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.

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.

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.

I discovered Thornburg Conservation Park earlier this year, when I was searching for a new place to…read morego for regular walks. I now really love coming here for a quick dose of nature during my week! Finding the parking lot ended up being my first adventure here, because Google maps kept taking me to a residential street on the other side of the railroad tracks that sit above the park. The actual entrance is behind the Thornburg Public Works Building; easy to get to once you know where you're going, but boy did the GPS make it hard initially. The park itself is apparently thirty-eight acres (so says the borough website), and it has interconnecting trails that are very easy to navigate. The terrain is fairly flat overall, although if you walk further up the creek it can get bumpy in spots. It's definitely worth stopping by throughout the year to see the changing colors and the seasonal blooms come and go. I even saw a hummingbird during one visit this summer - not sure anything will top that! Note that dogs are allowed in the park by permit only, although I tend to see a lot of folks walking with their four legged friends so I don't think it's hard to get a permit. All in all, this is a peaceful and beautiful place to visit, and is especially nice on days where a shorter and easy-paced nature walk is needed. Here's to my next stroll at Thornburg!

I just took a venture over this way for some very light hiking. I usually bring my hiking boots,…read morebut this time I just wore regular shoes and that was a bad choice. There is grass covering the main trails that is very wet and kind of like a bog. My shoes and socks got very wet romping through here. There was multiple species of butterfly including cabbage white, silvery checkerspot, pearl crescent, hackberry emperor and a hawk moth. I also saw some white tailed deer and squirrels. There were two sets of wooden steps that looked very dilapidated. The wood is rotten and uneven. If I was not more agile I would have fallen trying to walk on them. This didn't make me want to walk on the rest of this trail. Besides the fact that some of the park is in a sad state of disrepair and there is very thick grass covering a good portion of the trails, it is a nice place to explore and very picturesque scenery. The Chartiers Creek is a nice big body of water that is relaxing to enjoy. There is beautiful wildlife to experience and it is quiet and peaceful. The trails are of a very mild difficulty for hiking as it is mostly pretty flat. Not too bad.

How have I never reviewed this fine establishment located just outside of Pittsburgh? It's actually…read morein Oakdale, PA about 15 miles from downtown Pittsburgh and worth the drive. I have attended a couple of events here (wedding, birthday) as well as regular visits. With over 65 acres, it was first established in 1988 and has certainly grown in leaps and bounds. It's a wonderfully peaceful and lovely garden that boasts walking paths, light shows (spectacular winter holiday displays), various exhibits, and more. So many plants and flowers to look at and smell. Everything you would expect a botanic garden to be. The last time I went home to Pittsburgh for a visit we took our dog with us and that was amazing. He loved it and I love that he was permitted to visit without issue at all. Everyone who works there is there for a reason, the love of nature and ensuring longevity.

A delightful place to walk and enjoy the plants and birds. More than 119 species of birds have been…read moreidentified on the grounds. They have had several special exhibits in recent years. Their membership plan is worth looking into.

Reviewing things in 2020 is, well, a little strange. If you're like me, you aren't exactly rushing…read moreout to the places we normally review. Instead, Settlers Cabin Park is one of the spots I frequent these days - for exercise, for a literal change in scenery, and to unplug from the current day-to-day of working at home. I want to mention early that part of the beauty of this 1,600+ acre county park is that it was once the site of various coal mines - this gorgeous space has been restored to what you see when you visit it now. Knowing that adds another level of appreciation, at least for me! After its history, the second biggest reason I love Settlers Cabin Park is the number of trails available to use. If you check out their website and maps, you can see an overview of the five or six total trails here. Some of them are on the shorter side, others are longer, and a lot of them directly interconnect at different points. That makes it easy to explore more than one trail in a single visit - one day I started out on the green trail, somehow went far enough to get to the purple trail, and finished the loop back to my car on the blue trail. (I promise, that will make more sense after looking at a map!) There are other things here besides the trails - tennis courts, field hockey, playgrounds, pavilions, wave pools, etc. Interestingly, Settlers Cabin Park is technically also home to the Pittsburgh Botanical Garden, which is another outdoor spot I adore. For the trails alone, I consider Settlers Cabin Park to be my perfect escape these days. I can hike anywhere from 1.5 to 6 miles, at any pace that I want. Bonus points - as long as I don't mind the hilly climbs involved, I can take some time to enjoy the sight and sound of the park's baby waterfall. (Some articles call it a mini waterfall, but given how small it is, I call it a baby!) Any time I spend here is always time well spent, and I'm sure I'll be back again soon.

If you grew up anywhere near Robinson, Settlers Cabin is basically the summer spot to be…read more I've been hitting up that wave pool since I was a teenager. And honestly, you can't talk about Settlers Cabin without mentioning the picnic groves. I swear, half of my summer weekends over the decades have been spent at a cookout, grad party, or other gatherings with friends at one of those pavilions, eating hot dogs and hamburgers. When my daughter was little I brought her there through her teenage years with her friends. Always a good spot to spend a hot summer day in Pittsburgh.

An amazing place to hike and observe wildlife. They have a "no pets" rule, which I support…read morecompletely. Parking is up at the top by the road, and it is limited to about 6 spaces, however I have always found a spot. There are a series of ponds which are used to remove iron from the water (from an old mine that existed on the property. In those ponds you are likely to see migrating water fowl. On my most recent visit, I observed 26 species of birds, including a rather rare Green-winged Teal. There is usually a very shy Great Blue Heron in the back pond, which you can see if you approach quietly. Charters Creek runs along the backside of the park, and there's a cute wooden bridge that connects you to Charters Park. In all, it's a beautiful escape from urban life. Check out OTB Hastings, which is a half mile down the road, for a perfect ending to your wildlife adventure.

Wingfield pines is a beautiful hidden gem! It's a massive passive mine drain area into the upper…read moresaint Clair creek. It's also connected to Boyce mayview Park next door so it's a big area to cover! There is A beautiful trail that runs long side the creek. There's a old pool that filled in for great picture options, there's is a porta poty on site. There's a good bit of markings telling you where the trail is as well as a few signs advising no dogs aloud in the area. There is also a leash free area for the dogs as well. On average you'll spend about a hour or two hiking around all the trails to cover the whole area. I definitely recommend this place.