Right across from the NoBe gym near were Two Guys and a Truck is located. Not hard to find at all…read more Barely a quarter mile up from Route 88 on Valley Drive. Great place to walk a dog. Just clean up after.

Bethel Green is one of the newest acquisitions of the Allegheny Land Trust. It is a 40.5 acre…read moreconservation area with hiking trails located in Bethel Park. It used to be an industrial coal mine area, but is now a protected green space. It is a good place to go for a hike and to get out into nature, even though it is right in the middle of the suburbs. One of the highlights is a giant mountain of coal, called Mt. Bethel, with a trail crossing it (and a very steep grade on both sides of the trail). There are various benches for sitting, but currently no restroom facilities. Enjoy ... Cheers!

The Youghiogheny River Trail consists of 71 miles of crushed limestone rail trail from McKeesport,…read morePA to Confluence, PA. This trail is part of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) which extends from Pittsburgh, PA to Cumberland, MA for 150 miles then hooks up with the C & O Towpath for 185 miles to take you to Washington, D.C. (total of 335 miles). Mostly used by cyclists but it is also used by walkers and runners. Per the Regional Trail Council's website, the policy is that no motorized vehicles are allowed except for those who have mobility impairments as listed in this article of 2010 and is current as of 6/23/17 when posting this review: http://www.regionaltrailcorp.com/RTC_Mobility%20Device_Policy.pdf. As a disclaimer, I am only the messenger of the policy, not the author, and have re-posted in good-faith that it is current. It's a beautiful trail and very well maintained. On Sunday, June 4th, they had their annual Yough-n-Roll fundraiser to both promote the trail and drum up support for the many volunteers than maintain the trail. We saw evidence of much branch trimming going on. Boston, PA is one of the access points and one we use quite a bit for our starting point. They have plenty of parking there and it takes about 30 minutes from Monroeville to get there. Then, we like to ride to West Newton for 14 miles making for a 28 mile round trip ride. Once in West Newton, we love to eat at the Trailside (right along the trail). They have a great deck or you can dine inside when it's too hot. They have much to choose from and we usually go for one of their salads or sandwiches. Plus, they offer cold water to fill up your water bottle, a welcomed gesture for cyclists. There's also a bike shop below the restaurant that's quite handy. Can't say enough good things about the trail and all the amenities along the entire Youghiogheny River Trail. Worried there won't be enough restrooms? Well, if you see a ball field, there's probably a porta-potty. See Dravo Cemetery? There's a restroom. See a town with restaurants and civilization? They have restrooms. Want to visit a state park and maybe hike or kayak? Well, there's Ohiopyle right on the trail. Want to get a GAP jersey? West Newton has a store which carries them. Want beautiful photo ops? Say no more. You'll have plenty chances to take pics of flowers, water, birds, deer, turtles, maybe a snake (don't be scared -- they don't want to eat you. Be nice and ride around anything that looks like a stick. Remember your feet are on your pedals above any snakes.). Need a bike store? There's one in West Newton and Confluence. Need lodging? Connelsville has a new hotel right along the trail plus there are B & B's in quite a few of the towns. We've stayed in lodging in Ohiopyle and Confluence and were not disappointed. This Wikipedia site will tell you where access points are and where to park: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youghiogheny_River_Trail This website will tell you about the Mon/Yough Trail Council that volunteers to maintain the trail from McKeesport to the Westmoreland County line and how you can join or donate: http://thebostontrail.com/ This website will tell you about the Westmoreland Yough Trail Chapter volunteers to maintain the trail in Westmoreland County and how you can join or donate: https://www.bikewytc.org/ Oh, and here's the website that will tell you about all the chapters supporting this trail: http://www.regionaltrailcorp.com/chapters.html

My favorite thing about Pittsburgh in summer…read more The rivers keep this trail cool and breezy. It's long - you can go all the way to Ohiopyle (the trail is quite pretty out that way), or even, with some interruptions, Washington DC! It's all very green. The crushed limestone surface is very well-kept and good for mountain bikes and road bikes alike. There are stops for water, bathrooms, benches, a picturesque old cemetery. In case of rain, there are a number of covered picnic tables and baseball dugouts along the way that you can duck into. There are wildflowers and groundhogs and bunnies and little waterfalls. And snakes. And an ex-Tastee Freeze that now goes by the name Yough Twister. Hm. The only real drawback is that you have to drive to the trail with your bike from Pittsburgh. You can't even take a bus; the buses that run to McKeesport, where the trail officially begins (as of now) don't carry bikes. There are lots of entrances to the path, most marked with little signs. In the town of Boston, PA there is a big parking lot and some playing fields and rest rooms that make a good place to start. Remember speedy Pittsburghers, pass on the left and hail when passing! Oh, and like all the great bike paths I love, this one has been the site of some highway robbery . . . Because this is a rails-to-trails, there is almost no elevation change. If I had kids, I'd take them here. But I would encourage them NOT to stop in the middle of the path if they needed to adjust something on their bicycles. Much better any day than a trip to Lake Erie. It's also nice in the fall.

The Roaring Run Natural Area is located some 55 miles east of Pittsburgh and it's a part of the…read moreForbes State Forest. Indeed the whole area is made up of a chain of state parks and forests running southwest from Donegal, PA to Ohiopyle and including Laurel Hill State Park, Laurel Ridge State Park, and Ohiopyle State Park. The Roaring Run Natural Area consists of 3500+ acres and is located on the west west slope of Laurel Ridge in Westmoreland County. Roaring Run Natural Area is mostly woodlands with second and third growth forests. In the early 1900s, this area was used for logging. This reapeated logging has caused the forest here to be quite varied in age and composition. In it, you'll find northern hardwoods and many oak species as you hike through it. The area was also used for farming and you can find somewhat recently abandoned fields as well as older farmlands which have completely reverted to forest. Roaring Run Natural Area features a complete mountain stream protected within its watershed. Roaring Run is spring fed near the summit of Laurel Ridge. The stream drops 1,220' in elevation, over a length of 5 miles, before ending at its confluence with Indian Creek in the village of Champion. Roaring Run is designated as a Wilderness Trout Stream and Exceptional Value Stream. The area also has several miles of good hiking trails within its boundaries and me and my girlfriends came out here for just that. Many of the trails were built on the paths of the old logging railroads, so in some ways they're rails-to-trails conversions. The trails vary in difficulty level and are duly marked with blue and yellow blazes. Blue denotes trails maintained for cross-country skiing, while yellow denotes trails maintained for foot traffic only. There are no bicycles permitted on any of the trails. We began our hiking from one of the parking lots off of Painter Rock Road. Painter Rock Road appears to dead end into one of the trails and there is no parking at that point. Most of the trails form loops and we decided to walk in a counter clockwise direction, beginning by hiking up the road a little bit until we came to the McKenna Trail. We turned left on the McKenna until it met up with the North Loop Trail. Don't let the map fool you--the North Loop Trail is 4.5 miles long, but it's on the old logging railroad grades. We hiked the length of that until we reached the Painter Rock Trail. We made a right and followed that around to the Roaring Run Trail, which of course follows the stream by the same name. We made a left on that and did another 2 miles. Again, the trail follows the old logging railroad grade. We had many good views of the stream from here. When we got to the junction of the Roaring Run Trail and the Painter Rock Trail, I had to stop and take a sugar break (I'm a type-1 diabetic). So we followd the Roaring Run Trail down to the Hillside Trail, which is really just a short connector of about a mile over to the Jones Mill Run Trail. This trail follows Jones Mill Run creekbed for its length. We followed that trail for a mile and took another rest break at one of the parking lots. We took a look at the map and noticed that the Cherry Trail follows Jones Mill Run south and out of the Natural Area into Laurel Hill State Park. From there we could have hiked back up the Red Creek Trail, but our answer was "No Way!" We were getting a little tired at this point and as I mentioned, some of these trails are really rugged in here. So we looped back another couple of miles on the McKenna Trail to our starting point. All in all, I'd say we hiked a good 10 miles. And we're going to have to visit some of the other areas I mentioned in this review. The Forbes State Forest, of which the Roaring Run Natural Area is a part of, comprises about 60,000 acres located in Westmoreland, Somerset and Fayette Counties. This is a terrific place to hike and explore. Just remember a few key things. 1) Make sure you wear good, sturdy hiking shoes. Many of these trails are very rugged and have sticks and stones which could cut your feet. Not only that, hiking shoes will give you great traction, support, and balance so your feet won't feel so tired when you're done. 2) Plan ahead--make sure you bring a map. Also make sure you bring food and water. There are no places to obtain any of these in the park. Apples, dried fruits, and nuts will give your body plenty of carbs and energy. A PBJ sandwich is highly recommended. make sure your cel phone is fully charged. 3) Never, ever hike in here alone. This park has some very isolated sections and if something was to happen to you, it's possible no one would ever find you. 4) Stay on the blazed trails. 5) Take only photographs, leave only footprints.

Beautiful area with intermediate-difficulty trails that are, unfortunately, not particularly well…read moremarked. (We weren't the only ones who got lost.) Hiking shoes, good weather, and plenty of time are necessary, especially if you will be traversing the miles of trail in the central portion of the park. The promised "vistas" on Painter Rock Trail never materialized--perhaps because the leaves were still on the trees? However, we were there for the foliage first, and that delivered. May try again in the spring out and back along the 3.3 miles of Roaring Run Trail. Being an hour from Pittsburgh, it doesn't make sense to spend less than 2 hours out on the trails anyway.

I was staying at Hidden Valley recently and I was looking for a cool place to hike in the area that…read moreI hadn't been to before and I happen to discover this gem. What a great spot for a hike, but an even better place for a swim, relaxing, a picnic on the grass or some sun on the sand by the water. So after we arrived we hit the trail that ran along the water while taking in the small but beautiful lake. We then proceeded to head into the woods. It was a great little hike and the trails were very easy. After we were done hiking we got the huge blanket and the cooler with snacks and drinks in it out of the car and headed over to a shaded spot under the trees. We sat in the grass area in the left corner of the parking lot and listened to music, ate, drank and enjoyed each other's company for a good while. Then after that we packed up our stuff in the car and headed down to the water and enjoyed the lake which is very clean and refreshing and the scenery is absolutely beautiful. I love that they have sand and everyone looked so happy. They also have an area where you can purchase food and beverages but they also have many other great amenities which I am sure can be discovered on here or on their website. I am so glad I discovered this place. I will most definitely be stopping by again when I am in the area. Enjoy :)

As if there wasn't enough parks in the Laurel Highlands, there is Laurel Hill State Park a 3,935…read moreacre natural area of beautiful forest, overlooks, ponds and streams. My recent visit was promising at first, but the rain just kept coming all day long and it "dampened" my spirits completely. I stopped by the main office and got directions to the Jones Mill Dam. Since it was raining so much I gave it some time to clear up, but to no avail. This park is certainly worth checking out and it will be super beautiful later on in the Spring. The wood frogs, spring peepers and other animals will be active. On the same road that this park lies on is two other parks: Kooser State Park and Laurel Ridge State Park, so it is possible to hit those up while in the area. I will certainly make the trip out here later on towards May.

Finished our stay-cation with a 5 mile hike through bear run. We followed the red loop - within…read moreabout 1/4 mile you lost the sounds of the road and could only hear the stream that the hike traversed and crossed. The terrain was challenging at times with rocks and fallen logs that required climbing. Areas also very muddy that could not be avoided. The path is clearly marked and getting lost would be something someone did on purpose! Across the street from falling water, the parking lot is behind the barn. Multiple trails of varying difficulty. Would definitely visit again.

What a great place!!! Who knew??? I know we've driven by here dozens of times going to Ohiopyle or…read moreFallingwater and just thought it was a parking lot of some sort. But NO! This place is amazing!! A big thanks to Susan D and her list of hiking places for pointing it out! This is not to be missed if you're looking for some outdoor adventure and some great hiking along miles and miles of trails. We drove out here solely to spend a great fall day in the woods. Armed with trail maps we got online we picked out roughly the miles we wanted to hike and started off. What surprised us was the condition of the trails - amazing! Some were pine covered making for soft comfortable walking. Others were moss or grass covered and a few had some loose rock that you had to be careful with. I know this is Laurel Mountain but I was amazed to be hiking through dense forests of spectacular mountain laurel and rhododendron. What a gorgeous place! We were there after all the leaves were gone but we are sure to come back when the place is in bloom or in full fall color. We didn't run into a single person anywhere during our extensive hike ( we enjoyed it so much we went far beyond our initial hiking plan!). If you enjoy hiking and being outdoors, I highly recommend you give Bear Run a try. It's worth the drive!!

I live a stone's throw from the the Arrowhead Trail, which is the local branch of the Montour Trail…read morein Peter's Township, and go running and biking there at least three times a week. The Montour Trail is a 46 mile portion of the Great Allegheny Passage, which stretches from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., and is a rails to trails project. They do an excellent job keeping this trail up, on both the paved and crushed limestone surfaces. I've only seen it closed once, after last winter's massive storm which caused alot of fallen trees. Some of the trail is quite beautiful, and there are plaques and photos up near the Greer Tunnel, where you can see what it looked like back when this was the Pittsburgh/Ohio railroad and coal cars moved through here every day instead of bikes and strollers. I noticed the other day when I was running through the Greer Tunnel that it was raining inside, due to large chunks of concrete that have fallen. You can look up and see dirt, so I think at some point, maybe very soon, this tunnel is going to need some work. When we first moved here I called and asked if they needed volunteers to work on the trail, and they said no, they had plenty of volunteers, but they could use some money, so we've been members ever since.

Although this trail is pretty, and well-kept, I prefer the Yough Trail. If this one had been closer…read moreto where I lived, I might have been here more frequently. Take your pick, but do try them both!! Whitney B. is right on - this trail is a real asset. Crushed limestone surface is great for running, but it's long enough for a serious bike ride. As always, don't forget to pass on the left and hail when passing!

Had no idea where to park. Drove around a bit and finally parked around the 2 mile marker. We were…read morealong the river briefly but then no view and lots of fences. Wouldn't choose this trail for walking

Easy bike ride along the Monongahela River. My friend and I started at the well-marked Clarksville…read moretrailhead near the Greene Cove Yacht Club and made our way towards Rices Landing. For the time being the trail is not very long (about 11 miles roundtrip) but I read that there are plans to add another 9 miles to the trail which would make it worth driving from Pittsburgh to enjoy on bike. We unfortunately got caught in the rain and a couple down trees meant we turned around about two thirds of the way. Nevertheless the trail had little elevation and Rices Landing was a nice place to stop (there are historic buildings in town, a gazebo and a small park where you can sit along the river). We passed several picnic benches along the trail where one could sit and take in the lovely view. There was also a portajohn at the Rices Landing trailhead parking. Weather permitting, this would be a lovely hiking/walking trail. I'll be back with my bike in better weather once the trail is extended.

I don't often make it to this part of town but I saw the sign for Pleasant Valley Park a few months…read moreago when driving by and vowed to return for a hike. It was a warmer fall day when I returned. I had checked out the park map online (easily accessible at http://www.pvpark.org/) beforehand. It's a smaller park with only a few miles of trails. But the trails are well marked and maintained. I followed the longer Hank's Trail and while the trail is narrow in spots, I never felt lost. There was some mild elevation but overall the hike was easy. Pleasant Valley Park is good for hiking if you just want to get out into the woods. There aren't really any outstanding features that I saw (like waterfalls or rock formations) but it's a great place to escape for a couple hours.