What a beautiful hike! The boys loved the waterfall and furnace. It was like a shaded magical…read morewonderland.

very pretty, kinda hard to find if your not from the area but definitely worth to seeing if your…read morewilling to look !

I recently drove out to Harrison Hills Park, which is in Natrona Heights, for a guided hike put…read moretogether by the local park rangers. The particular hike I went on ultimately had more talking than hiking, so my mother (who had invited me) and I left the group early to walk on our own. With that in mind, my visit here was relatively brief, but I loved what I saw! Harrison Hills Park itself is a 500 acre park, so needless to say, my mom and I did not trek through much of it at all. We started out by wandering some trails overlooking the river; and after a while, we drove to a different parking lot so we could venture down other trails and visit a pond. Since it was the fall, we primarily saw lots of gorgeous autumn colors while walking; not only that, but we got lucky and a pair of bald eagles flew past us when we were above the river. That was a stunning sight I won't soon forget! As mentioned earlier, some guided programs are offered here by various groups, which I think are a great, especially for families. And during my visit, we also passed a playground and soccer field, which is more great news for families! I also want to mention that according to the park website, "Along with the usual walking, jogging, hiking and biking trails, there is a paved trail that is wonderful for wheelchairs." It's not often that I see accessibility like that in nature parks, so kudos to the volunteers and group in charge of this area. The website is worth checking out in general, as this is a surprising versatile park. The site has information about everything from a learning center to a list of popular seasonal sports and activities. Very helpful for planning future visits. I look forward to visiting Harrison Hills Park again in the spring and summer. Between gorgeous wildflowers and seasonal birding and wildlife activities, those seasons are sure to be even more delightful times to experience this beautiful area!

The playgrounds are great and the dog park was really big with shaded places to sit. The Rachel…read moreCarson trail starts here as well.

Oooo, just visited this divine natural area and it is gorgeous! They have a very nice woodland…read morewith a beautiful stream, rock formations, well marked trails and pretty hemlock trees. It is owned by the Audubon Society and is in Sarver, P.A. We went at the end of February and some of the trails were extremely muddy. We had to back track and go different paths because we didn't want to be steeped in mud. You should for sure bring some good boots with lots of traction. It is definitely worth the visit!

A great place to hike not far off of route 28 that's quiet and scenic with lots to see. There's a…read morereally nice pond not far from the beginning of the trail. Great place to take the kids to see wildlife and explore nature plus it's Free.

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.

Very beautiful and peace full would love take more time to walk more trails an relax at the lake …read more Just look out at the warter, it's so beautiful.

No buttermilk. We brought jugs and everything. Just water. Thought there would be at least a…read moretrickle.

The Alle-Kiski Trails is more or less an informal name for a trail system around Freeport, PA. I…read morefound its name from a map located on the Butler-Freeport Trail's website. The trails include the Butler-Freeport Trail, the Armstrong Trail, the Tredway Trail, the Baker Trail, the Rachel Carson Trail, and the proposed/planned Pittsburgh-Harrisburg Mainline Greenway and Allegheny River Trail. Interestingly, the Rachel Carson and Baker Trails are hiking trails only--they're not suitable for biking. But I'd still like to hike both. The problem is, to paraphrase R.E.M., you can't get there from here. Though presently these are all within a few miles of one another, they don't physically connect. For instance, the present southern terminus of the Armstrong Trail is in Schenley, PA--just about 3 miles from Freeport as the crow flies. But in order to get there from Freeport, you have to take a 14 mile detour via PA 356 down to Leechburg and then back north via PA 56 to Schenley. Eventually the Armstrong Trail will be extended from Schenley to the south side of the Allegheny River, across from Freeport. If all goes according to plan, the trail nexus will be at this point and all will be connected via a series of pedestrian/bicycling bridges across the Allegheny. There's also a planned extension of the Butler-Freeport Trail to Harrison Hills Park where it will connect with the Rachel Carson Trail. If all of this comes to be, this will be a fantastic trail system.

Beautiful area just a short walk to the falls. Easy access and walk. Additional trail, short,…read moreacross the parking lot. Take a rain coat!! Enjoy

We had a wonderful time at the falls and there wasn't a lot of people there nature was absolutely…read moregorgeous

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.

This is a beautiful and beautifully maintained rail trail along the Allegheny River. Very scenic -…read morehills, trees, and river views for pretty much the whole length from East Brady to Kittanning. Also a completely flat and nearly car-free 30ish mile bike ride in Western PA - not too easy to find either of those things. Highly recommended for a day's excursion on bikes.

I think it's a great safe and scenic place to hike and enjoy the view of the river. It's miles and…read moremiles long it almost goes to Pittsburgh Through a lot of towns. It's great for riding bikes because most of it is paved and you can see lots of wildlife.