New ADA-compliant trail opens at Settlers Cabin Park
A new trail that will enable visitors to walk through a key stretch of Settlers Cabin Park without being in the roadway officially opened for business Monday.
The nearly 1-mile ADA-compliant trail runs from Moccassin shelter to Iroquois shelter, along Papoose and TePee drives, in a portion of the park that lies in Robinson Township.
The county broke ground in October 2024 on the 8-foot-wide trail, which cost just under $1.7 million to design and build.
Several Allegheny County officials were on hand Monday to celebrate the ribbon-cutting, including county Executive Sara Innamorato, who called the new trail “a unique addition” to the park.
“Park users can now enjoy a dedicated pedestrian corridor through the heart of the park and will no longer need to share the road with vehicular traffic,” Innamorato said.
Innamorato said the new trail is part of the county’s broader commitment to make its parks safer and more accessible for county residents and visitors alike.
“By creating these dedicated pathways, we’re ensuring that everyone – regardless of mobility – can enjoy the beauty of nature in a safe and secure way,” Innamorato said.
Innamorato said the new trail is the latest in a series of amenities that opens county parks and recreation facilities to a wider range of potential patrons, noting that the first low-vision tennis courts were opened two years ago and the Bankshot Basketball courts at South Park opened in 2022 to encourage players of all ages and abilities, including disabled participants, to play basketball.
County Councilmember Pat Catena, who grew up in the West Hills, said he’s had a chance to watch the park grow throughout his lifetime.
“This was the picnic spot where my parents brought me,” he said during Monday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Catena called the trail opening “a truly wonderful thing.”
“I couldn’t be more thankful that we’re here,” he added.
Settlers Cabin Park park spans 1,610 acres across Collier, North Fayette and Robinson townships. The park also houses a log cabin dating back to 1780, which was identified by archaeologists at Carnegie Mellon University and inspired the park’s name.
The park features many trails that were once home to several abandoned open and back-filled coal mines that have since been restored to rolling wooded slopes and meadows.
According to the park's website, the park includes a waterfall that has had its trail conditions recently improved to enhance accessibility, encouraging more guests to experience its natural beauty. Visitors can also enjoy basketball courts, tennis courts, a dog park, a wave pool and diving platform, playgrounds, trails for walking and hiking, and more.
The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset and more information can be found here.
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