One of the things we love about living in Pittsburgh is the ability to find many family friendly parks. Living north of the city, we are lucky to have one of the amazing Allegheny County parks, North Park, literally minutes from our house.
Encompassing over 3000 acres in Hampton, McCandless and Pine townships, North Park features a 65-acre lake with fishing and kayaking available. Additional amenities include a golf course, pool–with a new spray park, an ice rink, ball fields, a nature center, shelters to rent, off-leash dog areas, a dek hockey rink, and walking trails.
Over the decade that I have lived in Pittsburgh, we have spent much time in North Park. When my son was in Boy Scouts years ago, his Klondike Derby was held in North Park. The Park provides a wonderful facility for events such as this shelter for the boys to camp and the course was set throughout the park as well. There is also a Girl Scout cabin in the park which my stepdaughter stayed at one year as well.
I love that North Park offers so much for community such as what I mentioned for Boy and Girl Scouts! In fact, there are all sorts of activities and programs you can find at North Park and all the Allegheny County parks. Check out what’s upcoming here: Allegheny County Parks Programs.
We find ourselves taking a quick ride over to North Park to go fishing fairly often. The 65-acre lake, which is approximately 5 miles to walk around, has many spot where you’ll see adults and kids alike casting their rods in hope of that sweet catch.
There are many different playgrounds throughout the park for kids to enjoy and not all are near the lake, so for those toddlers who like to run, no fear of them running towards water.
Our favorite is the signature Black and Gold playground located near the swimming pool! It’s got equipment geared for both younger and older children with a softer, cushioned area underneath the entire thing.
In addition to playgrounds, fishing, swimming, and walking trails, at the North Park Boathouse, you’ll discover kayaking, paddleboarding, and the Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe. Last summer, lots of us moms and our teens planned a day out on the lake. It makes for a fun activity to get active and stay connected with those sometimes challenging teenagers!
There is so much to do at North Park! From fishing, golfing, ice skating, biking and walking trails, kayaking or fishing, North Park has a little bit of something to do for everyone!
North Park is open daily, dawn-midnight. Contact information.
We hope to see you out there this summer!
