an excellent hidden gem, allowing exploration of nature & art…read more old tunnels & forgotten track tracks covered in graffiti paired with natural rock formations & a short creek nature trail walk covered in moss & various fauna, all blending together for quite a scenic experience it was a delightful off-the-beaten-path visit, not sure I'd go routinely if I lived in the area, but would definitely recommend as a one time must-check out experience

I have always loved this hidden South Hills gem. Art and exploration nestled in an urban setting…read more Wooded green space with a creek and little paths for walking, lunching, and more. Natural stone and man-made features for climbing. Abandoned railroad tracks, graffiti and more.

I love Fall Run! Everything about it. Great little hiking trails, water falls, and areas for…read morepicnicing. The best part is that if you look closely, you will find that someone has set up little gnome, faeries, and mushroom houses and scenes throughout the property. Usually in and around trees. Finding the little ceramic figures just living their lives in the forest makes for a fun kind of scavenger hunt. And, oh...there are little trolls as well.

There is great scenery in this local park! The linear trail is wide and has multiple bridges…read more Perfect spot for a quick nature fix.

The most apparent thing to note about the park is the French Fry sculpture (officially called…read more"Pittsburgh") by John Raymond Henry which was erected in 1977. Of course it's constructed of steel. This abstract work of art sits within the park along Bigelow. The park was a nice walk from our apartment and sometimes a nice drive for my SmartCar (see pics), lol. There are incredible views of the city from here. Other than the sculpture and the views, not much else to do here. Little areas for walking but that's about it. For me, it's all about the sculpture and the views making the space so very Pittsburgh.

One summer we did something wild and crazy, we played Croquet at Frank Curto Park. The French Fries…read moresculpture by John Raymond Henry provided a hilarious obstacle for our game. The park staff always keep the place finely manicured, so the course was perfect. We brought a picnic with us, and we had a blast. There are rabbits, turkeys, squirrels and birds here, it's quite extraordinary. There are beautiful trees, too. And the view of the Strip, Downtown and the sunset are all wonderful.

Wonderful, large park with many paved, groomed or grassy trails plus large field…read more Just a word of caution. I took my small dog there and he was killed by a pack of loose dogs. It is an off leash park, and the owners were no where in sight as my dog was surrounded by the pack. May be safer for medium to large dogs.

Beautiful park!! It allows dogs to be off leash. People also ride their horses here. Several trails…read morein the woods that are well kept. My favorite part is the huge field near the Halloway Rd entrance to the park. The grass is always cut in the field so you can lay down a blanket for a picnic or play with your dog. This may be one of my favorite parks in Pittsburgh. Only thing that sucks is I didn't see any public restrooms? Unless I missed them.

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!

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.

Clean park, the trails overall could be in better condition, I had to jump over a fallen tree to…read morecontinue, also the rocks on the trail are washed away

Duff Park is a wonderful park for hiking. Since we started incorporating hiking into our weekly…read moreworkout regime, we have found that Duff Park offers a lot of challenging hiking trails and some flatter biking trails. I suggest if you are new to the park to grab a map located at the main parking area off School Road South in Murrysville. I am not sure if this park offers a playground or picnic area as I have never seen it, but I am fine with that since we come specifically for the hike. There are plenty of trails to navigate through and some are very steep and narrow. Specifically one section of Forbes is reminiscent of being in the jungle. The vegetation is up past your shoulders, overgrown and covers the trail. You somewhat just follow the stamped down path that is rather unnerving if you do not like not being able to see where you are stepping. There are also many benches to rest on as you walk the trails as well as informative plaques posted on the trails detailing different trees and vegetation. You can definitely get a good workout in if you navigate several different trails. Though not all the trails are good for kids I would say there are plenty that you can take grade school kids on without any major issues so it can be a nice family workout as well.

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.