Trip #650 Canton Avenue, Beechview, Pittsburgh took place on October 8, 2021, and was published on October 20, 2021.
Canton Avenue is the steepest street in the continental United States with a whopping 37% grade of cobbled Belgian block stones. When you stand at the bottom, it looks less like a street and more like a sloping retaining wall, so it’s not surprising that many unsuspecting vehicles, likely guided by GPS voices, quickly back away and search for another route. But the street itself is short, and having already climbed all of the still-traversable longest flights in Pittsburgh, I figured it couldn’t be much more difficult. So I set off from the bottom and, in no time at all, found myself at the top and surrounded by litter (leaving me to wonder how garbage collection occurs on this street). If you’re walking, Canton is a short 54 steps of average build. It’s easier than climbing the lopsided and uneven 331 steps of Rising Main and faster than the seemingly never-ending 317 of Yard Way. I had approached Canton as a mountain and was mildly disappointed to discover that for me, it was more like a molehill. As with much in life, the perspective and experience depend on how you undertake the journey.
Field Notes: So, this is the steepest street in the continental US. It has a 37% grade. In all honesty, I think it’s easier to walk than to drive (as I was taking these photos, two cars started going up but then backed down). Unfortunately, this street is a real litter zone – I was greeted by this when I reached the top – yuck!
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.
