Wonderful bird walk and talk at lovely facility. Beautiful grounds and fun gift shop.read more

Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve is the headquarters of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania…read more(ASWP). The ASWP's website says that this reserve contains 134 acres of sanctuary, several trails that total five miles, and facilities such as a nature store, native-plant nursery, play area, educational classrooms, teachers' resource center, and a library. Rental spaces include a barn, auditorium, and classroom. My husband and I visited the nature store and the native-plant nursery. At the nature store, we saw products such as bird feeders, bird seed, binoculars, gardening gloves, nature books, t-shirts, honey, stuffed animals, puzzles, greeting cards, etcetera. At the native-plant nursery outside, we thought that the plants were somewhat small in size but had a varied selection and were priced reasonably. The ASWP's website has a list of available plants, which includes over 150 species of trees, shrubs, and perennials that attract birds, butterflies, and bees. In the future, I plan to return to Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve to hike their trails. I think that I would enjoy seeing their woodlands, fields, streams, pond, and wildlife.

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.

Folks, I've had so many incredible photos I've shot from here over the years and need to really…read morepull them up and get posted. Perhaps it's just an excuse to visit on my next trip home. The park is on the Mount (Mt. Washington) with over 250 acres and crazy-good views of the city. It has gardens and walking trails (10+ miles). The most interesting and best part of this park is that it was a dump site (illegal) restored into a beautiful area for everyone to enjoy.

Emerald View is a Pittsburgh treasure! The concept is stunning, a series of trails that encircle…read morethe neighborhoods of Mt Washington and Duquesne Heights. The reward is a natural paradise in the midst of an urban center and stunning views of the Downtown skyline. You can hike within the dense canopy of leaves, and then arrive at beautiful views of the West End, the West End Bridge, and of Downtown. The park showcases the city in such a unique way, and it is only minutes away from our downtown hotels. What a remarkable treat for Pittsburgh visitors, but also city residents. Created in 2005, it's the newest and smallest of our network of 5 main city parks, that include Frick, Schenley, Highland, and Riverview. The trails were professionally designed, then developed by community volunteers plus a workforce training program. It's 257 acres, and filled with opportunities for birding, nature hikes, and urban exercise.

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.

The park is located long the river in the South Side and connects to the Three Rivers Heritage…read moreTrail system. This green space was once a barge for the steel industry. There's an amphitheater for live shows and performances. It's a newer or more modern area that provides respite from the city chaos just steps away.

Great place to park and walk ... just did a 3 mile walk and it was amazing... very beautiful views…read more& paths very clear and walkable/runable

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.

Had a wonderful day here. We walked and explored all the memorials and history here. We spent…read moresometime at the water steps, it was nice for such a hot day.

Beautiful nature scenery. Beautiful view of the city skyline. It is located near the two stadiums…read more Plenty of fine restaurants along the North Shore to enjoy a meal while visiting the park. Clean grounds. Plenty of benches along the walking/biking paths. Nice park along the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers. Fishing is also allowed along the rivers. Highly recommended.

If you're looking for one the best bike trails in SW Pennsylvania, you should check out the is a…read more17-mile long West Penn Trail between Saltsburg and the Westinghouse trailhead near Blairsville. My husband Rick and I are avid trail riders and we did just that this past weekend. We'd FINALLY gotten a decent day in an otherwise crummy spring to go riding. So we prepped ourselves. Trail snacks and sandwiches? Check! Tool kit? Check! Tire repair kit? Check! Pumps air and insulin (I'm a type-1 diabetic)? Check! Okay, let's roll! Please note the address I gave you is the approximate location of the trailhead in Saltsburg. I used Google Maps to come up with the approximate address. The Kiski Section of the trail extends about another two miles north of here, dead ending at Urban Road. Plus Rick and I didn't start our ride here. We began our trip on the connecting Westmoreland Heritage Trail. Oh but what a glorious ride we had! The trail is a rails-to-trails conversion which mostly follows the Conemaugh River. It was an active railroad line until the 1970s when the Penn-Central Railway Co. abandoned it. It's the trail for you if you love old dam sites and stone arch bridges. We made a crossing of four out of the five bridges. We picked up the trail in Saltsburg, making our wy east. One of the first thing we learned is that an old canal paralleled the railroad and river. We saw plenty of sites relating to the old canal including lock sites, tunnel sites, and culverts (a shout out to my Yelp friend Mike O--no not Culver's, the hamburger chain near you!). After White Station we saw a little bit of the canal bed with some standing water remaining. Then about a couple miles east of there, we made a sharp left, following Elder's Run. Here we saw two highlights on the initial segment of the trip, a remaining building from the Atlas Powder Works, and the Elder's Run Culvert which is a tunnel that we passed through. At this point the trail appears to follow the old canal bed. Continuing our way east, we come up to an area that I think was my favorite on the whole trip, the Conemaugh Dam. Here the trail makes a number of turns, loops, and switchbacks to get around the dam. You'll find a lot of sites here. Working your way to the south in rapid succession you'll find the 1864 Railroad Grade, the 1954 High Level Bridge, the Pennsylvania Canal Site, the 1936 flood marker, Tunnleton, and the West Portal of the Canal Tunnel. In this area you'll also find a State Recreation Area with two parking lots for the trail and two sets of restrooms if you need them. In picking up the route of the old railroad, we cross three of the stone arch bridges spanning the Conemaugh River. Some people consider these bridges the scenic highlight, so a photostop is necessary if you brought your camera. We wound up our trip at the Social Hall area. Here the sites include a water spring, an old highway abutment, and the old Social Hall RR Station site, now used as a picnic grove. That was fine by us. We stopped there and relaxed, lunching on our sandwiches we packed. Then it was time to head back. The West Penn Trail is a fantastic ride but there are a few things to consider. First of all, this is a difficult trail in places. While much of the trail is easy to moderate, be careful of the slope at the Conemaugh River Dam section. It's a few miles long and way more challenging than the rest of the trail. There are many changes in elevation and some pretty good extended climbs. You go down to the river and across a stone bridge then a fairly long climb up to the top. I recommend that you be in decent shape when taking this trail. Remember too, please listen to your body. If you start getting tired, remember that no matter where you are, you're really only halfway there 'cos you gotta turn around and go back. Make sure your bike is in tip-top mechanical condition too. I strongly recommend a mountain bike for this trail. Road/city bikes are not recommended. Also be sure to pack supplies. Snacks such as nuts and dried fruits are terrific. If you want fresh fruit, apples travel well. If you're packing a lunch, a peanut butter-n-jelly sandwich is always good. And don't be in a hurry when riding this trail. Stop and enjoy the sites. Rick and I did a 40+ mile round trip and it took us all day!

This is a really nice trail. It has a beautiful view when you ride over the Conemaugh Dam. There…read moreare some steep and challenging hills near the dam. The rest of the trail is only a slight grade. Also, the trail joins the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in Saltsburg. The Westmoreland Heritage Trail starts in Slickville and is 6 miles. It is a nice way to add a couple extra miles.