Schenley Park, Squirrel Hill South, Pittsburgh took place on August 7, 2022, and was published on August 10, 2022.
In Dean Bog’s now legendary 2019 short film, The Best Urban Hiking is… Pittsburgh? Dean refers to Diulus Way in Central Oakland as having a labyrinthian-like quality that feels like Diagon Alley in Harry Potter. I don’t disagree, and this enchanting entrance sets the stage for exploring the Panther Hollow section of Schenley Park and its sixteen flights of public stairs, nearly all built of stone. After journeying down Diulus and exiting right onto a quiet area of Boundary Street, you’ll see the Junction Hollow Bike Trail and a detour across the railroad tracks. Carefully picking your way across, you’ll come upon a human-made lake that’s subtly reuniting with the landscape. Skirt the water’s edge counter-clockwise, and you’ll quickly spy the old city steps that a century of park-goers have traveled. Yes, they are downright magical. Rustic and rugged, they snake along the wooded hillsides, every step in harmony with the surroundings, transforming all who believe in the powers of Mother Nature.
Field Notes: Another edition of Mis.Steps: Steps in Public Parks! Using the Regional Data Center’s master list of all the stairs, I sorted by neighborhood and decided to head over to Schenley Park. I wanted to see if it was possible (and safe) to cut over the train tracks to reach Panther Hollow Lake and was pleasantly surprised to see it was! Also found a very cool, nearly hidden 1916 marker. Not sure what it means but my guess is that it’s been there for a long time!
Love city steps? Get yourself the latest issue of Mis.Steps: Our Missed Connections with Pittsburgh’s City Steps! Each copy is unique and features 10 randomly selected “trading cards” of Pittsburgh’s 739 public stairways. Visit the Mis.Steps online store to see all issues and place your order.
Want to visit these stairs? You can locate them on the Pittsburgh City Steps Plan website!
Be a good neighbor! Have you visited these stairs and found them in poor condition or that illegal dumping (large items like tires, old furniture, and construction debris) and trash were abundant in the area? There are two things you can do to take action and make our city steps cleaner and safer for everyone! First, grab a photo if you can, and submit a report to Pittsburgh 311. All problems, both broken stairs, and railings, as well as trash and dumping, should be reported to the city. You can easily do this online or by calling.
