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.

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

Tons of walking trails right outside of Oakland. Who would have thought there was this much nature…read moreright near the city. Well kept and trails are marked. Make sure you have your walking shoes

Bartlett playground in this park. Portapotty no running water. Picnic tables with a barbeque pit…read more Pretty trees. Playground has section for toddlers.

Townsend Park is very nice! We play baseball here so we come here at least twice a week. The fields…read moreare very nice and the equipment is helpful to rake the field. I have never hiked the whole trail but I did see the entrance to one. The park is also very clean and you can tell it's well kept.

Townsend Park is part of the Murrysville Parks Department and like its sister Duff Park, it offers…read morea surprisingly extensive trail system. I did some winter hiking here along with some of my co-workers as part of my job's wellness program. Most of Townsend Park's trails are loops, so it's possible to hike as little or as much as you want. This does mean doing some doubling back, but that doesn't detract from an enjoyable hike. We started out from the parking lot on the Ron Stoll Trail, going in a clockwise direction. The Ron Stoll is the park's main trail, being rather wide and an easy hike. We turned left onto the Pine Grove Trail for about .10 mile. The park's website says that owls are known to roost here. We then made another left and went clockwise on the Twin Oaks Loop Trail, paralleling a stream for much of its length. This trail ends at the main access road, but a left and another left put us back on the Twin Oaks Loop Trail. We then completed the Pine Grove Trail back to the Ron Stoll Trail. We the went clockwise on the Pokeberry Hill Trail, which has some moderate hills. We then regained the Ron Stoll Strail, backtracking down to the Heart Attack Hill Trail. Don't worry folks--it's not as bad as its name implies! But it is a vigorous walk up to the top of the hill from about an elevation of 1200 feet to 1340 feet. The hike on this trail is o-so worth it with views of the Laurel Mountains. We took a break here before descending counterclockwise on the Spring Hill Trail. This trail goes down the back of Heart Attack Hill towards a natural spring. We then did another clockwise loop on the Sunset and Sunrise Trails before going down the Bulltown Link Trail. We then did another backtrack to the Heart Attack Trail before returning to the parking lot. Townsend Park may not have the extensive trail system that, say, Frick Park has. But in looping the trails, it's possible to get a good 4 mile hike in. It's definitely worth a morning's exercise here.

A really lovely park with huge old oak trees, a small lake, and convenient park benches. There are…read morehistorical sculptures, and a large fountain which they recently restored. This is a relaxing greenspace for taking a walk or having a conversation. The park has a surprising number of birds, and for example, this is one of the best places to find night hawks. The park hosts one of Pittsburgh's finest traditions, Gus and Ya Ya's Itallian Shaved Ice Stand.

This is the oldest park in the City of Pittsburgh dating back to the late 1860s…read more Happens to be one of my favorite parks and I've spent a lot of time here throughout my life. The park is almost 84 acres with lovely green spaces, trees, benches, picnic areas and playgrounds. The park is between Allegheny Center and Allegheny West and is sectioned off. For example, east park is at Mexican War Streets with walking trails. West has Lake Elizabeth and the Aviary. North has walking trails and a decorative fountain. The park is lovely for relaxation no matter which section you're in. Loads of events take place here from Pride events to races, political events, concerts, food drives and more. Absolutely beautiful park. It's become a little more famous in the last year or so as it can be seen in some scenes of the show The Pitt. It's where they've had after shift beers, and a couple of other scenes. To me, it's a park I grew up hanging out at.

Graham Park is a wonderful park for everyone. Courts and fields for various sports (including a…read moreMiracle League field). Playgrounds for kids. Concession stands and bathrooms. Trails for walking/hiking/running. Plenty of parking. Park is well maintained. I like going here for a good walk or run. The park is big enough that if you go from one end to the other it's around 3 miles. The paths are paved and there are a few different paths you can take to loop around but don't miss the Brush Creek Trail. It's a short hike with info on the local ecosystem along the way. There are a few inclines but no crazy elevation. Would also be a good place for a bike ride though I haven't done that yet. Graham Park is one of my favorite go-to parks when I'm near Cranberry and looking for an easy change of scenery from my local park. It can be crowded when there are sporting events but everyone I've encountered has been friendly. I'd recommend taking advantage of this great community park.

I have been taking advantage of this park from before they were finished building it. Be aware NO…read morePETS (unfortunately) because of all the sports fields & courts: baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, pickle ball, basketball. There is a paved 3+ mile walking path (relatively flat) that spans the park. Lots of parking. Kids playground. Miracle League handicapped accessible ball field. A catch & release pond. Flower garden. Brush Creek runs through it. Three body weight exercise stations. Too bad the coffee shop at the entrance was ahead of its time & closed! Great park! Very clean.

This lovely conservation area is 450 acres of beautiful forest with lots to see and a very shadowy…read morepast. The ruins of an old pipe factory are very visible and there are informative signs that tell the story. These occurrences took place in the 1800's. There is history of criminals murdered, accidental death(pipe factory), a hanging, an explosion, a drowning, a giant snake sighting, all taking place in the park. For this reason many people think that the sight is haunted by the people who met their fate here. I hate to burst the excitement, but I have never experienced ghosts, or any other paranormal activity while spending time there. In fact, despite it's dark past Dead Man's Hollow is a very tranquil place. If you have been there during May when Spring season really kicks off you will see tons of wildflowers that are spectacular. The pipe factory had a fire and the ground was burned. This happens to be very good for re-growth and as a result we get to experience a lot of beautiful flora. Also, the old pipe factory remains are covered with cool graffiti. The trails are at times narrow, but they are very clean. You are at some point going to climb up and down hills, so it is a very good workout. I would say that the hiking is a bit more challenging. To find it I would suggest searching via a trailhead name and not just the park name. One example would be "cat fish pond trail." There is a nice parking area near that trailhead. There is also another parking area on the other side of the park(more on that later). This other side is closer to the ruins.

We checked out the catfish pond today. It looked promising at first but soon discovered that there…read moreis very little accessibility to fish there. The spots that are open are at an incline sloped towards the pond and are very slippery and hazardous. I do not recommend taking young kids there. My daughter and I fished for an hour or so and only saw bluegill in the 3-4" range and smaller minnows. We used lures and worms and had many bites but the fish were too small to get hooked. We did see many water turtles and even a few babies whose shell was about 2-3" in diameter. We also saw one large snapping turtle appear for a few seconds. There are also a bunch of bullfrog minnows whose bodies were the size of golf balls (early June). It's a cool place to see but we won't be returning to fish.

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.

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.

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.