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.

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.

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.

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!

A gorgeous park with something to offer for everyone! Great walking trails that are accessible for…read morethose with strollers and wheelchairs. Trails that are a bit more challenging. A really nice playground. The park is also beautifully landscaped. It seems to perpetually be in bloom from early spring through the fall. There are picnic/pavilion areas, bathrooms (port a potties) and there is plenty of parking. I also really enjoy the fountain area for some relaxing but it is also great for pictures! A fun park to visit for all ages.

We were all packed into a house with several families and little kids who needed some time to run…read moreand stretch their legs so I quickly looked up the nearest best park on Yelp. Voila, Highland Park saved the day. The thing that attracted me most was the playground that featured plenty of shade as well as playscapes that worked for various ages including babies with a soft floor. I also want to highlight that this park features hiking trails and a great view overlooking downtown Pittsburgh. It's tucked into a historic neighborhood so the drive to the park was also pleasant. If I lived in the area, I could see myself frequenting this park. Overall a wonderful experience and we will definitely visit the next time we are in Pittsburgh!

Here's a bonanza for birders, fishermen, hikers and dog walkers alike. I personally have seen many…read morespecies of rare birds at this location. To the right is a nicely paved trail, and to the left is a more rustic path that occasionally opens up to stunning views of the Monongahela River. I often see people park in the ample lot to eat their lunch and gaze at the view. Nearby is a charming neighborhood of homes, tucked away from the hustle of city life. Ebird reports 197 species of birds making this the number one hotspot in Pittsburgh and the sixth in Allegheny County. There's a wonderful walking trail that leads from Frick Park to Duck Hollow and it is a pure delight. It features forest, creek and finally river, and I call that unique and worthy of 5 stars.

There was a little bit of litter other than that it was a perfect park. And there were even ducks…read more It would be a great place to bike ride, but we just went for a little walk and it was in between the railroad and the river, so it felt like a perfect Pittsburgh Hideaway.

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.

It has kind of an odd name for a park, but I got the feeling that there is much to offer here. For…read moremy first visit I took the easier trail that goes along the railroad and veers up a bit. It is very damp and almost swampy as far as I can tell. I am not sure how true that is, maybe it was just because it was after a big rain. The trail is a decent hike that ends at the train tracks. There was a ton of mushrooms and other types of fungi, which was pretty cool to see. I also saw some deer and old ruins while I was on this trail. I have heard that the other trail has some pretty nice views of local towns. I am going to have to come back again and check out the rest of it. I guess we can add this place to the ever growing list of natural areas to visit near Pittsburgh.

A wonderful place to see wildflowers and birds. There are some species of birds that you won't find…read moreanywhere else. The conservation area is managed by the Allegheny Land Trust. The one side of the park is a difficult climb, the trail goes up a very steep hill, but the views are nice.