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Westmoreland County Parks

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Exploring the major Westmoreland County parks (Northmoreland, Twin Lakes, Mammoth, Cedar Creek) is a completely different experience than visiting Allegheny County’s parks (e.g., North Park, Hartwood Acres, Deer Lakes). Although there are “formulaic” Allegheny County parks, given that North Park, South Park, and Boyce Park all follow the same basic approach to layout and amenities, all of the Westmoreland County parks I’m familiar with are strikingly similar, in atmosphere and (generally) amenities and attractions. The primary attraction in each park is a paved trail around a lake, or two, in the case of Twin Lakes (obviously); Cedar Creek is the… Read the rest

Emmerling Community Park

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One of the great things about the outlying Pittsburgh areas is the plethora of township parks that are more than just a dilapidated playground and a pavilion with a few well-worn picnic tables. So many parks in this region feature unique structures or landforms, not to mention neat trails… Emmerling Community Park is one of these parks; the “main” section is attractive on its own, with visually appealing picnic shelters, gorgeously spacious fields, and wonderful landscaping. The park is located very close to Rt. 910, but there is surprisingly little traffic noise. The restrooms are seasonally open and very well… Read the rest

Blue Run Trail

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Until recently, the sign naming “Blue Run Trail” at the entrance wasn’t even there; I only remembered the area being called that from visiting in the 90’s. The Indiana Township website and municipal building simply didn’t seem to have any information about the trail, and until I visited the area the other day to write this article, I was planning to introduce it with an extended musing on the motives for not even bestowing upon the area an official name. I’m happy to report that a (rather weathered-looking) sign now graces the trailhead and makes locating the trail slightly easier… Read the rest

The Westmoreland Museum of American Art

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Image by Tom Harpel via Flickr First, a confession; I belong to the sometimes-hip, sometimes-reviled caste of people who enjoy but don’t profess to “get” art. One of my favorite places to visit in the city of Pittsburgh proper is The Carnegie Museum of Art (I only wish there was still an option for admission to only the art gallery; the natural history section has never appealed much to the romantic likes of me). However, in my humble (and less-than-scholarly) opinion, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art is equally worthy of a visit. The collection is just as enjoyable, and… Read the rest

Fall Run Park

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Fall Run Park is a delightful little park in Shaler Township, located off of (guesses, anyone?) Fall Run Road. From the parking lot (which is located just past a small jungle gym and a soccer field), a gentle trail leads over numerous bridges (appositely mirroring its mother city’s plethora of said structures) to a waterfall. The waterfall, the park’s primary attraction, is a genuinely impressive spectacle (at least for this region; no humble half-hearted trickle is Fall Run’s cascade). It may not rival Angel Falls in any manner, but that’s part of the beauty of this park; because it’s relatively… Read the rest

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