This is a very nice Nature Reserve, located right next to St. Vincent College. Winnie Palmer was…read morethe wife of Golf Legend Arnold Palmer, and she had the foresight and resources to create this little refuge that is free and open to the public. The highlight for me was visiting "The Barn," which is a staffed building in a restored barn that is like a little nature museum. They have lots of displays and also a few living creatures that you can observe. There are also lots of trails, gardens, and a pond on the property, that you can explore. They also have a restored historical log cabin, called the "Blockhouse" which you can see. The only disappointment we had when visiting yesterday, was that the boardwalk over the wetlands was closed for repairs. Otherwise, I would recommend checking out this place if you like nature and are in the area . . . Cheers!

A lovely park for most ages. There is a playground area for the little ones. An 1+mile path…read morecircling the lake. Corn hole for all. And there are lots of hills that are crew used to roll down. This was also just a small snapshot of the park too. There are lots of ball fields, hiking trails and even an airfield. There is plenty to explore here. The one drawback I would say is the accessibility. It's a far hike from any major highways/roads with lots of curvy roads leading there. It would be nice to have a more accessible with maybe even some bus routes.

Northmoreland is such a chill park. The lake is absolutely beautiful especially in the summer time…read more I wish they pumped the water more to get it moving. You can find people paddle boating during the summer months. The path around the lake is 1.1 miles. There are other parts of the park, but the lake, playground, boat house, and pavilion are part of the central park. The playground equipment is a little faded but still looks to be structurally sound. We rented the pavilion for a graduation party; it was perfect and inexpensive. We had the grilling area, grass, swings and beautiful view of the lake.

Mount Davis, PA is the highest point in the state at 3213 feet. Hiking it is easy as elevation gain…read moreis pretty negligible, and the shortest route is the high point trail about a mile in and a mile back out from the picnic area. BUT, if you want to make it a worthy trip, I suggest connecting some trails : High Point Trail, Tub Mill Run trail, Timberslide Trail, shelter Rock Road, Shelter Rock Trail, Mt. Davis Trail to Mt Davis tower for about 5 miles Then, the trip back to the car at the picnic area is via the High Point Trail for a mere mile. I found the best resource for connecting these trails was from the book "50 Hikes" in Western Pennsylvania" by Tom Thwaites. And, it pained me as a book lover, but I did tear out those pages to have with me on my trek. They were invaluable. All along every trail are Rhododendron. This would be a glorious hike when they are in bloom. As it was, my trek was late April under sunny skies and 80 degree weather. It was a very pretty hike with a bit of babbling streams and even a natural hot spring. I went on a Monday and didn't see a single soul. Solitude and nature at its best.

Y'all, ignore the address of this page. I have attempted, on several occasions, to have the…read moreaddress updated. The address listed is for a location that is about 45 miles away. If you are attempting to find your way here just type in Mount Davis, Elk Lick Township, PA, 15558. This will take your directly to the area, trust me. There is no higher ground in Pennsylvania than Mt. Davis, literally. It is the highest point in the state, and that is not very high compared to other states, 3,213 feet. The area is located in Forbes State Forest. Mt. Davis Observation Area is a nice area to visit. Listen to me when I say this, do NOT visit this place when there is snow on the ground. You will get stuck, and you will regret it. I definitely did, even with my all wheel drive vehicle. I got stuck and thankfully was helped out by other people that were stuck. When it is nicer out, this is a great place to visit. Once you park in the lot there are several different ways to approach the observation tower. All of this is marked by paths and plagues everywhere. If you are afraid of heights or tight spaces, the observation tower is not for your. It can be a bit dizzying and if someone is coming down, you need to wait for your turn. It is not a staircase that you can step to the side. Once you take in the view from atop the observation tower there is a nearby area that gives you some history of the area and some fun facts. It's a great natural area in Pennsylvania.

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

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.

This is a gorgeous trail. It is very easy and you can walk as far as you want. The trail is well…read moremaintained (mostly crushed gravel) and a fun place to go for a walk, run, or bike ride. You will see beautiful forest areas along the way.

Well another biking milestone for yours truly and her husband Rick. We did the entire 60+ mile…read moreround trip between Black Lick and Ebensburg on the Ghost Town Trail! It took all day, I'm still saddle sore and my leg muscles ache a little, but it was totally worth it. Besides, we're building up our strengths so we can do the 120+ miles of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail between McKeesport and Cumberland, MD. There's not too much more I can write about the trail. Last year we rode the Black Lick to Nanty Glo segment of the trail and most points of interest are between those two towns. Still, the remaining segment between Nanty Glo and Ebensburg makes for a pleasant ride. I did find out a few other things about the trail since the last time we rode it. Just east of Black Lick, the trail passes a salvage yard of discarded rail cars. These almost seamlessly blend into the scenery and they're altogether appropriate because this is a rails-to-trails conversion. Between Dilltown and Vintondale the creek has a bright red color because of the acid drainage from the coal mines. At several points you will exit the cool green forested surroundings and experience an "ecological disaster area", a legacy of the mining era. You'll see the remains of some slag dumps, which have an eerie beauty to them. Keep an eye out for the AMD & Art Park (AMD stands for Acid Mine Damage). One other thing to consider. This trail goes through some state game lands. During hunting season, you should wear brightly colored clothing. Riding the Ghost Town Trail can be very rewarding. Plan to take the whole day and be sure to enjoy the sights along the way.

I spent 3.5 days and 3 nights on this trail this past memorial day weekend, my first venture back…read moreinto the backpacking world. This trail begins in Ohiopyle or Johnstown and ends whichever way you choose. If I were to try to pack the entire length I would start at the North end in Johnstown and hike South, to ease up the ankle pain and knee pain :) That comes with packing 20lbs + pack weight and hiking 18-19 miles in one day. Throw in the elevation gain and you will see what I mean. I hiked the South end starting in Ohiopyle and going out to about 26 miles over my time there, then I turned around and came back over two days. Things to note for overnight campers: You can call ranger station at trailhead to make your camping reservation, by credit card it is 4$ a night. Water: there is non drinking water at each campsite, bring a water filter or boil that water as it is not tested. I filtered stream water the whole time and it was fine. Ohiopyle about 6 miles in has the nicest camping ground with access to a large stream, but not all the sites have that. You might want to filter water for night hiking into camp. To save hiking a mile extra back out to get some as I had to do. Firewood, there are fire pits in the shelters if you want to skip the tent but bring something to lock your food up, mice are common in the shelters. I slept in a tent kept my back in the tent with me. There are portapotty type johns at the campsites. Weather: if you check local forecast plan on temps on the trail and at camp at night being around 10 degrees colder because of the elevation change, and storms. Bring rain gear if you're out for more than a day hike! Now for the trail, it is blazed yellow on the trees hard to get lost but a map would have been nice to have. However no maps available in Ohiopyle you have to pay for one at the Laurel State Park office. I did not do that would rather buy a hiking book with the trail in it at a later time. In most places its wide very rocky, lot of tree roots its murder on the soles of your feet, wear boots or stiff soled shoes if hiking for more than one day. Poles could come in handy, I don't use hiking poles but I got caught in little thunderstorm and had to grab a forest walking stick. Some places it looked like they barely blazed a trail at all it was very narrow hard to hike on. Hike with caution. Beautiful river runs stream runs, skyline views, and rock formations. In the first 26 miles views are at mile 6 ish and 24ish, rocks b between 15-20. Lots of birds, and small wildlife I only saw one deer. There is a shooting range at mile 25, just outside the park you will hear lots of gunshots. I would not recommend taking a break or relax day at the Grindle ridge campground out there as I did. Also the campgrounds that have broken water pumps currently are Grindle Ridge and Route 653 shelters campground. This is a lovely hiking trail but steep, be prepared for a challenge in the beginning. Happy Trails!

How can you not LOVE the LHHT? Its a trail I've frequented quite often in the last 15 years, and…read morehope to explore the entire 70 miles. This picture was taken during the Laurel Highlands Ultra race in June 2017. This race can be run as a relay or individually. They also sponsor a 50k race, which is approx. 30 of the 70 miles. There are many trail heads and shelter areas. The trail is great for day hikes, as well as multiple overnight stays. There are also many ambitious people who hike the entire thing. Its always fun to pass fellow hikers on the trail. Trail stories are always fun to hear, and there are people from all over that you'll meet. Running the trail is quite a challenge, as there's drastic elevation changes at some points and many technical areas. I suggest if you've never run the trail, and expect to run the race, you must do at least 1-2 runs on the trail.

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.