Nature

Our Favorite Things in Each of the 9 Allegheny County Parks

Boyce Park

Since founding Discover the Burgh, we've made it our mission to see, do, and experience everything Pittsburgh has to offer. One of our goals was to explore each of the nine county parks of Allegheny County, and over the last two years we finally completed our task of visiting them all.

What we discovered about these Pennsylvania parks from our visits is pretty incredible.  The nine parks in Allegheny county cover 12,000 acres (that's 18.75 square miles), have well over 60 blazed trails covering over 70 miles (our estimates), and feature numerous other activities throughout the year that will keep even the most active busy for a considerable period of time.

To help you determine which of the Allegheny County parks you should visit on your next outing, we put together this guide which shares some our favorite aspects of each park in the county. For more information about each park, click the link in the description to be taken to our full article!

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Raccoon Creek State Park Wildflower Reserve – A Spring Visit

Raccoon Creek State Park is a gem for hikers in southwestern Pennsylvania. This massive park contains miles of paths, creeks, a lake, waterfalls, and even is home to an impressive wildflower reserve that has a twice a year bloom.

We were very fortunate to check out the wildflower reserve during peak bloom in 2017, and we wanted to share our experience to encourage you to get out and explore this one during the next bloom event as it was our highlight of the spring season!

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The Panhandle Trail – A Perfect Stroll in Nature For All

When it comes to getting out into nature, we love the great outdoors and will do everything we can to find a unique hike regardless of how rigorous it ends up being (which has gotten us in trouble a few times if we are to be honest).

But we know that this level of exertion is not always for everyone, and sometimes you just want to get out somewhere for an easy stroll or bike ride. For those who seek out this kind of outdoors experience, The Panhandle Trail (a converted rail trail) is for you.

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Fall Run Park – A Stunning Waterfall Near Pittsburgh

On the surface, Fall Run Park in Glenshaw, PA (just north of the city off of Route 8) seems no different from any other as it is a peaceful hiking trail that has relatively low foot-traffic.

But for those who make the effort to visit this one, the roughly one-mile out-and-back hike rewards you with something a bit surprising: a waterfall!

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Raccoon Creek State Park – A Massive Park to Explore

Raccoon Creek State Park is a 7,500 acre park located about 30 miles west of Pittsburgh. With a 100+ acre lake, a 300+ acre wildflower reserve, over 40 miles of hiking trails, and relatively little infrastructure beyond these, this park is perfect for those who want to experience the great outdoors as it was meant to be.

During our recent visit we decided to try out two of the most popular hiking trails, the Forest Trail and Lake Trail, to capture a cross-section of the nature this park offers.

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Exploring the 1,000+ Acre Boyce Park in Plum Borough

Boyce Park, located east of Pittsburgh in the Monroeville/Plum area, is over 1,000 acres full of trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and a few unexpected gems like ski slopes and a snow tubing area.

We recently did some hiking in the park and enjoyed the beauty of the densely wooded, quiet trails that had some of the best markings out of all of the parks in Allegheny County.

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A Stroll Through the Thornburg Conservation Area

When I go out exploring in and around Pittsburgh, one of the things I like to do is look at the map and see what kind of public parks and spaces are near me. More often than not these turn out to be simple playgrounds or parklets that do not warrant an article, but every once in a while I discover something amazing that I never knew was there.

The Thornburg conservation area is one of those places, and after visiting this one I can safely say that I look forward to returning many times in the future.

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The Best Pick-Your-Own Fruit Farms in Pittsburgh

One of our favorite summer activities in the Pittsburgh area is to visit local farms and pick our own fruits.

We've visited almost every farm over the years, and learned a thing or two about the best places for picking each type of fruit- and we're here to share these tips with you!

As fruit harvests vary greatly from year to year and picking conditions vary from day to day, we highly recommend calling ahead before you go to double check the farm has what you're looking for. With that being said, if you have a particular fruit in mind, check out these great farms!

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