Park Hopper Challenge highlights Westmoreland County’s recreational opportunities
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When the coronavirus pandemic was at its peak in 2020, the use of public parks offered the chance for a relatively safe way to get out, exercise and be around others.
Local, state and federal parks saw a marked increase in use over the past 18 months, and the parks and recreation officials who manage them want it to stay that way.
To further that goal, the Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Alliance issued the “Park Hopper Challenge” to residents, asking them to visit all of the parks and trails in the following communities before the end of 2021: Greensburg, Hempfield, Latrobe, Murrysville, North Huntingdon, Penn Township, Trafford, Sewickley Township, the Westmoreland Land Trust and county parks.
“We brought it to the alliance to feature everyone’s parks and to feature Westmoreland county itself,” said Murrysville Parks and Recreation Special Events Coordinator Amy Wengrzyn. “It’s to encourage people, if they’re driving through, to stop and visit.”
Participants can register at RunSignUp.com by clicking on the “Find a Race” link and entering “Park Hopper Challenge” into the search box. They then can enter a record of their visit including things like posting photos, distance walked, time spent, etc.
In Murrysville, Wengrzyn said Duff Park is a favorite for a lot of residents.
“It has a lot of great trails,” she said.
“Pleasant Valley Park is one our personal favorites, and it’s great especially for mountain bikers, because it’s just all wooded trails.”
Nearby in Hempfield, parks and recreation Director Aaron Siko said the Park Hopper Challenge is a unique way to see each participating community, “the many recreational opportunities in Westmoreland County and the time and effort each municipality puts into our parks, trails and green spaces.”
Siko said Hempfield Park is the township’s “jewel,” offering 92 acres with amenities including a nearly mile-long paved walking path with multiple loops for varying distances and ability levels, which carries park visitors past its pavilions, amphitheater, sports fields and the stream that cuts through its center.
From the recreational fishing at Trafford’s B-Y Park to the Creekside Nature Trail at Latrobe’s Legion Keener Park, there are plenty of outdoor activities for Park Hopper Challenge participants to enjoy.
Sept. 13 marked what would have been the 109th birthday of Maurice K. Goddard, longtime state Secretary of Forests and Waters and founding secretary for the state’s Department of Environmental Resources.
Goddard championed the notion that every Pennsylvania resident should live within 25 miles of a state park, which today is practically a reality.
Goddard stressed the importance role parks play in human health and the local economy.
Siko agrees.
“Our local parks play a vital role in supporting our small businesses in each of our communities,” he said.
Today, the Department of Environmental Resources is split into the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. There are only six counties in Pennsylvania without a state park and, thanks to Goddard’s championing of free access, more than 46 million people visited state parks in 2020, according to the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation.
“Maurice Goddard was ahead of his time in so many ways,” foundation President Marci Mowery said. “He pioneered new means of protecting water quality while working to ensure Pennsylvanians had access to free, healthy outdoor education.”