Big Trees | Hikes and Hops

McKeesport, PA

In the midst of the industrial town of Elizabeth, Dead Man’s Hollow is a welcome green respite! There are miles of wooded trails perfect for hiking and biking and it even connects to the GAP trail. You’ll find unique spots like the table rock, huge sycamores and spring wildflowers, and industrial ruins. Despite its ominous name, this is a delightfully peaceful hike and is great for some solitude. Afterwards, head back into Elizabeth for a pint at the community-centered Firewhistle Brewing.

THE HIKE: Dead Man’s Hollow Loop

Length: 5.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 840 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2-2.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, Biking
Parking: Large gravel lot
H&H: 4/5

Dead Man’s Hollow is a conservation area that includes over 450 acres managed by the Allegheny Land Trust. It’s located southeast of the city in McKeesport along the Youghiogheny River. The ALT set out to preserve this area after it was revealed to have ecological significance and it’s now an excellent spot for spring wildflowers!

There are currently about 8 miles of trails at Dead Man’s Hollow and it links up to the Great Allegheny Passage for even more miles. The trails are open to hikers and cyclists, although be aware that some sections are very steep.

Where to Park

There are four parking lots to access the trails at Dead Man’s Hollow, although I suggest going to the Catfish Pond one. This is the largest lot with space for about 25 cars and is easy to access from McKeesport. After turning off Scenic Ridge Road towards the parking lot, the way is a bit rough and gravelly so be aware if you’re driving a smaller car. Take the road all the way to the end and then you’ll find the trailhead. There are kiosks with trail maps at all four parking areas, but be aware that the other three lots only have space for a few cars.

History

In the 19th and 20th century, industry ruled in this area. From a quarry to a pipe factory, the location right along the river made it a prime spot. However, when the pipe factory closed in the 1920s, nature slowly took back over. The industrial ruins have made the hollow ripe for spooky stories. The area’s chilling name comes from local lore stating that in the 1800s, a group of boys stumbled upon a body hanging from a tree. Another folk story tells of a robbed store owner chasing the culprits into the woods and ultimately dying in the ensuing crossfire. For a wonderful overview of the facts and legends about the Hollow, see this article. If you like spooky stories, keep an eye out for Halloween hikes hosted by the ALT at Dead Man’s Hollow!

The Trails

We visited Dead Man’s Hollow this year as part of the Oboz Trail Experience (learn more here) so we had to take a defined route. However, I would highly suggest parking at the Catfish Pond trailhead and starting out on the red-blazed Cool Spirit Trail. Bearing to the right will lead past a small waterfall and the interesting rock feature called Table Rock. Be aware that the trail down to Table Rock isn’t well defined and is quite steep. From there, follow the purple trail down into the hollow, until it meets up with the green trai. See the towering sycamore trees and take a picture in the tree trunk hideaway. Continuing along the green trail leads to the industrial ruins and the GAP trail. From there, you can continue along the lesser trod blue trail that leads up through peaceful woods. The lower half of this trail does have a lot of broken glass though so keep an eye on your four-legged friends. My least favorite trail was the yellow trail, which was extremely overgrown past the Calhoun road parking area. I was very grateful for long pants! To connect the yellow route back to the green or the red connector, there are some very steep switchbacks up the hillside. I found these to be a fun challenge but there are definitely times when I’d rather avoid and take an easier way up.

No matter what route you choose, you’re sure to find some peace and quiet at Dead Man’s Hollow!

THE BEER: Firewhistle Brewery

Address: 107 N 2nd Ave, Elizabeth, PA 15037
Distance from Trail Head: 10 mins, 5 miles
Website: https://firewhistlebrewing.com/
Food?: BYOF
Details: Outdoor seating, cocktails, pet-friendly outside

I’ve been wanting to make it down to Firewhistle for ages and I was so glad that this hike brought me out to Elizabeth! Firewhistle is a pretty small operation, but that’s part of what I liked about it! The cozy taproom felt like sitting around a friend’s kitchen and pretty much everyone knew either other. As you may have picked up from the name, Jason Berman, owner and brewer, has a close connection to emergency services. He has been a volunteer firefighter and has worked as a paramedic for many years and wanted his brewery to be a place that not only celebrates the work of emergency workers but also be a comfortable place for them to unwind at the end of the night!

Firewhistle is a small operation so in addition to their own house-made pours, they also offer a robust cocktail list and local wines. They also encourage their guests to order in from local restaurants like the pizzeria next door! The night we visited, we were able to enjoy a new stout on tap whose warming, chocolatey taste paired perfectly with an unseasonably cool August night. We also loved the Firewhistle Red Ale, and actually just stuck with these two delicious brews for the evening. I really appreciate a brewery that makes lower ABV beers, cheers to that! We also lucked out and visited on an evening with live music!

Our Beer:

139 Engine – Amber Ale – 4.9%
Flashover Stout – Stout – 5.1%

Looking for other hikes & hops South of Pittsburgh? Check out Mingo Creek County Park & Mondays Brewing, Boyce Mayfield Park & Recon at Hastings, or South Park & Spoonwood Brewing

Grove City, PA

Wolf Creek Narrows was an unexpectedly lovely find! Combined with the trail at Miller woods Nature Preserve, this makes for a great afternoon hike. It’s also perfect for a summer day since most of the trail follows along cool streams. The trails meander through woods and fields and are particularly nice for seeing native plant species. Save the section along Wolf Creek for the very end to cool off! Afterwards, head over to Big Rail Brewing in Grove City for a refreshing brew in their rustic outdoor taproom. This is a great hike and hop for the whole family!

THE HIKE: Wolf Creek Narrows

Length: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 200 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 2 hours
Trail use: Hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Small lot at trailhead, no facilities
H&H: 5/5

The first thing to know about this hike is that it combines two nature preserves and neither of them have great trail maps. Thankfully, they’re both pretty small and there’s little chance of getting lost. Miller Woods Nature Preserve is managed by Slippery Rock University. It is a certified Audubon Society Sanctuary and is often used as an outdoor classroom and lab by the University. In the spring, this is a fantastic area to see wildflowers and its low foot traffic also makes for a wonderful place to see wildlife, especially birds.

*The sign for Wolf Creek Narrows trailhead*

Wolf Creek Narrows is on the opposite side of the bridge from Miller Woods and is managed by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. It features mature hardwood forests, spring wildflowers, and is open for fishing along the creek. Although the WPC acknowledges this as one of their more popular locations, we still found plenty of solitude on a sunny summer day! When looking into this preserve, you may see that the maps only list one short loop. However, just recently an additional route has been added through the woods and then out into a field that almost doubles the amount of trail. Although the field section can be warm, it’s full of native wildflowers, which made for a lovely walk.

To access this hike, park at Miller Woods, off of Miller Road. The parking lot is fairly small, with room for about 8 cars. Be aware that there are no facilities at this trailhead! The trail begins in the back left hand corner of the parking area. Although most maps only slow one loop through these woods, we found that there were a lot of community foraged trails. We stuck to one along the creekside which led us through impressively large trees and a variety of plant life, including some beautiful swamp cabbage patches. At the furthest point of the trail, we found ourselves on a pebbled shore of the creek, which was perfect for skipping some stones. After heading back into the woods, we turned left at a fork and continued away from the creek, passing by some old ruins. From here, we made a bit of a mistake and followed a side trail along a shallow creek bed that eventually seemed like it was leading us off course. So we turned around and found the right trail which quickly linked back up to the path leading back to the parking lot. All together, subtracting our detour, the loop in Miller Woods is about 1 mile.

Now that you’re back at the parking lot, leave your car there and head towards the road. This isn’t a busy road, but use caution while walking along it. Make a right out of the parking lot and head across the bridge. On the left side of the bridge, you’ll see the signs for Wolf Creek Narrows. Now starts the second leg of your trek! Upon entering these woods, you’ll notice that the trees seem much older. My suggestion for this trail is to bear to the right at the first fork. There’s a short climb to higher ground and after a few minutes, you’ll see the new section of trail. This starts out in a thick hemlock patch and then opens up to a wildflower field which is also home to a bat house! Following this trail all the way to the road will lead to a new parking lot access for Wolf Creek Narrows. This is an alternative spot to park if Miller woods is full! Continue back along this trail to the woods and when you come to a fork, bear to the right to finish out the loop. After following the trail back down to the creek, be sure to spend some time down in the creek. The water is cool and refreshing and the nearby cliff sides carved out by the water are worth a look! After splashing around, follow the trail back up to the road and back to your car.

We were all pleasantly surprised by this trail and I would happily recommend it to anyone visiting the area. It’s not the longest nor most impressive trail I’ve been on recently, but it was the perfect nature trek to bring my parents on. We walked slowly and enjoyed every new plant we saw and made sure to skip stones and wade into the creek. And I would also highly recommend following it up with a trip to Big Rail Brewery.

THE BEER: Big Rail Brewery

Address: 2158 Mercer Butler Pike, Grove City, PA 16127
Distance from Trail Head: 6 miles, 10 mins
Website: https://bigrailbrewing.com/
Food?: Food Truck or BYOF
Details: Outdoor seating, dog friendly, Live music, playground

This brewery has been on my radar for ages after seeing it on a list from NextPittsburgh about road trip breweries from Pittsburgh. A hike and hop weekend with my family seemed like the perfect excuse to finally make a trip out here. Big Rail Brewing is the first place I’ve been to have a rustic beer garden as their primary location. Although they are building a large taproom and brewing facility onsite (opening date TBD), they’ve been serving their brews outdoors since 2019! But this isn’t just some picnic tables in the woods. Big Rail Brewing has probably the nicest outdoor set up I’ve ever seen at a brewery. Not only is there plenty of seating but there’s also covered pavilions, firepits, and picnic tables. It’s also incredibly family friendly, even featuring a sandpit area for the kiddos! Most weekends you can also find a food truck and live music. Honestly, I could have spent all day here! It’s everything you could want in an outdoor space. We all felt like we were having a beer in a friend’s backyard! I hope even when the taproom is up and running that they keep this incredible outdoor space.

Fun fact, Big Rail is a nickname for a specific heavy weight rail that was forged to handle the extremely heavy weights of the coal and iron ore carried out of Pennsylvania. The name is a nod to all of the blue-collar workers that hold up our society.

Our Beer: