Travel Guide for the FOUR BEST PITTSBURGH VIEWPOINTS - Pittsburgh Purple Travel Guide
Pittsburgh has many beautiful vista points where you can see the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline. We have selected the 4 best and most popular vista points for you.
Table of contents
Vista Points of Pittsburgh |
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DRIVING FROM THE AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN THROUGH THE FORT PITT TUNNEL
When you come from the airport or I-79, then you are up for one of the greatest transformations in scenery in the US. While you drive along I-376, you pass forested hills and some building from the various townships that border the highway. At some point, you pass under tall rusty elevated train tracks and, if you are lucky, then you may even see a freight train rolling over it. A minute later, you pass a building with golden windows and some more rural areas with lots of green. At one point, the road makes a long left turn and you drive into a valley with trees and rocks everywhere on the sides of the road and then you see the opening of the Fort Pitt tunnel. This is the time to say goodbye to the rural scenery, turn your car A/C to recycle, prepare for a 0.7 mile (1.1km) drive through the tunnel and brace yourself for what comes afterwards. After the drive, which seems to go on forever, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel and then, suddenly, there it is, downtown Pittsburgh – in all its beauty and all its colors. To the right, you will see the Monongahela River and behind it Pittsburgh. After a few seconds you can see the fountain at Point State Park and the two stadiums Acrisure Stadium (Football) and PNC Park (Baseball, blue seats). Don’t get too distracted, because you will now need to decide if you turn left (North Side, Strip District), go straight (Downtown) of make a right towards the Grant Street exit or further down to Oakland, Squirrel Hill and eventually Monroeville.
I have driven this route more often than I can count since 2003 and the transition and the sheer beauty of the city still puts a smile on my face – every single time.
Below is a video of this drive. Personally, I find it more intriguing if you have driven through the green landscape of the Parkway West (I-376) for a while and then you get into the tunnel and then you get to see the Golden Triangle.
MOUNT WASHINGTON OVERLOOK
The viewing platforms on Mount Washington are the most popular overlooks in Pittsburgh for a good reason. If you walk or drive along Grandview Ave, then you will have a chance to catch many other great views, but the two overlooks are the most popular.
The photo explains what some of the main sights are:
1 = Ohio River
2 = Acrisure Stadium
3 = Fountain
4 = Allegheny River
5 = Fort Pitt Bridge
6 = Point State park
7 = PNC Park
8 = Monongahela River
9 = Gateway Center
10 = Fifth Avenue Place
11 = PPG Place
12 = USX Tower
13 = Mellon Tower
14 = One Oxford Centre
15 = Cathedral of Learning
There is another nice overlook to the west. Drive to the tiny "Point of View Park" and see Pittsburgh and its Point State Park from here.
If you get a chance, drive down P. J. McArdle Roadway after your visit of Mt. Washington. You have some good views from there too, but you will actually at one point drive under the tracks of the Monongahela Incline and maybe, with any luck, the incline will pass above you while you are driving down the road.
WEST END OVERLOOK PARK
While Mount Washington is the most popular up-and-close viewpoint, taking in the Golden Triangle from the confluence in all its beauty is possible from the West End Overlook in Elliott. Some of the most famous pictures of Pittsburgh are actually taken from this park.
The photo explains what some of the main sights are:
GATEWAY CLIPPER RIVER CRUISE
A different way of taking in city views is by boat. You can either rent a kayak and paddle on the 3 rivers or buy a ticket for a Gateway Clipper river cruise. There are different cruises at various times of the day, including adult-only and sunset cruises. The cruises give you the opportunity to see the city from all three rivers and take wonderful photos of the Golden Triangle, the bridges and different neighborhoods.
Please see my detailed review of Gateway Clipper Cruises here.
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