Free Summer Series: South Park

South Park is part of the Allegheny County Park systems.  It seems to go on forever.  The roads through the park are windy, and it is easy to get lost in their gorgeous greenery.  It also sometimes seems as though the park suddenly ends and you are not sure how you ended up back in civilization.  I suggest using your GPS to help find the coordinates you are really trying to reach.  You could not take advantage of all the park has to offer in a single weekend, let alone a single day.  It is located to the south of the city, residing in Bethel Park and South Park.

You can rent specific groves in the park for your functions.  If you go for a visit, it is polite to stay away from any rented grove.  They also host a variety of events; some are free and some have a cost to them.  They have free music, nature classes and sports clinics.  Some events such as the Oliver Miller Homestead tours are so cheap they may as well be free.  Reenactors dress in period attire and answer questions during your self-guided tour through the Oliver Miller Homestead.  You can read more about the history of the site here.

Be sure to bring your water bottle, sunscreen and bug spray with you to the park.  We have a spot in the trunk where the sunscreen and bug spray live permanently.  Ticks have been particularly problematic in our part of the world recently.  If you bring your dog, make sure you bring a bowl for them as well.

South Park has a lot of great amenities.  I love this park because it is great for kids, parents, and young adults.  It is the most adventurous of the Allegheny County Parks.  There is a wave pool in the summer, which does charge admission.  There is also a skate park called the 3 B’s and a bmx course.  All of their equipment is to be used at your own risk.  In the fall, they host 100 Acres Manor, one of the biggest haunted attractions around.

South Park is home to a fitness trail.  It would be fun to spend a day off trying out new exercises along the trail.  Most of their fitness trail is in the shade.  It makes it much easier to do the exercises when the metal is not hot from being in the sun all day.

There are many walking trails.  Most of them are paved and very easy to accommodate people who want to get some time outdoors but may not be up to hiking through the woods.  You can find a map of all of South Park’s trails at the Allegheny County Parks website or from their app on Android or Apple.

They have gorgeous gardens and ponds.

South Park sports a variety of places to play.  They have tennis courts, soccer fields and baseball diamonds.  They also have a deck hockey rink, basketball hoops, golf course, and an ice skating rink in the winter.  Ice Skating and golf both have additional fees.

The most unique thing that South Park has is their buffalo enclosure.  The day we visited, the buffalo were not in their habitat.  There are other habitats nearby though.  We were lucky enough to see a gaggle of baby geese, some mallards, a turkey and some turtles.  Geese can be mean, so take care when around them!  Think of what you’d like to do that day before you plan to take your own furry companions; dogs are not allowed at the duck pond or near the other animal habitats.  Allegheny County asks that you do not feed the animals.

We at lunch at a small, secluded pavilion down by the soccer fields.  There was a water pump.  Our puppy loved the little creek that ran behind the picnic grove.  It gave her a chance to cool off.  Inside the park, dogs must be on leashes.  The only exception is the dog park, where pups can run free and frolic.  Most years at the end of the summer they also have a doggy day at the pool.