Exploring Schenley Park

Schenley Park is a 456 acre park in the city of Pittsburgh. The park borders Oakland, Squirrel Hill and Greenfield. It contains many trails as well as natural and man-made attractions. Because of the physical size of the park there’s a lot of different ways to get this done. I started this Schenley Park trek at the Mary Schenley Memorial Fountain in Central Oakland at 40.44201°N and -79.95205°W. I walked along Schenley Drive but only as far as the Joncaire Steps. This is a steep series of 150 steps leading down to Joncaire & Boundary Streets and the start of the Junction Hollow Trail. This relatively isolated community was first settled in the late 19th century by Italian immigrants from Pizzoferrato and Gamberale. As you walk through the neighbourhood its cultural heritage is evident with the Italian flags and picnic benches painted in red, white and green. There’s also a signpost that marks the distance from Panther Hollow to both Italian cities where most of the original immigrants originated.
I walked all the way out to the Schenley Park Soccer Field. The Zigzag trailhead is in this area and it connects well with the Bridle Trail. I veered off the Junction Hollow Trail at the railroad crossing at 40.43627°N and -79.94957°W to go to Panther Hollow Lake. This is a man-made lake that serves as a catchment basin for the local watershed.
From this point I did the Lower Panther Hollow Trail and then the Upper Panther Hollow Trail. They connect at the Squirrel Hill South area just off Panther Hollow Road and Bartlett Street at 40.43355°N and -79.93652°W. I exited the Upper Panther Hollow Trail in the area of the Anderson Playground but it actually connects with the Bridle Trail just beyond the Charles Anderson Memorial Bridge.
I walked back along Panther Hollow Road crossing Panther Hollow Bridge making stops at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens at 40.43927°N and -79.94730°W and the Flagstaff Hill monument at 40.43968°N and -79.94668°W. I just followed the trail through Flagstaff Hill and exited at 40.44027°N and -79.94250°W along Schenley Drive and Tech Street near Carnegie Mellon University.
Crossing Schenley Drive I walked to the Westinghouse Memorial located at 40.43945°N and -79.94275°W. I walked along West Circuit Road and visited the Memorial Grove Monument at 40.43793°N and -79.94385°W. I picked up the Steve Faloon Memorial Trail at 40.43872°N and -79.94374°W. This trail exits along East Circuit Road but I stayed on to the intersection with the Lower Panther Hollow Trail at 40.43445°N and -79.93628°W. I did the more interesting Hollow Run Trail from that point until the intersection with the Lower Panther Hollow Trail. To me this is the more interesting trail as it meanders along the stream but it’s slippery during the winter months and narrow sections can get uncomfortably crowded with other outdoor enthusiasts. I exited the park again at the Schenley Visitor Centre and made my way back to the starting point.
Happy Trails.