Pleasant Valley Park — Attraction in Murrysville

I really enjoyed my first visit to Pleasant Valley Park. Great work by all the people who maintain it.

Location: this park is worth the drive from Pittsburgh's eastern suburbs, at least those between the rivers. The park is located just south of downtown Murrysville.

Parking: there are maybe 25 spots in the gravel lot. One thing I appreciated right away is that the lot includes gravel tire stop curbs to denote spaces. Trailheads often become congested early because without lines, people space their cars much more than necessary. These curbs are a simple way to mark spaces.

Restroom: there is a portable toilet at the parking lot.

Signage: the signage is very impressive. At each junction, or where a pipeline right of way intersects, a small aluminum sign indicates which trail you are on. It's done perfectly. Paired with the excellent map available online, you won't need a GPS to hike this trail.

Trail conditions: I visited the park in early December before any snowfall. The surface was hard-packed and mostly free of mud. You can tell there's been an effort to add drainage in problem spots.

Nature interpretation: I appreciated signs marking some tree species. On Hank's Trail and Cheeky Chipmunk Trail, I passed signs showcasing a black oak, black walnut, white pine, and tulip poplar.

Seating: some benches were found along the way.

Trail slopes: Hank's and Cheeky both had lots of ups and downs but nothing was unnecessarily steep. I enjoyed the varied topography.

Views: the vistas up and down the pipeline rights of way were kinda interesting. I also liked the meadow area. I'd like to visit again in the summer.

Suggested improvement: like most Pittsburgh area trails, there are no marked loops. Perhaps a couple loops, marked with blazes on the existing signs, could be added. Because the trails are named by segments, it can be a little challenging to figure out an ideal loop if it's your first time there. I also wonder if a trail could be added to the top of the hill. I always like hikes with a view...

I've been to this park a couple of times but if you want to hike I suggest you go to Duff Park instead. The trails at Pleasant valley park are mostly used by mountain bikers. The times I've been I had to always keep an eye on behind me and in front of me for bikers (I also hike with my dog) and I feel like no one ends up enjoying the time there. The trails get very muddy especially because of the heavy bike traffic and I ended up covered in ticks. Some parts of the trails are a bit wild as well. It's not bad but duff park is much more maintained and enjoyable although while Duff Park gets pretty busy, Pleasant...

The place is nice just beware of the 'upper class' attitude. Yes, there are leash laws but this place is specifically stated on the Murrysville website that leash laws dont apply.

Me and my girl friend got a lot of backlash for having our dog off-leash even though it's legal. Just be prepared for that... you'll have to kindly correct everyone while getting dirty looks - its really annoying.

Other than that, long trails and a great work out where you might go an hour without running into anyone...