Travel Guide for RIVERVIEW PARK - Pittsburgh Purple Travel Guide
We tell you why you should visit RIVERVIEW PARK in the Pittsburgh area and what you need to know.
Riverview Park was likely the first park in Allegheny City, which is now Pittsburgh’s North Side. The land was purchased by local residents and donated to Allegheny City which then created the park with meadows and grassy hills, an amphitheater, a merry-go round, and a zoo with a bear pit and an elk paddock. Those attractions are long gone and today’s park has the Allegheny Observatory which belongs to the University of Pittsburgh, a public pool, a playground, several trails, picnic shelters, and a visitor center.
We have been here a few times for the summer night movies, but only hiked once. For the easy 0.7 mile walk we parked near the observatory and hiked a short and easy combination of the Old Barn Road trail and the Cherry Blossom Trail.
The trailheads are clearly marked with big signs and the trails are wide and well maintained. There are no trail markers and you don’t really need them, but I still recommend that you download the map to ensure that you know where you are and where you are going.
Pittsburgh’s highest elevation of 1,370 ft (481m) lies about 1.5 miles outside the park at an unnamed hill near Brashear Reservoir Parklet and the Storage Tanks on top of Montana Street in Observatory Hill.
There is really not much to see here, no great views, no nothing. So, unless you have plenty of time, you can skip this area.
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