The Alle-Kiski Trails is more or less an informal name for a trail system around Freeport, PA. I…read morefound its name from a map located on the Butler-Freeport Trail's website. The trails include the Butler-Freeport Trail, the Armstrong Trail, the Tredway Trail, the Baker Trail, the Rachel Carson Trail, and the proposed/planned Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Mainline Greenway and Allegheny River Trail. Interestingly, the Rachel Carson and Baker Trails are hiking trails only--they're not suitable for biking. But I'd still like to hike both. The problem is, to paraphrase R.E.M., you can't get there from here. Though presently these are all within a few miles of one another, they don't physically connect. For instance, the present southern terminus of the Armstrong Trail is in Schenley, PA--just about 3 miles from Freeport as the crow flies. But in order to get there from Freeport, you have to take a 14 mile detour via PA 356 down to Leechburg and then back north via PA 56 to Schenley. Eventually the Armstrong Trail will be extended from Schenley to the south side of the Allegheny River, across from Freeport. If all goes according to plan, the trail nexus will be at this point and all will be connected via a series of pedestrian/bicycling bridges across the Allegheny. There's also a planned extension of the Butler-Freeport Trail to Harrison Hills Park where it will connect with the Rachel Carson Trail. If all of this comes to be, this will be a fantastic trail system.

Phipps Run is a woodland and wetland area in Schenley Park which is currently undergoing a…read morerestoration project. Its restoration is the cornerstone in renewing the ecological health of the area. The project includes removing invasive species, restoring native plant and animal life, and cleaning up pollution. Phipps Run begins at the top of Panther Hollow near CMU. The address I gave you is approximate. It's a good alternate entrance to Schenley Park if you're biking or hiking. The run leads down to Panther Hollow Lake. Years of erosion and storm water runoff have caused extensive damage to the trail system down here. The erosion was so severe that the stream actually rerouted itself, taking out a footpath and an historic bridge. The flooding made access to Panther Hollow Lake extremely difficult and unpleasant. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservacy and the City's DPW have begun a restoration in the Phipps Run area. The project included redirecting the stream's upper part to its original run. A storm water control project included building basins to control water runoff. A streamside trail was rebuilt, providing better access. An ongoing project in the lower part of Phipps Run includes rerouting the stream channel to its original path. The conservacy is also planting native plants along the stream and on the surrounding hillsides. The goal is to increase the stability and sustainability of the area. My girlfriends and I love hiking through Schenley Park. We've been watching the progress made throughout the years. Once the Phipps Run and Panther Hollow Lake projects are completed, this will be a five star area.

Sensational lttle place right on the trail and next to a pub with decent food - what more can you…read moreask? Great friendly landlord who went out of his way to help us. We wil be back!

It's a nice close by park. The playground isn't very large but it's nice and there's basketball,…read moredeck hockey and a softball field.

Park is located in South Fayette Township and a part of the landscape of my teenage through adult…read moreyears. It's a nice little park with picnic areas, ball fields, and a playground. Events are hosted here as well (festivals, etc.). The park is very well taken care of, mowed, free of trash.

This centerpiece to Bridgeville in South Fayette Township is a beautiful community treasure! The…read moreplaygrounds and ball fields are well-kept and usually busy. Families of all sizes and ages can find festivals and annual events that satisfy them - from drive thru Christmas light displays to Friday night movies.

We had the best time on Labor Day kayaking (my first time) therefore I did tandem with my friend to…read moreget comfortable. I felt super safe and confident to do it solo next time. All of the staff were super friendly and helpful. I paid $34 for one hour tandem kayak. There were free parking lot and free lockers. I can't wait to go again, was so much fun.

This was a fun experience overall. We went on a perfect weather day, the lake was busy, people and…read morecars all over. There was some wildlife including; great blue herons, ospreys, and fish. Some of the staff was less than kind -- not rude, but they were a bit flat. The kayak was expensive, we did a tandem kayak for two hours and we needed maybe 45 minutes to see the entire lake. I would say price ratio to what you get is not entirely worth it. The cars were constantly going by, and noisy. There was a fun bridge, a fun building with a mini bridge with nests and an island that creates a sort of loop on the lake. I would recommend checking out the other locations as they likely match the price for experience, and planning these out.

Grandview Park is a very cool place to hike - not only does it have some awesome Pittsburgh views…read morewith a beautiful, open, flat area featuring benches, picnic tables, porta-potties, trash cans, and even a working three-tier fountain for dogs and people alike, but it has a trail so forest-y that you will not believe how close it is to downtown. Grandview not only has the unique combination of city convenience and natural beauty, but the park hours are 6 AM to 11 PM which makes it a great spot for a first date. One thing to know is that while the main areas are accessible and enjoyable, the trail itself has certain parts where the branches, leaves, and vegetation grow very close to the path, so you may find yourself brushing through plants as you walk. One of the things on the path you may want to be careful about brushing up against are the several branches of what are called wineberry plants along the trail. They are beautiful and fun to spot, but be careful because the stems have thorns and they grow very close to the edges of the trail in some areas. Because the trail can get narrow in places, and it helps to be small and nimble because otherwise you will probably find yourself rubbing against these plants. There is also a hidden gem near the Grandview Park access road between Grandview Elementary and Emerald View Park where you can find two beautiful cypress trees. I have honestly never seen trees quite like these before. They look like what would happen if a regular tree had a soft and sweet little baby with a pine tree. They are unique, whimsical, and somehow both elegant and adorable at the same time. They are definitely worth taking a moment to appreciate when you are on this part of the trail. Another important thing to know is that there are some steep ledges on this trail which are no joke. You actually could get seriously hurt if you fell, so be mindful of where you are walking. Also, make sure you take this trail with someone you trust because, honestly, if someone wanted you to die, there are definitely places where they could make that happen on this trail.

Great view of downtown which makes it a prime spot for the Fourth of July fireworks. This is where…read morewe watched our very first Pittsburgh fireworks. There's some overgrown weeds and trees blocking some of the view behind the bandstand. Otherwise, it's a great spot for live music, food trucks, and views of the sunset and the city.

This is my favorite place to go walking. They have plenty of different trails/paths to walk…read morethroughout the area. This park has a decent amount of pavilions, baseball field, basketball court, volleyball court, soccer field, and different play areas for the kids. On top of everything, there is plenty of parking throughout the grounds. This is one of my favorite places to get away and walk the trails while taking in the scenery.

This was a good park. The only thing is they barely had any running trails, which was a problem…read morebecause I am a runner, but other than that everything else was good. Everyone that worked there was good. I recommend this park.