My family loves going to parks and loves exploring different areas of the city. But being a South Hills resident, I often don’t explore the other areas of the city and let the tunnels and bridges become a barrier to enjoy all that the city has to offer. In an effort to get out of my comfort zone and see what other areas of the city has to offer, we headed to the southeast section of Allegheny County–to White Oak Park and met my cousin and her kids at this quaint park for a beautiful and fun-filled day.
White Oak Park encompasses 810 acres in the south east section of Pittsburgh. Located from McKeesport to the border of Westmoreland County, White Oak Park is about 15 miles from the city of Pittsburgh. The park features a multi-purpose athletic field, shelters, a wedding garden, playgrounds, off-leash area, Bocce courts, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, and walking and hiking trails.
We began our day by going to the dog park.
Although we didn’t bring our own dog, the kiddos wanted to spend some time watching the dogs play Frisbee and fetch in the open area. They insist that the next time we come to White Oak Park, we will bring our dogs.
After spending time at the dog park we made our way to the Black and Gold Playground located next to the Cedar 2 shelter. We had this entire playground to ourselves, and the kids explored every inch of the playground.
There were plenty of swings and slides and lots of space for young and older kiddos to run around safely. This playground is located a safe distance from a main road and has ample parking.
Not only are there plenty of swings, this playground also has a cushioned ground–a great feature as we know kids have a tendency to trip and fall when playing. Additionally there is a fitness area next to the playground for adults–equipped with two ellipticals plus various other workout equipment. This is a win-win–get a fitness work out while watching your kids play in a safe playground.
We even explored the trees and grounds surrounding the playground. My kids loved looking at the trees, finding bugs and exploring the different trails and pathways.
A bonus of this particular playground is that it is situated right next to a covered picnic area. There are thirteen shelters available to rent at White Oak Park. On the day we explored the park, many people were setting up for graduation parties in the shelters. It is the perfect venue for a graduation party or any party for that matter– lots of space, parking, and privacy for fun-filled party.
As we made our way through the park, we saw many walkers and runners. The terrain of White Oak Park is hilly and challenging, but the beauty of the park abounds– and the car traffic within the park is light that many runners and walkers opted to stay on the roads instead of the trails.
We finished up our day at White Oak Park in the Wedding Garden area.
The is a great spot for photo shoots for weddings as well as a great spot for kids to explore nature, gardens and the rocky terrain.
There were rocks to climb, paths to explore and gardens all around.
My kids absolutely loved spending the day at White Oak Park and have asked multiple times when are we going back. Among the things we plan to do on our return is to play at the sand volleyball court as well as a play some games of Bocce ball. On my return I also would like to explore the Angora Gardens.
Additionally, there are some upcoming summer events that are both fun and educational including: guided nature hikes, where a park ranger takes you on a guided hike exploring native plants that only exist in White Oak Park: trillium, wildflowers and groundcovers.
And you know how I can tell we had a great day at the park? My kids were exhausted and slept the car ride home!
I encourage everyone to get out and explore the resources our local parks have to offer. We had a great day exploring a park we had never been to previously and look forward to future visits.
White Oak Park is open daily, 8:00 am – sunset.
For more information regarding White Oak Park click here.
You may also want to check out the other Allegheny County parks that Pittsburgh Mom Collective has reviewed here-
