Tag outdoors

Urban Hike: Allegheny Cemetery & Coven Brewing

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Lawrenceville, PA

Last weekend, we took our first urban hike of the season…in a cemetery! No this wasn’t a spooky Halloween themed walk. We wanted to explore the beautiful and historic Allegheny Cemetery in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh and learn more about its history. Following a self-guided tour from the cemetery’s website, we were able to find and read about more than 30 notable people buried in the cemetery! Afterward we imbibed at Pittsburgh’s newest brewery, Coven Brewing! If you’re in the mood for an urban history hike and hop, this one’s for you!

THE HIKE: Allegheny Cemetery History Hike

Length: 4 miles
Elevation Gain: 450 ft
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 3 hours
Trail use: Walking, running, biking, NO PETS
Parking: Parking at visitor center (Butler Street)
H&H: 4/5

Okay so you might be thinking that a cemetery is a weird place to take a hike. In a lot of places, it’s not normal to stroll through a cemetery; you might feel that you’re disturbing the peace! But while also a resting place, Allegheny Cemetery is also a beautiful park that is full of nature, art, and history! In fact, the cemetery encourages people to visit by preparing self-guided tours with themes like Pittsburgh Mayors, African American History, Dynamic Women, and more! We opted to do Notable People which included famous industrialists, musicians, politicians, and military heroes. To find this and other self-guided tours, follow this link: https://mobile.webcemeteries.com/allegheny/26/Tours#tourId=701

Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest rural cemeteries in the country, encompassing over 300 acres and memorializing over 124,000 people. The cemetery was established in 1844 and some of the oldest graves are from Revolutionary War veterans. This cemetery is unique because it was built with nature in mind. It was always meant to incorporate the natural landscape so the paths between gravesites meander through trees and past ponds. It’s made to be a peaceful place of contemplation! 

J.B Ford memorial (founder of PPG)

A few things before you head out to the cemetery for a stroll. Firstly, leave your furry friends at home! Feel free to pack some snacks or a picnic but, as on any hike, leave no trace! Also please take your time and enjoy nature, but avoid sitting or leaning on graves or other memorial structures. Overall, be respectful of the dead and their families. Especially since this is still an active cemetery and you may encounter a burial service while you are there. 

When exploring the Cemetery, make sure to give yourself plenty of time. This isn’t going to be the type of walk that you finish in an hour! In fact, we spent almost 3 hours here and the only thing that stopped us was our empty water bottles! Also make sure to have fully charged phone if you’re following the self-guided tour. I found that the website drained my battery pretty quickly! 

The tours are pretty easy to follow. You can see the map with all of the key locations numbered and to navigate, just click on the directions icon and it will bring up google maps to give you walking directions. We found the website to be very easy to use! At each burial site, we took turns reading the short bio about the interned person. A few times, we weren’t able to find the exact headstone, but we made it close to the area and still read the description. I really want to give a shout out to the staff and volunteers who researched and created the self-guided tours! I learned so much and I’m so glad that this resource was created! 

Grave of Joseph Wainwright, early brewer in Pittsburgh
Grave of Vietnam War veteran Lester Madden, whose favorite movie was Jaws
Grave of Stephen Foster, celebrated composer

If you’re a history buff, there are a couple of really interesting people to read about. First is Dr. Charles Avery, an abolitionist who ran a stop on the Underground Railroad in Pittsburgh! Then was the huge memorial fortress to John B. Ford, the founder of Pittsburgh Plate Glass (now a little company called PPG Industries). Another fun one was the grave for Joseph Wainwright, an early brewmaster who used wild hops that grew along the river to make his own beer! His company eventually merged with others to become the Pittsburgh Brewing Company (makers of Iron City Beer!) . There’s so many more and if you are familiar at all with Pittsburgh, you’ll definitely see some familiar names popping up again and again. Names like Mellon, Schenley, Neville, McCandless, Scaife and more! 

If you’re looking for a different type of hike, I highly encourage you to check out a self-guided tour of Allegheny Cemetery. Even if you’re not a big history person, the peace and beauty of this park is sure to satisfy you! And once you’re tired of walking, there’s no shortage of places to eat and drink outside of the cemetery walls! Let’s head over to Coven Brewing to check it out!

THE BEER: Coven Brewery

Address: 4901 Butler St, Pittsburgh, PA 15201
Distance from Trail Head: 0.2 miles, 5 mins walking
Website: http://covenbrewingpgh.com/
Food?: BYOF or Food Trucks
Details: Outdoor seating & dog friendly
H&H Rating: 4/5

Coven Brewing is Pittsburgh’s newest craft brewery, having only just opened at the beginning of April! Coven is owned and run by two former Dancing Gnome brewers so this brewery really knows its stuff! The new brewery has taken over the former Roundabout Brewing location on Butler Street, which has meant the duo can really hit the ground running! Although this area already has a ton of breweries, I’m particularly excited about Coven because one of the owners/brewers is a woman! Always thrilled to see more diversity in the world of beer making! 

If you’re not into beer, Coven also offers a small selection of PA-made wine, cider, and cocktails. They also frequently have food truck offerings, but you could always grab a snack from any of the many food establishments along Butler street. 

So like I said, Coven Brewing is very new so it was super popular the day we went! They have some indoor seating but it was such a beautiful day that everyone wanted to be outside. We managed to snag the corner of a picnic table right as a huge crew of cyclists pulled up. I’d say Coven is doing pretty well so far! True to form, I really liked the New England IPA, Swanky. It was refreshing with that classic NEIPA haziness. J preferred the Saison which had a nice wheatiness to it. Unfortunately, we were meeting family afterward so we weren’t able to sample anything else. But I definitely think we’ll be back!

Our Beer:

  • Swanky – NEIPA – 7.2%
  • Curses in Cursive – Saison – 7.2%

SUM UP: Allegheny Cemetery isn’t your typical hike but if you’re looking for an urban walk, I highly suggest you check it out! Before heading out, download the cemetery’s app/website for a self-guided tour that takes you to various notable graves with a brief history of the person. We learned so much about local history and got to take in the beauty of the cemetery grounds. Your walk can be as long or as short as you want, but afterwards, be sure to walk across the street to Coven Brewing. Take a seat outside, grab something from a food truck and enjoy a delicious brew. Coven is sure to be a new favorite!

Looking for more adventures in Pennsylvania and beyond? Check out my new book: Beer Hiking Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Updated March 16, 2025

Conkle’s Hollow & Double Edge Brewing Company

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Hocking Hills, OH

Happy Belated Mother’s Day! Today I’m happy to share a lovely hike that I got to do with my Mom in Hocking Hills! One of the best things about this area is that you can see some amazing sights on a relatively short hike! My family tackled the roughly 2.5 miles Rim Trail at Conkles Hollow Nature Preserve on a beautiful sunny morning. This is a great hike for the whole family and is a really good loop for non-hikers. There’s also a shorter gorge trail that’s wheelchair and stroller friendly so this really is a place for everyone. Let’s check it out!

THE HIKE: East and West Rim Loop – Conkles Hollow Nature Preserve

Length: 2.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 427ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1.5-2 hours
Trail use: Hiking Only, NO PETS
Parking: Large parking lots. Vault Toilets
H&H: 5/5

Conkle’s Hollow is a small Nature Preserve located within Hocking Hills State Park. It is a rocky gorge that’s considered to be one of the deepest in Ohio! As you travel along the rim trail, you’ll be walking along cliff edges that raise 200ft up! The gorge itself is fairly narrow so you can even see hikers on the other side of the rim! This area is very unique because the towering cliffs mean that little to no sunlight reaches the bottom of the gorge. 

Family Hike!

A local legend of Conkle’s Hollow insists that robbers had hid their loot somewhere in the hollow but were never able to retrieve it due to a felled tree. Who knows if the tale is true, but if I needed a place to hide out, one of the caves in this area would definitely work for me!

When hiking at Conkle’s Hollow, try to arrive early if going on the weekend. Although there is a large parking lot (with vault toilets), it’s extremely popular so it will fill up! We arrived around 10am on a beautiful Saturday and easily found parking. However, we finished up, the lot was completely packed and people were parking along the street. 

Now I said that Conkle’s Hollow is great for non-hikers. However, I want to clarify that you need to be reasonably steady on your feet and able to climb steps to do this hike. The first bit of the trail follows some steep steps and then continues uphill for a bit so be prepared to get your heart pumping! Most of this trail does follow along a cliff edge so you’ll see plenty of warning signs. Make sure to stay away from the edge and be smart about your hiking! It’s only dangerous if you’re not respecting the trail. Plus, the trail is one-way so you don’t have to worry about stepping to the side to let other hikers pass. 

I honestly can’t say enough good things about this trail! Although it was only 2.5 miles, we spent hours here because we constantly had to stop and take in the beauty! There were so many incredible rock formations and small waterfalls. Plus we were nearing peak wildflower season so I always wanted to stop and look at every plant. Most of the crowds seem to only do the shorter gorge trail so we thankfully had a lot of the rim trail to ourselves. You can always add in the Gorge trail before or after your hike to get the full experience! 

My family had an awesome time on this hike! I would definitely do this again and I thought it was a perfect hike for people who want to experience Hocking Hills without doing a long, strenuous hike. If you’re looking for other short hikes in the area, check out Cantwell Cliffs (1 mile) or Rock House (0.8 mile).

THE BEER: Double Edge Brewing Company

Address: 158 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, OH 43130
Distance from Trail Head: 24 miles, 31 mins
Website: http://www.double-edge.beer/
Food?: BYOF/ Food Trucks
Details: Outdoor seating & dog friendly

Double Edge Brewing Company is located about 15 miles outside of the Hocking Hills area in the super cute town of Lancaster. It’s a bit of a drive from the trailhead but definitely worth it! The first thing that struck me about this little brewery was the community! People were all talking to each other, clearly making friends with neighbors at the next table. How lovely! 

Double Edge has been a staple of downtown Lancaster since 2017. Their taproom is pretty big with a nice relaxed vibe. There’s also plenty of outdoor seating if you’d rather soak up the sun! Their taproom offers a wide variety of house made beers as well as local wine and cider. Check their events for food trucks on the weekend and live music! 

My favorite beer of the day might surprise you. It was actually the Aunt Sally Key Lime Sour! I really love a good sour, especially after being outside all day. This one really hit the spot and I liked that it kept the ABV low. This is definitely a great beer for some afternoon drinking! Good beer and a good spot; we’ll definitely be back someday!

Our Beer:

  • Seven Seas – West Coast IPA – 6.1%
  • Moondog – Porter – 5.7%
  • Comet Session – Session IPA – 5.2%
  • Aunt Sally – Key Lime Pie Sour – 3.6%

SUM UP: Conkles Hollow is a beautiful nature preserve near Hocking Hills, Ohio. The 2.5 miles Rim trail is a great trek for all ages but has some elevation and steps that wouldn’t be good for very young or unsteady folks. It’s just challenging enough to feel proud of yourself at the end and rewards you with gorgeous views along the way. After your hike explore more of the Hocking Hills Region, like Rock House or Cantwell Cliffs. Finally, round out your day with a cold brew at Double Edge Brewing in Lancaster. You’ll be sure to make a new friend at this inviting neighborhood brewery!

Raccoon Creek State Park & Coal Tipple Brewery

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Burgettstown, PA

This past weekend, we braved the gloomy, damp weather to go for a hike in Raccoon Creek State Park. In case you don’t know, Raccoon is one of the largest parks in the state and it’s only about 40 mins away from downtown Pittsburgh! The park features waterfalls, a lake beach, fishing, and a gorgeous wildflower reserve. I highly encourage a visit during the springtime when the wildflowers are at their peak! After your hike and hopefully lots of pictures of delicate wildflowers, drive to Coal Tipple Brewery (located at Kramer’s Greenhouse), a small local brewery that offers fresh beer and a down home vibe. Also they’ve got a popcorn machine, so really what more could you want?

THE HIKE: Forest and Lake Loop

Length: 4.25 miles
Elevation Gain: 620ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time:  2-2.5 hours
Trail use: hiking, leashed pets
Parking: Gravel lot with Port-a-Potty
H&H: 4/5

Ah Spring in Pittsburgh! Grass is growing, trees are blooming and it’s…snowing?! Yup, springtime here doesn’t really mean sunshine and daffodils. It means waiting for a break in the chilly rain to finally get a hike in. Luckily, J and I managed to time our trip to Raccoon Creek State Park just perfectly so that we got there right when the rain let up for a few hours. My raincoat has been my best friend on our recent outings! 

Raccoon Creek State Park is one of the biggest state parks in Pennsylvania! At over 7,000 acres, it boasts 44 miles of trail, a 100-acre lake open for fishing, boating, and swimming, and multiple campgrounds and picnic areas. No wonder it’s so popular! While in summertime, Raccoon Creek State Park is quite busy at the lake, my favorite time to visit is during the spring. Raccoon is famous for its Wildflower Reserve which has some of the greatest biodiversity of wildflowers in the whole state. In fact, along just 4.5 miles of trail, there are over 700 species of plants. Wildflower blooms peak in late April through early May and then again in August through early September. 

For our trek, we decided to do a 4 miles loop that incorporates sections of the Lake Trail (blue blaze) and the Forest Trail (white blaze). If you go any time soon, be prepared for MUD. Spring is a very muddy time in the Pittsburgh region and there’s no avoiding mud on the trails. Just remember to wear good shoes and walk through the mud not around it! The Lake trail was by far the muddiest section of this trail but we managed to keep our feet mostly dry! I really liked the Forest trail portion, since it had some elevation changes and it was so cool to see the woods slowly turning green. I would call this a moderately difficult hike since there were some steep inclines and some stream crossings. 

After we had finished our hike, we hopped over to the other side of the park to visit the wildflower reserve. A few years ago, I did a short hike here with my parents and it was a great beginner hike. There’s a lot to see and it’s fairly flat. This time around, J and I only wanted to do a short loop to check in on the wildflowers. It’s definitely a week or two too early for peak blooms but I was so excited at the number of little ones popping out! We took so many pictures and used iNaturalist to try to identify them! So much fun! 

THE BEER: Coal Tipple Brewery

Address: 1905 Steubenville Pike, Burgettstown, PA 15021
Distance from Trail Head: 9.3 miles, 13 mins 
Website: http://www.coaltipplebrewery.com/brewery
Food?: BYOF (Popcorn machine!)
Details: Outdoor seating & dog friendly
H&H Rating: 4/5

Coal Tipple is a delightfully tiny brewery located at Kramer’s Greenhouse. They also have an onsite winery (Raccoon Creek Winery) so really this place has got it all! There’s usually only one or two people working and it feels like having a beer in someone’s dining room. I love it! They also have a small window in the taproom that looks out into the brewing garage so you can see the guys at work.

For such a small operation, Coal Tipple has quite the selection of beer!  They had 8 beers on tap with quite a range of styles. We went for the Pit Pony Wheat and the White Hat Stout. I’m not really a fan of this trend of light stouts, but this one wasn’t bad! The Pit Pony was very refreshing and they can serve it with blueberries, if that’s your thing. We also split the Dead Canary which is an American IPA that really packs a hoppy punch. Aside from their beer, another thing I like about Coal Tipple is their popcorn machine! They have complimentary bags of popcorn for their guests which really hit the spot. Every time I come here, I just love to sit back and relax. And if the owners are in, say hello! They’re super nice and love to chat with their guests. And of course, while you’re in check out their farm market, bakery, and plants. Honestly, what more could you need? 

Our Beer:

  • Dead Canary – American IPA – 7.28%
  • White Hat Stout – White Stout – 5%
  • Pit Pony – Wheat – 5%

SUM UP: Raccoon Creek State Park is a large park about 40 mins away from Downtown Pittsburgh. It offers 44 miles of hiking, a large lake for swimming, boating, and fishing, and plenty of sites for camping or picnicking. The Forest and Lake Loop is a 4-mile trek that shows off the best of Raccoon, including a walk along the lakeside and meandering trails through the woods. There are some steep sections, so I’d rate it as moderate. Also in the Spring and Fall, check out the wildflower reserve and see how many different types of flowers you can spot! After your time in the woods, head over to Coal Tipple Brewery for small batch brews in a quaint farm market. You can even pick up some wine and greenery too! This is an ideal spring day trip!

Looking for more adventures in Pennsylvania and beyond? Check out my new book: Beer Hiking Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Post updated on March 12, 2025

Devil’s Hollow Conservation Area & Fermata Brewing Company

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Ambridge, PA

The creek crossing that led to some very damp feet

This is a story of the hike that wasn’t meant to be. Sometimes you just aren’t as prepared for nature as you wish you were! We originally were going to do the Walker Park Trail in Leet Township only to find about 0.5 mile in that there was a large stream crossing with no stepping stones. We went for it, not wanting to give up so soon, and got our feet completely soaked. Not 0.1 mile later the trail veered over the stream again and we had to turn around. No trail is worth getting feet completely soaked multiple times in 40F weather! So instead we went up the road to the small Devil’s Hollow area which is managed by the Allegheny Land Trust. It’s a short trail but it was beautifully peaceful and had a great hill that got our blood pumping! And it’s conveniently very close to the newly opened Fermata Brewing in Ambridge!

THE HIKE: Devil’s Hollow Conservation Area

https://alleghenylandtrust.org/green-space/devils-hollow/

Length: 1.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 346 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time:  45 minutes
Trail use: hiking, leashed pets, trail running
Parking: Small lot for three cars
H&H: 4/5

With all the lingering winter weather (why is it always crappy on the weekends?!) we’ve been finding it difficult to get out and hike! I’m so ready for those warm spring days. This past weekend, we decided to check out a small trail in the Leetsdale area. It had great reviews on AllTrails and looked like the perfect Sunday hike! Well, it started out alright, we parked at one of the picnic shelters and used the stepping stones to cross the little creek. The first 0.5 miles traveled along the creek in a very peaceful woods. But then we hit problems. The trail meandered over the creek again but this time there were no stepping stones. The creek had gotten wider and there was no easy place to cross so we just picked a spot and went for it. Annnnnd got wet up to mid-shin on a 40F day. Not ideal. So then a few minutes later when the trail crossed the creek again, we decided to turn around. It just wasn’t the right kind of day for soaking wet feet! 

Easy stepping stone on this crossing, not so later on!

So we went back to the car after only getting about 1.5 miles in and decided to go up the road to Devil’s Hollow Conservation Area. This is a 97 acre area managed by the Allegheny Land Trust and there is parking for about 3 cars at the trailhead. This area was donated to the ALT in 2016 from the Little Sewickley Creek Watershed Association. It’s surrounded by private lands, so be aware that some trails may split off into private property. Try to stay on the main trail marked by ALT signs. 

I really enjoyed this trail! We did the loop counterclockwise which I highly recommend because it starts with a steep incline and ends with a long gentle downslope. I feel like the opposite way would make for a rough descent at the end! This trail does gain over 300ft in elevation in the first 0.5 mile so be prepared! Some areas of the trail were muddy at the very end but nothing impossible to navigate. 

Because this trail loops along a steep hillside, it creates a really interesting “silent” area. The hills block out any surrounding noises so it feels completely silent as you hike, broken only by squirrels rustling in the leaves and birds chirping in the trees. We didn’t see another person the whole time on the trail! I highly recommend this trail, and if you’re looking for a longer route, just complete the loop more than once! You might find something new along the way. 

THE BEER: Fermata Brewing Company

Address: 918 Merchant St, Ambridge, PA 15003
Distance from Trail Head: 5 miles, 12 mins 
Website: http://www.fermatabrewing.beer/
Food?: Food Truck or Local Restaurants or BYOF
Details: Indoor Seating only (Unsure about pets)
H&H Rating: 5/5

I was so excited to go to this brand new brewery in Ambridge! They had only been open 7 days when we visited and the place was THRIVING. Fermata Brewing Company joins Altered Genius as resident brew masters on Merchant Street in downtown Ambridge. 

The name Fermata is actually a musical term, which is fitting since all of the partners are music lovers! In written music a fermata is a “pause of unspecified length over a note or rest”. This is a fitting name for the brewery because it invites everyone to pause and stay for a while. Fermata wants to be a place of community in Ambridge where everyone is welcome to come and enjoy great beer and great community. Sign me up! Fermata also pays homage to the history of Ambridge and the American Bridge company from which the town gets its name. The brewery incorporates both the fermata symbol and a bridge in their logo as a shout out to their origins. 

One thing I really loved about this place was the immediate sense of chill when we walked in. There were so many places to sit and relax and we felt welcomed by the staff. The decor is so cool, with photos and maps harkening back to the old days of Ambridge side by side with classic music records and memorabilia. I also love that the brewing area is right out in the open! We sat with our beer and watched as the guys cleaned up from a brewing day. How cool to have a front seat to the beer making process? And if you’re a music lover, this is gonna be the place to be! There will be open mic nights, live music and much more so keep an eye on their social media to stay up to date! 

And of course, the most important part: How was the beer? It was pretty dang good! My fav of the day was definitely the Living in the Limelight. It was a crisp pale ale that really hit the spot after working up a sweat out in the woods. I also liked the surprising Cold Brew Collusion, which gave me all the lovely wheat flavors with a smooth coffee finish. Delightful! 

Our Beer:

  • Living in the Limelight – Pale Ale – 5.7%
  • Cold Brew Collusion – Coffee Wheat Beer – 5.6%
  • Wayward Son – Wheat Beer – 5.6%
  • You Too – Dry Irish Stout – 3.9%

SUM UP: Devils Hollow Conservation Area is managed by the Allegheny Land Trust and offers a 1.6 mile loop. But don’t be fooled by the length! This trail has a steep incline that really gets the blood pumping and bumps this up to a moderate hike . This is a low traffic area and there are three parking spots at the trailhead. The trail is so peaceful and quiet plus you can see a lot of birds! After your hike, check out downtown Ambridge’s brand new brewery: Fermata! They’ve got a great beer list in a huge, yet homey taproom. They don’t have a kitchen but they’ve got QR codes for all the local restaurants so you can order in or see if a food truck is on the schedule! This is an awesome addition to Ambridge and keep your eyes open for their music schedule!

Looking for more adventures in Pennsylvania and beyond? Check out my new book: Beer Hiking Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Post updated on March 12, 2025

Robin Hill Park & Cobblehaus Brewing Company

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Coraopolis, PA

In the midst of house hunting and unpredictable weather, it’s been hard to get out and hike! Thankfully we were able to snag this fun little hike in between rain last weekend. I’ve passed Robin Hill park a ton of times (we even looked at having our wedding there), but I never knew that there were so many trails to explore! We were able to get a great trek in and then relaxed at Cobblehaus Brewery in Coraopolis. They had an Irish Red Ale that was perfect for the St. Paddy’s Weekend!

THE HIKE: Robin Hill Park Loop

Length: 3.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 400 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1-1.5 hours
Trail use: Hiking, nature walks, leashed pets
Parking: Lots of parking. May fill up when house is rented out for events
H&H: 4/5

Robin Hill Park is a 140 acre park found in Moon Township right off of Thorn Run Road. It is maintained by the Moon Township Parks and Recreation. It’s most well known for the gorgeous Georgian Manor onsite that is used for weddings and other events. The house was built in the 1920s by the Nimick Family and was left to the Township in 1971 to be a place for “Nature Lover’s”. But this beautiful house is only one part that this park has to offer! Surrounding the house are meticulously maintained gardens that look especially gorgeous in Spring. Sady, we were a few weeks too early to catch them in their prime! Also on the property is a log cabin from the 1800’s. This cabin originally was home for a family about 7 miles away from what is now Robin Hill Park. It was carefully dismantled in the late 1970s and brought to its new location by the Moon Township Historical Society. It was originally built in 1825 for the Coventry family who lived there for 50 years before it passed along to the next family, who stayed there for three generations. 

I bring up the log cabin not just because it’s a really cool piece of history, but also because it’s where our hike begins! The best way to find the majority of the trails at Robin Hill is to start on the 0.6 miles Log Cabin Trail that starts just behind the cabin. You’ll pretty quickly find yourself in the peacefully quiet woods with not much activity around, except for the birds and chipmunks! Robin Hill trails are a little hard to follow since there are several short trails that you have to link together to get a decent hike in. There are trail signs through but not all of the trails are well blazed so you sometimes have to guess where you are. However, it’s not a huge park so I wasn’t too worried about getting woefully off track. I generally think we took the following trails: Log Cabin → Christmas Fern → Ravine → Thorn Run (Turn around), Thorn Run → Ridgeback → W Beech → Manor House and parking lot. All together it came to about 3.5 miles. There were a couple dicey spots to be aware of though! Firstly, one of the trails looked like it was freshly cut and not in a good way! It seemed like someone had come through with a backhoe to clear out so the trail was very wide without proper drainage. Also the Thorn Run trail follows a small creek which was beautiful but the trail often meandered over the creek without bridges or easy stepping stones. Since it wasn’t very cold, I didn’t mind getting my feet wet but I know J disliked the frequent crossings. 

Overall, I really appreciated how quiet this area was. We only saw one other group of people out and it was easy to find space for ourselves. I would really like to come back here when the greenery is coming in! I can’t wait to not walk through boring brown woods anymore! I also think this would be a fun hike to get younger kids interested in the outdoors without being too strenuous. Just be prepared for some pretty muddy boots at the end!

THE BEER: Cobblehaus Brewing Company

Address: 1021 5th Ave, Coraopolis, PA 15108
Distance from Trail Head: 2.3 miles, 6 mins
Website: http://www.cobblehaus.com/
Food?: BYOF or Food Trucks
Details: No Pets, Indoor Seating Only
H&H Rating: 4/5

I’ve always had a soft spot for Coraopolis. I went to high school in the area and I’ve always hoped the business district would take off. When I heard there was a brewery going in, I had high hopes that this meant a new era for Main Street! Now several years later, it’s so nice to see how Cobblehaus has become a staple of the community. I love how they support the nearby restaurants by encouraging their patrons to get dinner delivered to the brewery. Also Coraopolis has some really great little antique and thrift shops if that’s your thing! Anytime I’m in town, my mom and I have to stop in Off the Avenue for some unique finds. Also if you finish up your hike and beer isn’t your thing, I highly recommend the Anchor and Anvil coffee shop. They do great lattes and breakfast sandwiches! 

Okay so back to our brewery. Cobblehaus has been making their old-world styles since 2017. In fact, their tagline is “Old World styles, New World Twists”. This a great place for anyone that craves those old European-style beers like Belgian Tripels and German Hefeweizens. I don’t usually seek out those robust Belgian styles, but J loves them! J really liked the Denny Got Evil. It has a very subtle spice in the aftertaste. 

Cobblehaus is a really unique venue because it has a bunch of separate little rooms in addition to the main taproom space. I think the building used to be a doctor or dentist office and they’ve kept all the original exam rooms which now make for cozy spaces if the bustling taproom isn’t to your liking. Also be sure to check out Thursday Trivia Night, it’s a fan favorite and the place can be packed! 

Our Beer:

  • Lucky Me – Belgian Tripel- 9.9%
  • Denny Got Evil – Black Cherry Habanero Brown Ale – 6.6%
  • Secret Society – Belgian Dubbel – 7.1%
  • Fireside Charmer – Doppelbock – 8.2%
  • DogHaus Red – Irish Red Ale – 5.5%

SUM UP: Robin Hill Park is a small park in Moon Township that boasts surprisingly peaceful trail systems along a small stream. There are plenty of small connector trails if you’re only looking for a short stretch of the legs or for a longer afternoon hike. The trails are fairly flat with a few sections of steep inclines, so I would rate it moderate overall. Be careful in the Spring, the trails can be rather muddy! Afterward, head down the road to downtown Coraopolis and check out Cobblehaus Brewing. They focus on old world style, so if you like doppelbocks or Belgian tripels, this is the place for you! Order some food from a local restaurant and stay a while!

Looking for more adventures in Pennsylvania and beyond? Check out my new book: Beer Hiking Pennsylvania and New Jersey

Post updated on March 12, 2025