Allegheny County Parks Quest: Nature Nearby

By: Bruce Cridlebaugh, Volunteer Trip Leader

Millions of people visit the nine Allegheny County Parks and most of them don’t know what they’re missing. Bruce Cridlebaugh will be leading the Allegheny County Park Series. Each adventure is a vigorous 10-mile loop hike that showcases the park’s less-traveled areas. Discover isolated and over-looked places. Connect with the trail less traveled; climb to the unexpected vista. These hikes range from April 3 until June 26, 2016. 


“I’m always curious and want to know the context of why a place is as it is – how things fit together – to find new things even in what we thought was already familiar,” Bruce said.

In addition to some serious hiking, Bruce will present the special features of each park. Each hike covers a lot of ground and also uncovers a lot of details: botany, geology, history, infrastructure – a little bit of everything.
“The terrain was challenging, the historical info was interesting and the pace was brisk and energetic,” a past hiker commented in an anonymous, post-outing survey.
These Advanced Level hikes are intended to move at a brisk pace, covering a long distance (10-14 miles) over very hilly terrain. Hikers must be in good physical condition. This is not a casual walk in the park. The route links the park’s outermost trails for a day-long, loop hike.
“I like how he comments on plants, the terrain,” another past hiker commented in an anonymous, post-outing survey. “I always learn something on every hike. I appreciate the amount of time he must take to research the history of each park and how many hours to scout each location.”
Participants will receive a detailed hiking map of the park. More than once, someone who was too busy to stay for the hike has just shown up at the start for their map. But we really want you to come spend the day exploring.
Between encroaching sprawl and posted private property, nearby woodsy hikes can be hard to come by. Fortunately through foresight, we have almost 20 square miles (12,033 acres = 18.8 sq miles) that were set aside as public parklands throughout Allegheny County. You don’t need to drive all the way out to Laurel Ridge to find a forested adventure.
To sign up for  a hike in the Allegheny County Park Series, check out the following links:

• South Park Adventure
• White Oak Adventure
• Settlers Cabin Adventure
• Round Hill Adventure
• Hartwood Acres Adventure
• Harrison Hills Adventure
• Deer Lakes Adventure