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Ready to roll?

Tackle the trails! Feeling adventurous? Ready to take 2021 by storm? Tackle one of the longest blazed trails in the 9 Allegheny County Parks system. It’s the Red Trail in Settlers Cabin Park. If you'd rather ease into a new year's fitness program (we're not judging!) there are lots of shorter hikes. Look for them all in our Trail Discovery Guide. Learn more. Plan a snow day at Boyce Park Thinking of heading to the slopes at Boyce Park to ski or snow tube? It's the best value in the county for these family-friendly activities. But the pandemic has imposed some new procedures, with lift tickets and tubing tickets sold online in advance and no walkups. So plan ahead! Learn more. And to observe the current snow conditions at the slopes, check out the Snow-Cam.

Where's Manly? This handsome sculpture was conserved to its original glory earlier this year and installed in a new spot in the Sculpture Garden in Hartwood Acres. Fabricated in 1980 by sculptor Lyman Kipp, this piece has found a new home. Can you find it? Feeling cooped up? Let the Allegheny County Park Rangers come to the rescue! The super-creative, knowledgeable Rangers have cooked up some educational and recreational programs to get kids outside to explore the parks in winter. Check out the schedule for guided hikes, introduction to snowshoeing and more. Many are free or have a nominal fee, but they all require registration. Because of space limitations due to Covid, reserve a spot early. Learn more.

Dave Brooke photo

Sign up for the "Owlentine Day" Park Prowl Hands down, this little owlet fledgling was the best thing about 2020. It appeared in Harrison Hills Park and took flight last spring. But there's more owls to be found in the parks. Consider this nighttime hike in Settlers Cabin Park to search for more. Technically, this isn’t a January activity because it is scheduled for February 14. But if searching for owls interests your family, sign up now because spaces are limited. It's $5 to register, but kids under 4 are free. Bring a flashlight! Learn more.

Guess what? We're scheduling events in 2021!

What can we say? We're optimists! Mark your calendars, stay tuned and cross your fingers.

Twilight Picnic for the Parks is our signature fundraiser, assembling our corporate sponsors, regional leaders and park fans under the stars in Hartwood Acres Park for al fresco cocktails, food and fun. We paused it last year to sit out the pandemic and we are cautiously optimistic that we can move forward in 2021. Of course, we will only gather together if it is safe to do so. In the meantime, fingers crossed! What: Twilight Picnic for the Parks When: Saturday, August 21, 2021 Where: Hartwood Acres Park

Who couldn't use a beer tasting after the year we've just had? How about two?! We're moving ahead with the planning of our popular beer and spirit tastings in 2021, hoping we can safely do so. These family-friendly events attract beer and spirit lovers to sample some of our finest brewers and distillers from around the region. We also serve tasty samples from local restaurants. And we throw in some live music for evenings of causal family entertainment. All to benefit your nine Allegheny County Parks! Mark you calendars and stay tuned! What: Pour at the Park South Park When: Saturday, May 15, 2021 Where: South Park What: Pour at the Park North Park When: Friday, September 10, 2021 Where: The Lodge at North Park

Thank you!

Because of your support, we're heading into 2021 with funding for projects that will improve, conserve and restore your 9 Allegheny County Parks. We are planting native species in meadows and riparian borders to clean storm water flowing into streams. We're restoring historic features like the South Park Cascades. And we're planting hundreds of trees to restore our region's tree canopy. Your support today is the foundation of projects that will impact generations for years to come. Thank you from the Allegheny County Parks Foundation!

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What's next at the Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres

Ring Series #5 by Fletcher Benton

It's a square-peg-in-a-round-hole kind of puzzle. The conservation of Ring Series #5 by sculptor Fletcher Benton is underway at McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory, Inc. in Ohio. But unlike the other sculptures that have been conserved by these experts for placement in the Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres, this piece is posing a particular challenge. Taking the sculpture off site for conservation required the piece to be removed from its original foundation which was installed in the 1980s. Part of the conservation process has been to design and construct a whole new anchoring system on the bottom of the piece so it can be reinstalled into a brand new foundation. Look for Ring Series #5 to be transported back to Hartwood Acres and permanently installed in its new location in the spring. The Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres is made possible in part by the RADical ImPAct Grant program, which was launched in celebration of the Allegheny Regional Asset District’s 25th anniversary with the intention of funding bold, forward-looking, creative projects that will have a radical impact on the region.  Interested in seeing how the Sculpture Garden at Hartwood Acres will look when it's completed? Learn more.

South Park Cascades Restoration Update

Exciting developments at the South Park Cascades! Site work continued on this historical site restoration - until the snow arrived! Most of the water supply, sanitary drain and electric line utility trench work was completed prior to the change in weather. If there's a significant warm up during the winter then some site preparation could continue including tree stump and root removal and site drainage to the new rain garden areas. Visitors might also observe additional work taking place before year's end as a fiberglass water treatment system vault will be installed on a concrete pad foundation. The vault will contain the pipes, valves and pump needed supply, treat and re-circulate water through the Cascades.  And then activity will pause until March 2021 when warmer weather returns.

Thanks to everyone who made a purchase!

Your CBD Store in Shaler donated 10% of its sales on Saturday, December 19 to the Allegheny County Parks Foundation as part of its Holiday Giving Event. Thank you for supporting this local franchise that supports your county parks!

Think of the Parks Foundation when making Amazon purchases. Whenever you make a purchase on Amazon Smile, select the Allegheny County Parks Foundation as your charity recipient. At no cost to you, the AmazonSmile Foundation will make a donation to the Parks Foundation! It's a simple click away.

Boyce Park | Deer Lakes Park | Harrison Hills Park | Hartwood Acres Park North Park | Round Hill Park | Settlers Cabin Park | South Park | White Oak Park

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Allegheny County Parks Foundation | 675 Old Frankstown Road | Pittsburgh, PA 15239 info@acparksfoundation.org | acparksfoundation.org | 724.327.7627