City parks in general, but Frick, Schenley, and Riverview in particular are amazing recreational…read moreassets that are unequalled in other metro areas. I was fortunate and privileged to grow up with Frick as my backyard and walked all over the place before graduating to riding mountain bikes on the trails when the sport was in its infancy. Later, I ran high school cross-country races in Schenley and trained in Frick Park. Nowadays, we enjoy the flowers, wildlife, and groomed and maintained trails. I never appreciated how unique, rare, and amazing the parks are until I moved away and it's so great to see them treated as the unique assets they truly are.

Frick Park is a dense network of interconnected trails that helps define Pittsburgh as a city of…read moreparks. I keep coming back and exploring different paths, only to realize there's always more to discover. It's one of those places where you can return again and again and still find something new, which makes it feel really special to me. The way the trails connect is one of my favorite things. Nine Mile Run flows into Deer Creek, which then connects into Tranquil Trail, creating an easy, continuous experience through the park. And thats just one corner of the park. While bathrooms are not abundant, you will occasionally find a porta potty, and there is often trash cans and benches toward the entrances and parking lots of the trail as well. Overall it's just a wonderful place to spend a sunny afternoon, and I really hope spaces like this continue to be preserved as an important part of Pittsburgh's identity and history.

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.

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.

A nice little park to sit and enjoy the view of the Allegheny River. There is a small picnic area…read morealong with a playground and basketball courts. I recommend a visit if you happen to be in the area.

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.

Such an amazing trail, we had a great time exploring it. The water was nice and cold, so amazing…read morefor such a hot day that we chose to go! LOL! There is an area of trees where there's little fairy figurines, what a sweet thing to do! I loved it and we enjoyed our walk!

This park isn't the nicest. The baseball fields are iffy. And it feels dirty there. I can't see…read moreanything except 2 baseball fields there.

My wife and I visited here yesterday after stopping at "Marsha Cassel's Kitchen on Main" Restaurant…read morejust up the road. I had never been on this side of the lake. They have a nice boat ramp, dock. and fishing pier suitable for handicapped people. There is a playground nearby, picnic pavilions, and a hiking trail leading to a Historic 1881 Truss Bridge. It wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but it was cool to see and walk over this old bridge. Cheers!

What a beautiful park in SW PA. We stopped by on a sunny Sunday to check out the boat docks,…read morefishing areas, and trails. There were several people out fishing from the dock and multiple people on kayaks in the lake. The bathroom facilities near the docks and shelters were clean and honestly smelled like flowers. The park seems very well maintained and even has a wooden track/course for biking that was pretty cool looking.

If you want panoramic, breathtaking views of downtown Pittsburgh, look no further. The deck is the…read moreperfect spot for those spectacular and glorious views. A perfect place for photographs & selfies. Always on my list when visitors would come to town to see us. It's a must. You don't even have to be a tourist to enjoy this observation deck. Many times we would stop by just take it all in, the beauty of the great City of Pittsburgh.

Anytime we have visitors, we must take them there and take pictures…read more You get such beautiful pictures of the city and family or friend shots with the city as a backdrop. The visitors get amazing city views. It's fun pointing out all the wonderful points of interest in the city. Then we usually go take th to see many of them. As Pittsburghers, you feel such pride showing our beautiful city to out of towners and helping them have amazing pics and memories to go home with.