Get your Pittsburgh city steps workout on this 2.8 mile urban hike up and down Troy Hill! You'll hit four of the ~800 public steps in the region, and walk past four delicious opportunities for food and beverage refreshment. Scratch & Co with its seasonal take on comfort foods appears early in the hike. You will arrive at Threadbare Cider House near the half-way point, and then traverse Penn Brewery for the final descent. When the weather warms up, take an optional 1/2 mile detour onto Herr's Island for waterfront dining at Red Fin Blues, and bring the dog! Read on to learn more about this dog-friendly loop hike with plenty of outdoor dining options.
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| Viewpoint in the middle of the Basin St steps going down from Goettmann St to Province St |
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| Welcome to Troy Hill sign by James Simon, on Troy Hill Rd at Vinial St. |
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| Pickle Platter at Threadbare Cider House |
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| Smokey pineapple and bbq braised pork pizza at Threadbare Cider House |
In a quest to hike all of the public Pittsburgh staircases, recognized by their painted metal railings, my husband and dog (T&M) have explored many staircases in Troy Hill and neighboring Spring Hill. See my Southside Steps blog post for more background on the Pittsburgh City Steps.
Focusing solely on steps that go up and down Troy Hill, T&M have mapped out options for traversing 1, 2, 4, 6 or 7 sets of stairs for a loop hike finishing along the River Ave segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail. This allows us to adjust the intensity of our steps hike workout, and provides convenient bailing out points for Pittsburgh steps newbies.
Our favorite loop involves 4 sets of city steps, two up and two down, as this can be completed in a bit over an hour, proceeding at a comfortable rate for a middle-aged woman of moderate fitness. I have always been a slow hiker when it comes to hills.
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| Looking down Basin St steps from Goettmann St |
The pleasures of walking Pittsburgh come from discovering little pockets of art: the creative ways that people decorate their homes and yards, churches and cathedrals of all sizes, unexpected new vistas of Pittsburgh skyline, hills and river... And of course, strolling past interesting small, local businesses.
Walking up and down hills also builds up thirst and appetite. Fortunately, our routes frequently pass restaurants, diners and pubs. The first time we introduced friends to this T&M Troy Hill 4 Steps hike, we included a stop at Threadbare Cider House for brunch!
Note added June 2025: Threadbare Cider house no longer serves food.
Click here to read a review of Penn Brewery as part of the Spring Hill Mosaics Steps & Dine Hike (under construction).
Click here to read about our Southside Pittsburgh Steps & Dine Hike complete with a restaurant review of Dish Osteria.
Steps & Sights
From the gravel Riverfront Trail parking lot (see below for logistics), walk across River Ave and head left along the Three Rivers Heritage hiking and biking trail.
Keep an eye out for the painted crosswalk that will take you across the street to the start of a sidewalk that heads uphill. Follow this up to the level of the 31st St. bridge.
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| Cross River Ave onto the sidewalk on the other side before it goes uphill to the 31st St bridge |
Or, from the alternative parking area on Herr's island (See logistics, below), head right to cross the 30th St. bridge, continue right as the walkway curves onto River Ave, and cross at the light to reach the median.
Crossing two more nearby stop lights will take you across the exit and entrance ramps for PA Route 28 to the base of the Rialto St. hill.
Hiking up and over Troy Hill to Spring Garden Ave
Rialto St. is a steep, narrow 2-way road that makes you wonder how cars can get past each other. A few years ago, they widened the steps and put up new green metal railings.
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| Looking up Rialto St from Route 28 |
Climb 180 steps and note the Troy Hill incline mural. After passing underneath Lowrie St and past the steps to the left that lead up to Lowrie St., you will reach the corner of Rialto and Ley St.
