If you are in Pittsburgh Riverview Park is a must goto. I go…read morethere with my golden retriever, There is 2 huge dog park areas that are totally enclosed and are huge also the entire park is dog friendly. I also go there with my grand daughter as there is a great playground. If you are a jogger or walker there is a huge walkway or jogging area. There are many events that are in the park which are great. If you are in the area this is a must come to park.

Riverview Park has one of the largest and most extensive trail systems in the Pittsburgh area. With…read moreso many interconnected trails winding through different neighborhoods, it's easy to have a different experience every time you visit. I also like that you can step into a nearby neighborhood and grab something to eat before continuing your hike. Compared to Schenley or Frick Park, it also tends to be less crowded, making it a great option if you're looking for a quieter, more peaceful walk. That said, the trails are not as well maintained as many of Pittsburgh's other parks. Some sections are in great condition, while others have overgrown vegetation, uneven rocky terrain, steep drop-offs, and occasional hazards like broken glass. I noticed small pieces of glass along the Archery Trail, so I would recommend wearing hiking boots or sturdy athletic shoes rather than thin-soled sneakers. Because of the terrain, I think this park is much better suited for walking and hiking than for running. Most of the trails are not wheelchair accessible and may be difficult for young children, older adults, or anyone with mobility challenges. Even with the overgrowth, the scenery is beautiful, and many areas were filled with fragrant plants and wildflowers. I didn't personally see any poison ivy during my visit, but it's always a good idea to stay aware of your surroundings. One area that could definitely be improved is restroom access. There are very few restrooms throughout the park, and one restroom that had been open during a previous visit was locked in the middle of the day on a Sunday. Adding a few portable restrooms near the busiest trailheads would make a big difference for visitors. Parking is easier than I expected. While there aren't many dedicated parking lots, there is plenty of street parking throughout the surrounding neighborhoods. Depending on which trails you choose, you may also come across areas where unhoused individuals have set up encampments. During my visits, everyone kept to themselves and I didn't have any negative interactions, but it's something visitors should be aware of and another reason to stay aware of your surroundings in such a large urban park. The observatory has unfortunately been closed each time I've visited, but the park frequently hosts community events that are worth checking out. It's encouraging to see ongoing improvements, and I hope the city continues investing in this park because it has so much potential. Overall, Riverview Park is a beautiful place to explore and one of Pittsburgh's most expansive trail systems. While there are areas that could benefit from better maintenance, additional restrooms, and continued safety improvements, it's still well worth visiting. With a little more attention, I truly think it has the potential to become one of the best parks in Pittsburgh.

This is a lively park with a great distance trail for walking, strolling and biking. The river side…read moreis busy and parked many boats, & the river definitely needs some cleaning. There are many restaurants right outside of the park area, convenient to grab a bite and drinks. The baseball stadium is also right by the park and can be accessed as soon as you walk off of the bridge. We didn't see a playground on the trail, but the entire park can be a large place to play. There are kids play by the large running water fountain and in the river. Many dogs were spotted in the parks. Very dog friendly. Highly recommend to check out this place when in Pittsburgh, PA

I've only been on a short portion of the path along the south side of the Allegheny River, so…read moreplease take this review with a gigantic grain of unprocessed sea salt. I can imagine this waterfront used to be pretty rough, so it's pretty neat that they decided to make it a regionalish-feeling park, spruce it up, and get people walking down here. I expected it to feel much more unsafe than it did. I don't know Pittsburgh well enough to know how safe this park really is, but it felt completely safe walking around as an obvious tourist in broad daylight, so that's a good sign. The pavement of the path varies from very well maintained to broken up and muddied. When you're here, watch your step, and if you're riding a bike along the path, be very careful, especially in areas with puddles. You can get to most of the bridges across the Allegheny River from the south side, but it often (always?) requires you to go up ramps along Fort Duquesne Boulevard. I really like those bridges, so it's cool to be able to walk right up to and beneath all of them as you go.

Folks, I've had so many incredible photos I've shot from here over the years and need to really…read morepull them up and get posted. Perhaps it's just an excuse to visit on my next trip home. The park is on the Mount (Mt. Washington) with over 250 acres and crazy-good views of the city. It has gardens and walking trails (10+ miles). The most interesting and best part of this park is that it was a dump site (illegal) restored into a beautiful area for everyone to enjoy.

Emerald View is a Pittsburgh treasure! The concept is stunning, a series of trails that encircle…read morethe neighborhoods of Mt Washington and Duquesne Heights. The reward is a natural paradise in the midst of an urban center and stunning views of the Downtown skyline. You can hike within the dense canopy of leaves, and then arrive at beautiful views of the West End, the West End Bridge, and of Downtown. The park showcases the city in such a unique way, and it is only minutes away from our downtown hotels. What a remarkable treat for Pittsburgh visitors, but also city residents. Created in 2005, it's the newest and smallest of our network of 5 main city parks, that include Frick, Schenley, Highland, and Riverview. The trails were professionally designed, then developed by community volunteers plus a workforce training program. It's 257 acres, and filled with opportunities for birding, nature hikes, and urban exercise.

Part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail that runs along the Allegheny & Ohio Rivers …read more Beautiful views of the city during a bike ride as well as Memorial Parks along the North Shore including The Fred Roger's, Vietnam, Korean, WWII & The Law Enforcement. Along the Ohio River is The USS Requin, (French for Shark) as submarine museum associated with the Carnegie Science Center. The Rivers Casino is also nearby if you're feeling lucky! Also along the North Shore there's a variety of restaurants for a bite along the ride. Well kept trails with friendly people along the way to chat with if you're so inclined. Always a nice and relaxing ride along the rivers. It's a refreshing ride in the heart of town that's close to the city yet surrounded by nature. A perfect mix of nature surrounded by downtown amenities. Love spending the day along the trails, highly recommended!!

Walking the North Shore recently I came across the new chalk drawings near the Shore Thing…read moreplatform. Very nice to see. Some are 3D if you stand in the right area.

Tons of walking trails right outside of Oakland. Who would have thought there was this much nature…read moreright near the city. Well kept and trails are marked. Make sure you have your walking shoes

Bartlett playground in this park. Portapotty no running water. Picnic tables with a barbeque pit…read more Pretty trees. Playground has section for toddlers.

This lovely conservation area is 450 acres of beautiful forest with lots to see and a very shadowy…read morepast. The ruins of an old pipe factory are very visible and there are informative signs that tell the story. These occurrences took place in the 1800's. There is history of criminals murdered, accidental death(pipe factory), a hanging, an explosion, a drowning, a giant snake sighting, all taking place in the park. For this reason many people think that the sight is haunted by the people who met their fate here. I hate to burst the excitement, but I have never experienced ghosts, or any other paranormal activity while spending time there. In fact, despite it's dark past Dead Man's Hollow is a very tranquil place. If you have been there during May when Spring season really kicks off you will see tons of wildflowers that are spectacular. The pipe factory had a fire and the ground was burned. This happens to be very good for re-growth and as a result we get to experience a lot of beautiful flora. Also, the old pipe factory remains are covered with cool graffiti. The trails are at times narrow, but they are very clean. You are at some point going to climb up and down hills, so it is a very good workout. I would say that the hiking is a bit more challenging. To find it I would suggest searching via a trailhead name and not just the park name. One example would be "cat fish pond trail." There is a nice parking area near that trailhead. There is also another parking area on the other side of the park(more on that later). This other side is closer to the ruins.

We checked out the catfish pond today. It looked promising at first but soon discovered that there…read moreis very little accessibility to fish there. The spots that are open are at an incline sloped towards the pond and are very slippery and hazardous. I do not recommend taking young kids there. My daughter and I fished for an hour or so and only saw bluegill in the 3-4" range and smaller minnows. We used lures and worms and had many bites but the fish were too small to get hooked. We did see many water turtles and even a few babies whose shell was about 2-3" in diameter. We also saw one large snapping turtle appear for a few seconds. There are also a bunch of bullfrog minnows whose bodies were the size of golf balls (early June). It's a cool place to see but we won't be returning to fish.

It's pretty. It's not a super exciting trail but there are nice picnic areas and it's very green.read more

A wonderful treasure of the Pittsburgh region. I have learned untold knowledge of wildflowers…read morenative to Western Pennsylvania by walking these trails each Spring. It's a living museum of wildflowers! With an abundance of Trillium in the 1980's, the park was a stunning sight with blankets of Trillium. But a growing deer population in the 90's decimated the Trillium population. An experimental deer enclosure revitalized the park, and the wildflowers are making an impressive comeback. While there is only a few miles of trail here, the wildflowers are the main attraction, and you should come in successive weeks in April and into May if you want to admire these fleeting beauties. Dedicated volunteers regularly remove invasive species, and each year the trails and bridges are regularly repaired and upgraded. For your first trip, go with a wildflower expert, such as a guided tour provided by Venture Outdoors, which is excellent. See you on the trail!

The covered bridge here at Hillman State Park is very cute! It's a cheerful bright red and located…read moreon a road that didn't seem too busy, giving us a good opportunity to slow down and enjoy checking it out. The park is home to a radio control model airport with a variety of amenities - preregistration has to be made through the nearby Raccoon Creek State Park office. A large number of signs posted indicated that the park is open for hunting. There are also hiking trails available.

It's August, so I was out hunting for butterflies to take photo's of and I have never been to this…read morepark, so I decided to head out here. I have heard of it when going to Raccoon Creek Park, which is a much better park. I couldn't even find the place for the first 30 minutes in the area. I finally stumbled upon it and must have gone in the back way. Well, it was full of hunting areas and trails that are full of so much brush that it seems like it would be tick infested, in fact there is a sign warning about ticks. Anyways, I couldn't find any good trails, but I ran into a lot of milk weed and some butterflies that I did capture on my digital camera. I was not excited about this park. It seems like it is set up for people who want to hunt. That kind of scares me a bit because I don't want to get shot!