on, it's a perfect trail. Peaceful and serene, surrounded by nature in the heart of a bustling city.

Given that I live in N. Oakland, this trail is my gateway to the Three Rivers Heritage Trail…read moreSystem, a.k.a. the bike trails that run along all of Pittsburgh's rivers. It cuts through Schenley Park in pretty much the straightest and least hilly manner possible, connecting Oakland and Greenfield. The only part of this trail that I don't particularly like is the Greenfield end, where it loops around through part of the neighborhood, under the railroad bridge, and up into the trailhead parking lot for the Eliza Furnace trail. While it may be the safest way to get through this neighborhood at present, I particularly dislike the narrow blind corners, so on my way up to the trail, I often avoid them by climbing the hill and crossing the RR tracks (which you're not supposed to do, but I'm a railfan, so I know about trains and I'm careful). Speaking of which, closer to the Oakland side, this trail connects to the other Schenley Park trails via a connector that crosses the RR tracks. While not nearly as busy as many other RR tracks in PGH, these tracks (the same ones I cross) see a few trains a day, so take appropriate caution when crossing them. I've heard that wild turkeys live along this trail, but I've never actually seen them--at least, not in the park. (I did see them near Central Catholic HS one time). If you do encounter them, be careful, as they are hostile to cyclists and may attack!

Really nice pool! The locker room and pool are both super clean. There's a nice slide too…read more Currently, the baby pool is closed but the shallow end is nice. The life guards are pleasant and attentive to the swimmers. My daughter got a snack at the refreshment stand and the prices were not too bad. There's also a nice little gazebo and walking trail across from the pool. Closer to the entrance of the park is a dog park and tennis court. Something for everyone

Yes, there is a pool, playground and baseball field here. But there's so much more that I was…read moresurprised to discover. I was simply looking for a park where I could enjoy my lunch outside and I was near Bellevue Memorial Park. Google found it for me, I had no idea it was even there. After I enjoyed my lunch, I walked around the shelter where I had set up shop because I thought I saw a trail. I ended up finding a map posted in the park that actually listed several miles of trails that mostly lead through the woods. I returned a week later when I had the time to devote to some exploration. The trails themselves are not blazed but they are easily navigable and there are signs at all the trailheads. Most are not loops but meet up with other trails and you're never far from a road. I wandered the squirrel, falcon, fox, herron, nettle, deer, salamander and rabbit trails. The trails are well-maintained. Expect some elevation as I encountered lots of ups and downs. Be cautious, too, of water crossings. I also saw signs for a health and fitness trail that I will be back for once the weather is warmer. There is a small parking lot by the pool that is I think the easiest spot if you're there for the trails but there are also places to park along the sides of the road. I imagine in the warmer months (especially on the weekends) parking will be hard to come by with both the playground, ballfield and pool sharing this space. I had a good morning of hiking, though. I heard birds during my hike and even spotted a blue jay. Several deer crossed my path while, ironically, I was on the deer trail. Ramps were also set up throughout the trails for mountain bikers. While I like knowing that I'm not far from a main road it can also take away from my enjoyment of my hike when the songbirds are competing with the traffic. But deeper into some of the trails it is easier to get lost in the nature surrounding you.