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.

We had a wonderful few days camping at Coopers Rock! The…read moresites are a good size and decently spaced apart so we have a good amount of privacy. The campsite bathroom was clean, well stocked and regularly maintained. All of the employees at the trading post were friendly as well! Park rangers drove around regularly (4-5 time through the campsite a day I'd say). My only wish would be adding closure information onto the website so people know ahead of time. During our visit the main overlook was under construction/maintenance so there was no access to it. Which was a little disappointing since it looks beautiful online! But it was a short 5 minute walk out to the overlook so it was easy to get back to a different trail. (It is clear the individuals who work and manage the park take great pride in it, and take care of the facilities wonderfully!).

Tony and I stopped at Cooper's Rock near Bruceton Mills to enjoy the beautiful weather and to enjoy…read morethe Almost Heaven Swing located there Its free to enjoy with tons of trails for hiking

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.

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.

The Coal & Coke Trail is a neat little biking and hiking trail in Westmoreland County connecting…read moreMount Pleasant with Scottdale. A mere 5 miles in length, it's one of the few Rails-to-Trails I hadn't covered yet. Really, I couldn't justify the time or gas money to do a 10 mile round trip bike ride. A 10 mile hike is of course another story! And that's just what I did as part of my employer's wellness program. I planned the whole thing and of course headed up the hardy group of hikers able to complete the entire 10 mile round trip. The trail begins and ends in city parks at both ends. We began at Willows Park in Mount Pleasant. The address I gave you above is the parking lot and it's based on information from www.traillink.com Drinking water and restrooms are available in the park, but the restrooms appear to be closed in winter. We began by working our way southbound. The trail was built on the roadbed of a Pennsylvania RR branch. As ts name implies, the railroad hauled coke ad coal over the line. The railroad was abandoned for many years, however after 8 years of planning, the trail opened in 2007. Upon leaving town, we hiked through some scenic wooded areas to the town of Bridgeport. At one point we noticed the trail paralleling an active rail line. The forest here is old growth and we crossed one of a few small streams. Beyond the town of Bridgeport, we again entered the woodlands while paralleling Jacobs Creek. Curving to the west as we approached Scottdale, we arrived at the scenic high point of the day. The sewage treatment plant. Yep! The trail even goes through plant's parking lot and is routed onto Sewage Treatment Lane! Well no worries--we crossed Old US 119 and then ducked under the new highway before entering our last stretch of woodlands. Part of the trail is incomplete at Scottdale, so we had to walk down Mildred Street , Bessemer Street, and Mt. Pleasant Road (they're actually all the same street) before reaching Kendi Park. The trail resumes briefly here but this was our rest stop and turnaround point. So this is a pleasant and relatively easy trail to hike or bike. Just remember, there aren't any places to obtain food or water along the path, so be sure to bring adequate supplies of each.

Great place to walk. You can choose to challenge yourself or take it easy. Got lots of great pics…read moreas well

Although this trail is pretty, and well-kept, I prefer the Yough Trail. If this one had been closer…read moreto where I lived, I might have been here more frequently. Take your pick, but do try them both!! Whitney B. is right on - this trail is a real asset. Crushed limestone surface is great for running, but it's long enough for a serious bike ride. As always, don't forget to pass on the left and hail when passing!

Running, biking, skating, strolling, walking, frolicking, sprinting, slacking - all things that can…read morebe done on the Montour Trail. As Miriam W. mentioned, Arrowhead Trail is a subsection of Montour Trail and that's the area I most frequently use as well. In the spring, summer, fall, and the mild winter months it's such a great place to get outside and get in some exercise. Depending on the season and time of day you decide to go, it can get fairly crowded. But it doesn't bother me too much b/c most people are courteous of others and give you your space. But if you are fortunate enough to find a time of day when it's not so crowded, it's a great place to go and be quiet with your own thoughts in the outdoors. I have seen some squirrels, deers, and wild turkeys roaming about. Kinda freaks me out when I'm by myself - not the squirrels so much as the deers and wild turkeys. I think they are so used to seeing humans they don't scare off very easily.

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.

This is going to be my go to walking area if I want a quick car ride, clean trails and moderately…read morechallenging hiking. It takes me about 15 minutes by car to get here and it is a synch to find. Parking is super ample. In fact there are three different parking lots. The trails are so well marked and plotted that there is almost no way to get lost. I admit at first try I got a bit side tracked, but then found my way in a few minutes. Be ready for friendly four legged furries coming over to say hello to you. I was actually pretty stoked about this, but some people are not so big on dogs. They do have signs posted about leashing your dog, which most people adhere to, so no problems there. Will post pics soon, with possible videos as well.

The waterfall is small but it's pretty and a nice hike to get to it. Our dog loved playing in the…read morewater

Zen City!!!! It's an…read moreeasy little walk down to the falls. I've been here on days it is packed and the water flow is minimal and on days it's completely empty when the water is high. Either way, there are many ways to see the falls in all of its glory whether being above them or below them. I truly enjoy being close to the falls with the nice chill in the air by being under one of the many rock formations. It's a great place to cool off after a long day of hiking and/or biking at Ohiopyle. Check it out the next time you're in the area. Enjoy :D

Cucumber Falls, while it was a bit underwhelming due to low water levels, definitely tickled my…read morepickle and made me smile. The water, which resembled that of my tap water (except cleaner), proved to be a great hand cleanser as my fingers were filthy after searching for a worm to feed my little birdie. Several people visiting the falls were underdressed, but they paid for it by failing to put on sunscreen and ended up torching their torsos. Beautiful scenery.

Great state park about 1.5 hours southwest of Pittsburgh (near the West Virginia border). Went on…read morea hike with the Pittsburgh HIking Meetup group at this lovely park on a misty cool October Saturday. Jared with the park led our group on a 6 mile hike (of the total 13 miles they have) thru the park. He was very informative and a great host. Most paths were wide enough for several people across and the terrain was quite hilly, making for a great workout. We did encounter a couple deer on our outing and Jared indicated there are many wild turkeys in the park, as well. The park office had quite a bit of literature and they have a great map of the trails along with a great listing of the trails with their lengths in miles, total elevation, elevation gain, and difficulty level. There are restroom facilities at the park office (flushing toilets and sinks). Note that hunting and camping are also activities within the park boundaries.

Hard to see why this is even considered a park. Except for the campground area there was nothing…read morepark-like to be found. Correction: I would one picnic table and about three parking spaces with nothing nearby to notice parker. The were signs indicating some water features if they were still there, they are not apparent. A theoretical pool may have been taken over by some sort of energy plant.