Our Favorite Playgrounds in the North Hills of Pittsburgh

Playgrounds are fun. Playgrounds are free. Playgrounds develop kids’ Olympic-level sliding ability. Here are our favorite playgrounds in the North Hills. Try a new one – or visit them all, Tour de Parks style.

 

Blueberry Hill Park

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This park has two playgrounds. The main one has a large covered sandbox, which provides great shade, and lots of wooden play structures and swings. There is also a small paved path around the playground that kids can ride bikes on. The entire playground is fenced in, which is also nice. Down the hill from the playground is a paved track, another great place to run/ride bikes. There’s also a lower playground next to a giant field and pavilion. And did I mention the basketball courts, ball fields, and sand volleyball courts? This park has it all. It is located on Nicholson Rd in Franklin Park.

 

Avonworth Community Park

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We call this the wooden castle park. It’s located off of Camp Horn Road, and is set back from the road. The playground is old and wooden and it’s hard to see where your kids are, but they love it. They also love the stream that runs next to the park. It’s very shaded, which is nice on hot days.

 

War Memorial Park

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This is probably my kids’ all time favorite park. You can find it on Blackburn Road in Sewickley, next to the Sewickley YMCA. It includes a playground for bigger kids, another one tailored for younger kids, and a small creek. We usually leave the park soaking wet and happy.

 

Ross Community Township Park

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Located at the top of a hill, this park is usually windy and a little cooler than I think it will be. It’s located at the Ross Community Center, off of Evergreen road at the south end of McKnight (you can access it from the Big Lots parking lot). It includes a bigger kid playground and a younger kid playground and lots of swings. It’s right next to the parking lot, which can be good (no walking!) and bad (toddlers!).

 

Black and Gold Playground in North Park

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This playground is near the pool in North Park. It is large and spread out and it’s hard to keep track of kids, which means, of course, that they love it. There are a couple different sections with playground equipment and swings. And since it’s black and gold, you’ll feel like a true Pittsburgher playing there.

 

Ohio Township Park

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This is my favorite park for exercise. There is a small playground and a couple swings, but my favorite part is the paved path around a giant field. I believe the paved path is 1/3 mile. My older kids ride bikes and play on the playground, while I run the path with the jogging stroller. It’s nice because the entire park is set off the road, and you can see the playground from pretty much anywhere on the path. Also, behind the community building is a paved path that winds through the woods that’s perfect for a family walk or bike ride.

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Stefanie Hohl
Hello Pittsburgh moms! My family moved to Pittsburgh for my husband’s medical training eleven years ago. We loved it so much, we decided to take a job here. I stay home with our five kids – one daughter and four boys. Yes, they are crazy. Yes, my life is chaotic. But it’s also lots of fun. When I’m not driving my kids to music lessons or swim practice or trying to get my 3 year-old to sit on the potty, I study and write. I have almost completed a Masters of Education with an emphasis in Children’s Literature. I write books for children and am working on getting published. I also run Storytime at the Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley. Oh, and I draw pictures and tell funny stories about my kids on my blog: www.stefaniehohl.com. But above all, I like to eat brownies. Out of the pan. Late at night.