5 Family Adventures in Pittsburgh

We like to be active and do adventurous things as a family. Here are some family adventures we’ve discovered and enjoyed in the past few years.

North Park Bike Park

In North Park, past the swimming pool by Pie Traynor Field, is a BMX bike park. There is a smaller track with dirt hills that is better for beginners and a bigger park with bigger jumps and wooden ramps. At first, it kind of freaked me out watching my kids bike here, but they did great. Aside from some scratches and bruises, no one’s gotten hurt yet. They love it, and I continue crossing my fingers each time we go.

Cranberry Skate Park

Cranberry Skate Park is located in Cranberry behind the public library. It is perfect for beginners because it is on the smaller side. It has a bunch of ramps and a couple of rails that are low to the ground. My son has recently become obsessed with skateboarding and loves this skate park.

Roller Blading/Biking South Side Trail

Our favorite place to take our kids roller blading or biking is The Three Rivers Heritage Trail on the South Side. It is mostly flat and paved, which makes it easier for kids. It is beautiful to bike along the Monongahela River. You can access the trail in Southside Works.

Kayak with Kayak Pittsburgh

Kayak Pittsburgh is part of Venture Outdoors. They have three locations to rent kayaks in Pittsburgh, which makes it really easy to get out on Pittsburgh’s lakes or rivers. From the North Shore, you can kayak downtown on the rivers. From their Aspinwall Riverfront location, you can kayak on the Allegheny River. And from their North Park location, you can kayak on the lake at North Park. Ages 3-12 can go in a tandem kayak, and ages 13-15 can be in a solo kayak, but must have a guardian also on the water. Our kids love being out on the water. I highly recommend this activity!

Go Ape

 

Go Ape is a ropes course in North Park. Very pricey, but you can find Groupons for it. Children must also be ten years old to participate. There are a couple zip lines and various challenges to cross from tree to tree. I thought it was little scary at first, but then I loved it. My husband and I did this as a date night, so we haven’t taken our kids here yet. They keep begging to try it, so we are planning on taking them this spring.

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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.