Loading...

Distance:
2.2 Miles / 3.5 km
Type:
Loop
Difficulty:
Easy
Time to Hike:
1 hour, ~6 minutes
Features:
Surface Type:
Universal Access
Park:
Three Rivers Heritage Trail
Town:
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Directions:
40.460249, -79.982466
Added:
May 26, 2018
Updated:
February 12, 2022
Loading...
Loading...
40 '

Total Change
77 '

Ascent
69 '

Descent

The Herrs Island Loop Trail in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is an easy 2 mile trail that runs along the banks of Herrs Island as part of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. You can hop on this trail from the North Shore Riverfront Trail near the parking marker where the trailhead starts.

Take the ramp entrance up to and over the bridge to Herrs Island. Follow the gravel trail all the way around the island. The trail passes along the Allegheny River and cuts through the outside eating area of Redfin Blues - a local eatery.

When you reach the northern tip of the island, there's a staircase that descends down to a large lookout platform with more views of the Allegheny River. Just before this large staircase, about 0.1 mile south along the trail, is another lookout point that juts out over the Allegheny River with more views.

Upon heading south along the west side of the island, the trail will turn into a sidewalk that runs along Waterfront Drive. Continue following Waterfront Drive until you reach Overlook Court - take a right-hand turn here to continue following the trail along the westside of the island. After you reach the street again, walk straight towards the trail on the east side of the island to head back to the trailhead along the North Shore Riverfront Trail.

Pets: Dogs and biking are both allowed on this trail.

Views: Most of the lookout points can be found on the southern end of the trail, with views of downtown Pittsburgh, (just over the bridge to get onto Herrs Island) and near the northern end of the island.

Parking: The parking coordinates here, next to the trailhead, leads to a small parking lot that fits less than 10 cars along River Ave. There plenty of public parking on Herrs Island via the 30th Street Bridge or you can also park at the Millvale trailhead for the North Shore Riverfront Trail and hike 1-mile south to reach this trailhead for a longer hike.

Explore 219 trails near Pittsburgh, PA
  1. Parking

    40.460249, -79.982466
  2. Main Trailhead

    40.459926, -79.982569
  3. View of the Allegheny River and Downtown Pittsburgh

    40.460267, -79.981889
    View of the Allegheny River and Downtown Pittsburgh
  4. Lookout point

    40.467697, -79.973847
    Lookout point
  5. Northern lookout point

    40.469956, -79.972633
    Northern lookout point
  6. View of Pittsburgh from Herrs Island / Washington's Landing

    40.460228, -79.98105
    View of Pittsburgh from Herrs Island / Washington's Landing
No community routes found. To add your own hike as a Community Route for this Trail guide, leave a Trip Report with an attached GPX file.

Hazards

Ticks - Lyme Disease More Info (CDC)

Seasons

All

8 Trip Reports

No Star-Ratings
Trail Guide By:
Admin user profile picture
2.2 miles / 3.5 km
Trail added
May 26, 2018
Hiked on
May 20, 2018
Updated on
February 12, 2022
2.2 miles / 3.5 km
May 23, 2022
Trash some places, hills, Busy at times.
Hiking
2.2 miles / 3.5 km
February 12, 2022
Have walked the entire trail numerous times as I recently worked on the island. Trail is mostly very nice any time of the year. Plenty of on island parking. Beautiful views and especially in the Fall and Spring. Fantastic views of the city all around. See my posted pics.
Hiking
1.6 miles / 2.6 km
April 23, 2021
Hiking
1.6 miles / 2.6 km
April 23, 2021
Beautiful day for a hike on a short trip back to Pittsburgh. This spot is one of my favorite places to kill time while getting a nice view of the city. Hiked down to almost the opposite end of the island before turning back.
Hiking

Weather Forecast

In Pittsburgh, PA

Explore Hiking Trails

New Hikes

Lower Stony Brook Falls
0.2 Miles
0.3 km
Easy
Out-and-Back
Hidden Valley Nature Trail
0.7 Miles
1.1 km
Easy
Loop
Lake Estes Trail
0.9 Miles
1.4 km
Easy
Out-and-Back
Shortoff Trail
5.5 Miles
8.9 km
Hard
Out-and-Back

Before you boogie...

Find our trail guides useful? Consider becoming a Supporter to unlock perks!

MyHikes is an indie platform that makes exploring public trails easier for everyone. The platform has no investors, runs no ads, and is owned and operated by one person, Dave Miller. Dave has personally mapped and written over 1,600 trail guides on MyHikes for the public to explore. As of 2024, MyHikes has helped over 1,300,000 outdoor enthusiasts plan their next adventure.

But it takes a lot of time 🕦, money 💰, and work, and espresso shots ☕ to run MyHikes, including hiking , mapping , writing , and publishing new trails with high-quality (accurate) information... along with software engineering (coding) the platform like building new features, site and mobile app development for iOS and Android, site maintainance . and much much more.

Supporters unlock website and mobile app perks with an annual one-time payment of $25 (you renew) 😎👍. Or you can simply make a Donation of your choice. Otherwise, you can support us by telling your friends about MyHikes - both quick and free 🎉

Admin user profile picture

Dave Miller
MyHikes Founder