The 257-acre Emerald View Park was born out of a grassroots effort to combine wooded hillsides.
The Grand View Scenic Byway, and three historic park spaces: Grandview, Olympia, and Mount Washington.
Created in 2005 and named a regional park in 2007, Emerald View Park has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years. The Mount Washington of the mid-1700s was so heavily mined for bituminous coal (or soft coal) that it was known as Coal Hill. Two centuries later, remediation and reforestation efforts began. Denuded and forgotten, the park was plagued with illegal dumping; cars, tires, and even parts of demolished buildings were discarded on the steeply sloping hills.
Today, visitors of Emerald View Park find winding trails, wooded hillsides, and surprise vistas. Historic spaces within the park feature picnic areas, playgrounds, ballfields, overlooks, and Depression-era sandstone steps and walls. Thanks to the tireless efforts of groups like the Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, the city of Pittsburgh, and partners in the community, a master plan was created for Emerald View Park, as well as a plan for 19 miles of new trails.
Through removal of dumpsites, habitat restoration, trail development, and capital improvements, this land has been reclaimed as a park. Efforts outlined in the Master Implementation Plan (2005) and Master Trail Plan (2010) continue, along with beautification along the nearby Grand View Scenic Byway. Future planning efforts between the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Mount Washington Community Development Corporation, and the city of Pittsburgh ensures that Emerald View Park will continue to thrive and grow.
