Two people kayaking down a river with the city of Pittsburgh in the background
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Hike, bike and paddle your way through Pitt’s scenic backyard

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  • Our City/Our Campus
  • Pittsburgh Campus
  • Be welcoming and engaged

Face it, sometimes you need to touch grass; stepping away from screens and into a natural setting can lead to mental health benefits and an increased attention span. Luckily, there’s easy access to wooded trails, bike paths and scenic rivers just outside the University’s Pittsburgh campus.

Hike

Just a five-minute walk from the Cathedral of Learning, Schenley Park is an oasis of scenic trails winding through stands of trees and along the streams that feed into Panther Hollow Lake. A park entrance is located beside the Schenley Park Cafe and Visitor Center at 101 Panther Hollow Road.

Pedal

Pittsburgh has more than 117 miles of marked bike routes. One of its most popular, the Eliza Furnace Trail, connects Schenley Park to downtown Pittsburgh. Take a ride on the flat, six-mile paved path and take in views of the Monongahela River, Mount Washington and the Hot Metal Bridge.

Don’t have a bike? POGOH makes hopping on two wheels easy — and students, faculty and staff enjoy unlimited 30-minute rentals from the citywide bike share program.

Paddle

Explore the city by water. The Venture Outdoors downtown dock, within walking distance of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, serves as a hub for kayak and paddleboard rentals. Paddle on the Allegheny River under Pittsburgh’s renowned bridges to the confluence where it meets the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River.

The downtown dock is accessible via bus, which Pitt students, faculty and staff can ride for free, and via bike on the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

[Read for even more ways to have fun outdoors.]

Join

There’s even more outdoor fun to experience within a few hours’ drive. The student-run Pitt Outdoors Club, open to undergraduate and graduate students, hosts hiking, backpacking, rafting and rock-climbing trips beyond the city limits. Last year's most-attended outings included a whitewater rafting and rock-climbing excursion to the New River Gorge, a stargazing trip in Cherry Springs State Park and an introductory backpacking experience in Allegheny National Forest.

 

Photography courtesy of Venture Outdoors

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