I love hiking in autumn. The crisp air, the crackle of leaves under my boots and the quiet moments…read morein nature. Kane Woods Nature Area in Scott Township is a great place for a hike. Several trail heads with parking. Well maintained easy trails. And super cool that dogs are allowed off leash in this wooded wonderland.

Kane Woods Nature Area is a delightful hidden gem in Scott Township. It's owned by the Scott…read moreConservancy and is made up of at least 5 trails as of today. To be clear, these are not particularly difficult or long trails. If you only visited for an hour, you could probably explore most of if not all of the trails. But hey: sometimes a relaxing stroll is even more rewarding than a difficult trek! Especially in a wooded area like this one. In addition to offering a laid back hiking experience, this little area is absolutely gorgeous. I especially love visiting in the fall, when vibrant colors overtake the treetops and you can enjoy the sound of walking on fallen leaves. Plus, Kane Woods Nature Area is very easy to get to for those of us in the South Hills. Sure, places like Frick Park or Settlers Cabin Park are bigger and grander green spaces, but on those days that you really don't feel like dealing with I-376, it's good to have a local option too! I definitely recommend visiting this spot at least once, no matter how experienced of a hiker you are. Dogs are also welcome, so I also recommend bringing your best friend along on your walk!

Loved this park! I found parking in the lot by the garden area. It was great to see so many people…read moreout working in the garden. I took the perimeter trail down the hill and stumbled upon the hidden pond and little falls trail. It was super peaceful and beautiful there! I also saw tons of beautiful flowers and even spotted a butterfly. The sound of birds singing was lovely to hear during my walk. If you need a rest there are a few benches along the trail. I really enjoyed exploring this place and will be back to explore further.

The parks in Pennsylvania, I've found to be well maintained, clean and plenty of open green spaces,…read morefor adults and children alike. Thig his location was the perfect blend with baseball diamonds, football, pee wee little league, paved walking trails, and top notch recreation center , that was clean, welcoming, better then the YMCA in my local area. Perfect way to enjoy the outdoors, on a 60 degree in December, this past Saturday.

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've lived in the area for a while now but have never made it to this lake before. Today was the…read moreperfect weather for a walk so I finally made it here. The park is on the smaller side but does have plenty of parking spaces. The trail is paved and clearly marked. I was expecting it to loop all the way around the lake but it didn't seem to. There were a few trails off of the paved path that I didn't explore. The views of the lake are very nice and there are a few benches to stop and enjoy it. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this place was and also how busy it was. I arrived just before 10am and the place was buzzing with people enjoying the lake.

This park is very well paved for parents that want to walk with a stroller. It's quite beautiful…read moreand relatively quiet.

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.

4.5 stars. The 460-acre Pittsburgh Botanic Garden was founded in 1988, but many decades of time and…read moremillions of dollars were needed to clean up the site, which sits on a former coal mine. In recent years, more plants have been planted, and more buildings have been constructed. The garden now has a welcome center and gift shop, an event center, an administration building, a picnic area, a homestead with a chicken coop and an apple orchard, a log house, a pavilion, a gazebo, an apiary (for beehives), a pond, a bird's nest, and, of course, many gardens, meadows, and woodlands. So far, I have visited this garden four times over several years--three times to walk along the paths and view the plants and once to see the Dazzling Nights Christmas lights. The paths are easy to follow and take me about one hour to walk. The native plants look pretty, but I wish that more flowering plants were included. During my most recent visit, the gardens had 15 Scraposaurs, which are dinosaur and prehistoric sculptures that were made from repurposed metal. Even my husband enjoyed the natural scenery and the artwork.

One of our local favorites! From the gardens to the cafe and the special events throughout the…read moreyear. Staff is always friendly at the door when you walk in and at the cafe. I sometimes go to the cafe to work - although not really set up for this (make sure your computer is charged). I love browsing the gift shop. There is always something there to gift or that I want (but don't need) for myself. I usually end up leaving with a new book for my daughter. Great spot for some holiday shopping for your nature loving friends and family or a gift exchange. Good in the cafe is usually fresh and tastes great. I've enjoyed their salads, kids menu options and baked goods. The gardens are a wonderful place to plan a picnic or just walk around and take in all the hard work that goes into maintaining the grounds. They have a few areas geared towards kids and a lovely pond to sit and relax by. We especially love to admire the local art exhibits that routinely change.

If you grew up anywhere near Robinson, Settlers Cabin is basically the summer spot to be…read more I've been hitting up that wave pool since I was a teenager. And honestly, you can't talk about Settlers Cabin without mentioning the picnic groves. I swear, half of my summer weekends over the decades have been spent at a cookout, grad party, or other gatherings with friends at one of those pavilions, eating hot dogs and hamburgers. When my daughter was little I brought her there through her teenage years with her friends. Always a good spot to spend a hot summer day in Pittsburgh.

Wave popl The life guards don't do anything there was a kid…read morethat wouldn't pull up his pants his parents did nothing the life guards talk and nothing else they don't save people

An amazing place to hike and observe wildlife. They have a "no pets" rule, which I support…read morecompletely. Parking is up at the top by the road, and it is limited to about 6 spaces, however I have always found a spot. There are a series of ponds which are used to remove iron from the water (from an old mine that existed on the property. In those ponds you are likely to see migrating water fowl. On my most recent visit, I observed 26 species of birds, including a rather rare Green-winged Teal. There is usually a very shy Great Blue Heron in the back pond, which you can see if you approach quietly. Charters Creek runs along the backside of the park, and there's a cute wooden bridge that connects you to Charters Park. In all, it's a beautiful escape from urban life. Check out OTB Hastings, which is a half mile down the road, for a perfect ending to your wildlife adventure.

Wingfield pines is a beautiful hidden gem! It's a massive passive mine drain area into the upper…read moresaint Clair creek. It's also connected to Boyce mayview Park next door so it's a big area to cover! There is A beautiful trail that runs long side the creek. There's a old pool that filled in for great picture options, there's is a porta poty on site. There's a good bit of markings telling you where the trail is as well as a few signs advising no dogs aloud in the area. There is also a leash free area for the dogs as well. On average you'll spend about a hour or two hiking around all the trails to cover the whole area. I definitely recommend this place.

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.