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.

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.

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.

Wonderful, large park with many paved, groomed or grassy trails plus large field…read more Just a word of caution. I took my small dog there and he was killed by a pack of loose dogs. It is an off leash park, and the owners were no where in sight as my dog was surrounded by the pack. May be safer for medium to large dogs.

Beautiful park!! It allows dogs to be off leash. People also ride their horses here. Several trails…read morein the woods that are well kept. My favorite part is the huge field near the Halloway Rd entrance to the park. The grass is always cut in the field so you can lay down a blanket for a picnic or play with your dog. This may be one of my favorite parks in Pittsburgh. Only thing that sucks is I didn't see any public restrooms? Unless I missed them.

I have been taking advantage of this park from before they were finished building it. Be aware NO…read morePETS (unfortunately) because of all the sports fields & courts: baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, tennis, pickle ball, basketball. There is a paved 3+ mile walking path (relatively flat) that spans the park. Lots of parking. Kids playground. Miracle League handicapped accessible ball field. A catch & release pond. Flower garden. Brush Creek runs through it. Three body weight exercise stations. Too bad the coffee shop at the entrance was ahead of its time & closed! Great park! Very clean.

The park has become overcrowded with people speeding through the park. Despite the speed limit…read morebeing 15 mph, people are clocking in at 25 mph and above as shown on the electric speed sign. These speeding cars are oblivious to the fact that it is a park full of adults, children, and special needs individuals. They are putting everybody at risk.

This is a well maintained, rather large, county park. There are lots of recreational activities,…read moreincluding kayaking, biking, pickleball, and hiking. The hiking trails are extraordinary, featuring many species of unusual birds. For example, the Veery nests in North Park, but nowhere else in the County.

We have had family picnics as well as weddings at North park ! It's a very well maintained park…read morewith beautiful picnic areas and places to sit for an afternoon and enjoy the outdoors. It's a friendly park for humans and animals - highly recommend you check out North Park for all that it has to offer with many ways to get to the park from either side of the city.

This is such a nice hike. Its 10 minutes away from my house and I didnt know about it. Hiking down…read moreto the bottom is the prettiest part. I imagine its even prettier when its not winter and you cant see the houses through the trees.

A very nice place for a shorter hike, dog walk, or trail run. I'm sure you could get away either…read morebiking as well off-peak hours. Check out the lower Dark Hollow Wood park via 'I love going down' Strava trail segment closer to the north eastern corner of the park. It leads to approximately 1.5 miles of trails and across the "crick" is Penn Hills community park. There is not a bridge or easy stream crossing however so just realize your shoes will get soaking wet!

Pittsburgh is truly blessed to have Schenley Park as part of our city's heritage. It is one of the…read morelargest and cleanest parks in the heart of the city, with a trail system and variety of recreational spaces that rival some of the biggest parks in Pittsburgh. It is incredible to have such a large natural area surrounded by the energy of the city. The park offers a pool, playgrounds, skating rink, pavilions, and other activities throughout, but the highlight is the extensive network of trails. There are so many paths to explore that you could spend an entire day walking here and still discover something new. Panther Hollow Trail is one of my favorites. It runs through much of the park, is beautifully shaded, and is a great option on hot, sunny days when you want to enjoy the outdoors without being in direct sunlight the entire time. The main trail is wide, well-graveled, and easy to navigate for groups, walkers, and people with pets. It also connects to other trails throughout the park, including the Bridle Trail and Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Anderson Playground is another unique feature, with its three-tier fountains and creative playground equipment. There are also porta potties throughout the park, which makes spending several hours exploring much easier. One of my favorite things about Schenley Park is that every visit feels different. You can walk around, find new areas, see different activities happening, and create new memories each time. I have enjoyed many walks here with different friends over the years, and it remains one of my favorite places in Pittsburgh to enjoy nature, sunshine, and time outdoors.

Tons of walking trails right outside of Oakland. Who would have thought there was this much nature…read moreright near the city. Well kept and trails are marked. Make sure you have your walking shoes