The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is one of the signature runs in Pittsburgh. There are 33 miles of trail, along both sides of all three rivers in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The trails are mostly paved. There are three main ‘sections’ of the Heritage Trail, with bridges connecting the downtown core to the north and south sides. Runners can mix & match various options. There are a few gaps where the trail is not continuous. This INTERACTIVE MAP shows the three sections.
Downtown/Strip District. From Pointe Park to 21st St. is 1.7 miles along north side of downtown section. From Pointe Park to the Hot Metal Bridge St. is 3.3 miles along south side of downtown section. Use Duquesne Br. to connect to North Side and Smithfield Bridge to connect to the South Side. This part of the trail marked as the Strip District.
The North Side (Ohio & Allegheny Rivers). It’s up to 6.4 miles from Westhall St. to just past the 40th St. Bridge. The first three miles is along the north bank of the Ohio River. Just past the Carnegie Science Center, the trail continues along the Allegheny River to just past the 40th St. Bridge. Landmarks along the way include Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, the Carnegie Science center, & the Andy Warhol Museum. Nice river views most of the way.
Option: Herrs Island. At the 4.8 mile mark, there’s a small pedestrian bridge that crosses to Herrs Island (Washington’s Landing). It’s a pleasant, nearly 2.8 mile loop around the island on mainly dedicated path.
Option: Allegheny Commons Park. Just past PNC Park at Allegheny Landing, take Sandusky St. for 0.5 miles to access this historic park, which features ~1.5 miles of trails around an aviary, small lake, outdoor sculptures, and great downtown views.
Add-On: At the northern end of the trail @ the 31st St. Bridge, challenge yourself with the short, steep jaunt up Rialto St. — 25% grade!
The South Side. This section of trail mainly follows the Monongahela River along the south bank for up to 6.5 miles. The western terminus is near Highmark Stadium/Duquesne Incline. Follow the river. At 1.2 miles there’s an 0.3 mile on-road section. At 3.5 miles is the Hot Metal Bridge, which is a popular turnaround point (a popular loop is 5.5 miles RT between Smithfield Bridge on the south side, crossing Hot Metal Bridge, and running along the ‘Eliza Furnace’ section, hearkening to the Steel City’s industrial past). It’s another 3 miles to the Glenwood Bridge. From there, the trail continues as the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail to Cumberland, MD (this trail is 150 miles!).
The Three Rivers Heritage Trail is one of the signature runs in Pittsburgh. There are 33 miles of trail, along both sides of all three rivers in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The trails are mostly paved. There are three main ‘sections’ of the Heritage Trail, with bridges connecting the downtown core to the north and south sides. Runners can mix & match various options. There are a few gaps where the trail is not continuous. This INTERACTIVE MAP shows the three sections.
Downtown/Strip District. From Pointe Park to 21st St. is 1.7 miles along north side of downtown section. From Pointe Park to the Hot Metal Bridge St. is 3.3 miles along south side of downtown section. Use Duquesne Br. to connect to North Side and Smithfield Bridge to connect to the South Side. This part of the trail marked as the Strip District.
The North Side (Ohio & Allegheny Rivers). It’s up to 6.4 miles from Westhall St. to just past the 40th St. Bridge. The first three miles is along the north bank of the Ohio River. Just past the Carnegie Science Center, the trail continues along the Allegheny River to just past the 40th St. Bridge. Landmarks along the way include Acrisure Stadium, PNC Park, the Carnegie Science center, & the Andy Warhol Museum. Nice river views most of the way.
Option: Herrs Island. At the 4.8 mile mark, there’s a small pedestrian bridge that crosses to Herrs Island (Washington’s Landing). It’s a pleasant, nearly 2.8 mile loop around the island on mainly dedicated path.
Option: Allegheny Commons Park. Just past PNC Park at Allegheny Landing, take Sandusky St. for 0.5 miles to access this historic park, which features ~1.5 miles of trails around an aviary, small lake, outdoor sculptures, and great downtown views.
Add-On: At the northern end of the trail @ the 31st St. Bridge, challenge yourself with the short, steep jaunt up Rialto St. — 25% grade!
The South Side. This section of trail mainly follows the Monongahela River along the south bank for up to 6.5 miles. The western terminus is near Highmark Stadium/Duquesne Incline. Follow the river. At 1.2 miles there’s an 0.3 mile on-road section. At 3.5 miles is the Hot Metal Bridge, which is a popular turnaround point (a popular loop is 5.5 miles RT between Smithfield Bridge on the south side, crossing Hot Metal Bridge, and running along the ‘Eliza Furnace’ section, hearkening to the Steel City’s industrial past). It’s another 3 miles to the Glenwood Bridge. From there, the trail continues as the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail to Cumberland, MD (this trail is 150 miles!).
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Essentials
Many distance options depending on preference. See options
Generally flat
Pointe Park for downtown; Westhall St. on north side; Highmark Stadium or Smithfield Bridge for south side.
One of our favorite downtown runs in a U.S. city: historic parks, river paths, iconic bridges, a hilltop promenade with great views, and the use of two, short incline railways!
A fantastic run featuring the Grandview Promenade (uses the incline railway to access it), which offers great views of the Monongahela & Pittsburgh skyline. Loops back using the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Can add with hillside trails.
A classic Pittsburgh run along the Monongahela River between the Smithfield Bridge and the Hot Metal Bridge. Combines the more park-like south side of the river with the city's grittier north side. Good add-on options.
Three miles from downtown, there is great running near The University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon University. A highlight is Schenley Park, with 456 acres of trails, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
A great run combining two historic city parks: Schenley Park, with its botanical gardens, & more landscaped paths; and Frick Park, which has 400+ acres of mostly wooded trails. The lovely Squirrel Hill neighborhood connects the parks.
Create your own route on the side streets of these adjacent residential neighborhoods. Quieter, tree-lined streets with nice older homes and small commercial areas.
Historic park and neighborhood east of downtown that's wonderful for running. Highland Park features 4 miles of trails. including scenic lake loops. Combine with the leafy streets & Victorian homes in the historic district just south of the park.
Runners can get their heart rate up on Pittsburgh's famous hilly streets and stair paths! Canton Ave. at 37%, is the steepest street in North America. Several stair paths feature 300+ steps. We've mapped the steepest streets & longest stair paths.
Four parks/preserves north of Pittsburgh with easy running on mainly wooded trails. Highlights include the 5-mile North Park lake loop, the estate trails at Hartwood Acres, and the meadows & woods at Beechwood Farms Nature Preserve.
A good option near the airport. The Montour Trail runs 46 miles around the southwest part of Pitsburgh and to some of the neighboring communities. A connector trail to the airport was completed in 2012.
Downtown Pittsburgh is the start point of a popular long-distance rail-trail that runs for 150 miles to Cumberland, MD. The first view miles overlaps with the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. Wide, flat, gravel surfaced, & mainly wooded, with some nice river views.
A unique tour of Pittsburgh's downtown, Point State Park, and several neighborhoods, whose 11.5 mile route map is in the shape of a ballerina! Josh Key submitted this unique route along with a creative description.
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!
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Essentials
Many distance options depending on preference. See options
Generally flat
Pointe Park for downtown; Westhall St. on north side; Highmark Stadium or Smithfield Bridge for south side.
Review or Comment on This Route/Share a Photo!
Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!