Nature

The Redbank Valley Trail Offers an Easy Bike Ride in Nature

We love that there are so many great rail trails in southwest Pennsylvania, and for those who like to get out and explore, you have hundreds of miles of trails to enjoy in the area.

A bit further away from Pittsburgh lies the Redbank Valley Trail, which runs approximately 42 miles from the Allegheny River near East Brady (connecting to the Armstrong Trail) all the way up to Brookville, PA, near I-80.

Naturally, we had to make the roughly 75-minute trip to a mid-point on the trail in New Bethlehem, PA, to check out the 20 miles closest to the city and wanted to share what you can expect when biking this stretch of the Redbank Valley Trail in this one!

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Scraposaurs Invade Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in 2026

The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale is one of our favorite nature spaces in southwest Pennsylvania, and its mission to convert the former industrial site into a collection of beautiful gardens is nothing short of impressive.

One element of the gardens that we love, in addition to the nature, of course, is that they often have extra art and decorations that change throughout the years. In 2026, the Scraposaurs have invaded the garden, and these dinosaurs made out of reclaimed metal fit in just right with the reclaimed nature of the park itself!

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First Look at Arts Landing in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District

After 22 months of construction, the highly anticipated Arts Landing in downtown Pittsburgh had its ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17th, 2026- just ahead of the NFL Draft.

As we have been eagerly looking forward to this park, I made my way down to the Cultural District to check out Arts Landing during the event and was pleasantly surprised at the space, amenities, and, of course, art!

So let's share a first look at what you can expect at Arts Landing!

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Biking from Pittsburgh to Washington DC – Everything to Know

One of our favorite activities on a nice day in Pittsburgh is hitting one of our many area bike trails.

Naturally, one trail we ride on the most is the famous Great Allegheny Passage, which spans 150-miles from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, where it subsequently connects to the C&O Canal Towpath and continues on to Washington DC for a roughly 335-mile total ride.

For many years, we would ride the GAP in short segments, tackling 20-40 mile round-trip rides here or there. But we always wanted to do the entire bike ride from Pittsburgh to Washington DC, and finally made our dream a reality with a fun, six-day ride in September 2025.

So in this one, we wanted to go down the rabbit hole of everything you need to know when planning to bike from Pittsburgh to DC. Buckle up, because we do mean everything here!

Note: Most of the commentary in this article is based on our experience biking and staying in B&Bs along the way. While we will discuss camping options briefly, our itineraries are built around staying in dedicated accommodations every night.

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Sunset Kayak with L.L.Bean Outdoors at North Park

We love our area parks, and one of our absolute favorites is North Park in Allison Park, about 20 minutes north of the city.

One of the reasons why we love this park so much is because it has something for everyone, be it for walking, running, biking, hiking, kayaking, and so much more.

While we normally go on outings in this park on our own, we were invited by L.L.Bean to check out a sunset kayaking tour as part of their Outdoor Discovery Program to explore North Park Lake on a more intimate guided experience as the sun goes down.

For those who want to take a different look at the lake and park at large, the kayak outing is a must-experience.

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Boyce Park Ski Slopes and Snow Tubing Offer Winter Fun

Boyce Park is one of the most popular parks in Allegheny County. It offers an array of trails and outdoor activities to be enjoyed all year round, but unlike other county parks this one is perhaps best enjoyed in Pittsburgh's winters!

The reason for this is that Boyce Park is home to a modest winter resort that includes several trails, a tubing course, and many other outdoor activities scheduled throughout the season.

After having enjoyed tubing at Seven Springs, we made the trip to Boyce Park to check out their tubing slopes (plus skiing!) and had a great day out!

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Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center is a Perfect Winter Day Out

If there is any state park in the Laurel Highlands that we have had trouble exploring properly over the years, it would be Laurel Ridge State Park.

The reason for this is simple- the state park is sprawling. Instead of covering one (often round) area with nested hiking trails, Laurel Ridge State Park follows along Laurel Mountain through four counties.

Short of through-hiking on the 70-mile Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail, getting to enjoy Laurel Ridge State Park often comes in small segments.

In the winter, one of our new favorite sections of the park is the groomed cross country ski and snowshoeing trails maintained by the Laurel Ridge Cross Country Ski Center. Seeing the beautiful of the state park in winter? Sign us up for this one!

Although this one offers rentals in addition to the paid entry to the groomed trails, we picked up our own snowshoes and went out for a day of winter fun in the Laurel Highlands!

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Hiking Through the Eliza Fox Trail and Riding Meadow Park

When it comes to hiking at the many parks in and around Fox Chapel, the trails feel a bit disjointed but also connected at the same time.

Running north to south, the loosely connected Eliza Fox Trail network starts at Beechwood Farms, passes through Hardie Valley and Riding Meadow, and later continues through Scott, McCahill, Salamander, and Fay Parks before reaching O'Hara Township.

Although we were not able to hit every park in the above list in our first outing, we managed to take in a roughly 3 1/2 mile out-and-back hike starting at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve through to Riding Meadow and back and made for an enjoyable morning out!

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A Quick Hike Around Kooser State Park – A Smaller Gem

Kooser State Park is a smaller park by Laurel Highlands standards, coming in at approximately 250 acres in size.

While this one lacks in size compared to other state parks nearby, it makes up for it with a gorgeous lake, a trout run, and beautiful nature all around.

A visit here can be quick, but the park presents many opportunities for those who want to stay a while as well!

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A Quick Trip Into Nature at Girty’s Woods Near Millvale

When it comes to parks in Pittsburgh, many of the staples have been protected for decades and even generations. But that doesn't mean the work to protect our area green spaces is finished.

Groups like the Allegheny Land Trust are working hard to protect great nature spaces in the region and regularly purchase land to pursue their conservation efforts.

Girty's Woods near Reserve Township and Millvale is one such green space, and the trust purchased 155 acres in just 2021. So, naturally, we decided to pay this somewhat wild park a visit to see what it is all about!

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