Why it’s easy being “green” in Pittsburgh
If you ever doubted nature’s resilience, first visit Pittsburgh. For 100 years, heavy
industry dominated land, water and sky here. It wasn’t until after World War II that
the region passed strict anti-pollution laws. Sixty years later, and 20 years after the end
of big steel, Pittsburgh’s landscape and rivers have returned to pre-industrial form.
It’s common now to see sports fisherman and kayakers sharing the Allegheny River,
and Peregrene falcons roosting on the window ledges of downtown office buildings.
 |
City Parks
Schenley Park, the third largest public park on the eastern seaboard, after New York’s
Central Park and Philadelphia’s Fairmont Park, lies within a 3-wood of the University of
Pittsburgh campus. Schenley offers 456 acres of rolling hills, woods, trails, a swimming pool,
tennis courts, a golf course, a nature center and an ice skating rink.
http://www.pittsburghparks.org/_76.php
|
 |
Urban Trails
If you’re the “rollerblade or bust” type, remember that Pennsylvania leads
the nation in rail-trail development. In and around Pittsburgh, multi-use trails of every type and
length have appeared, especially along the riverfronts. The Allegheny Trail Alliance recently
cut the ribbon on another section of the Great Allegheny Passage, a motor-free recreational
rail-trail that runs for 150 miles from Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh to Cumberland,
MD. From there, trail users can connect with the C&O Canal towpath for the final, car-free 185
miles to Washington, D.C.
http://www.atatrail.org/
|
 |
Great Outdoors
An hour east of Pittsburgh, the scenic Laurel Highlands mountain recreation area offers ski resorts,
white water rafting, kayaking, camping, fall foliage, and other sure-fire stress busters.
http://www.laurelhighlands.org/big_home_page.cfm
A little more than two hours away rises West Virginia’s Canaan Valley. Perched on the northern
edge of the Monongahela National Forest at 3,200' above sea level—Canaan Valley features
steeper downhill runs, faster white water rapids and plenty of challenging rock to climb.
http://www.canaanresort.com/
|
Problems with the Website, contact: webmaster@medschool.pitt.edu
© Copyright 2008 University of Pittsburgh. All rights reserved.
