Black/East Route 2022

1. Pittsburgh StepTrek 2022 Black Route - If joining from the Gold Route

2. S. 21st St. - You are standing at the top of S. 21st St. in South Side Park. From StepTrek Marketplace and registration in South Side Park

3. * South Side Park - Efforts continue to reclaim a 64 acre park that extends from Josephine St. below to the heights of the Slopes. In this wooded hillside are streams

4. Josephine St. - Make right and walk east toward S. 22nd St. Continue to Greeley St.

5. * Gardens on the Slopes - At the corner of Josephine & Greeley is the first of six gardens maintained by SSSNA members. Part of an effort to put a green face on the Slopes

6. Greeley St. - Turn right and continue up Greeley 75 yards to Eola Way Steps on the left.

7. Eola Way Steps - Make a left and walk to the stairs built in 1947. As you climb these 96 steps

8. * St. Josaphat Church - Dedicated in 1916 to serve a Polish parish established in 1901

9. Leticoe St. - Make left. Stay right of the metal fencing as you descend Leticoe. Just past the two houses on the right

10. Eleanor St. Steps - Make right. Built in 1934

11. Mission St. - Make left. Continue along Mission to Barry St.

12. Mission St. Steps - Cross Barry St. and stay on right side of Mission to ascend the 80 steps built in 1950. At the top

13. Oakley Way Steps - Built in 1928

14. Shelly St. - Make right. More of the WPA metal fencing divides the upper and lower levels. Around you are six of the eight townhouses built in 2003 by the South Side Local Development Company

15. Shelly/ Stella Sts. - Make left and walk on low side of Shelly St. Just past the midway point on left are Telescope St. Steps. At the end of Shelly

16. * Monongahela Park - Step around the guardrail to enter the park. Years ago the area here was a water reservoir. The basin was filled with earth in the 1950s. Many local groups use this large

17. Northview Steps - Turn right. These 115 steps climb through a nicely shaded hillside. On the left are the remains of a house foundation. At the top of the steps

18. Northview St. - Northview curves to the right and passes Mission St. Continue past Stomberg to Cobden St. Here

19. Cobden St. - Turn around to view Oakland and University of Pittsburgh. Then

20. Sumner St. - Make right and take in the view as you descend to Burham St.

21. Burham St. - Make left. Continue along Burham past Niles St. to Clover St. Notice views to right of Uptown and Oakland across the Mon River.

22. Clover St. - Make left and climb one block to Wellington St. and Clover St. Steps.

23. Clover St. Steps - Ascend 51 wooden steps to Cobden St.

24. * Cobden Street Churches - In this section of the Slopes are a couple of smaller churches. Cobden Street Baptist Church is on the left corner at 2500 Cobden St. The Second Primative Methodist Church is at 2430 Cobden St.

25. Cobden St. Cont’d - Make left. The course takes you along the spine of a knoll

26. Cologne St. - Make a right. Stay right and descend the 42 steps on the right hand side to Berg St. Continue on the right side of Cologne down another 61 steps to Patterson. Though SSSNA lobbies to repair and restore badly damaged steps

27. Eccles St. Steps - Ascend 8 steps to Eccles St.

28. Eccles St. - Make right. This section of the Slopes rests in a natural bowl between Arlington Ave. above and Cobden to the north. Walk up one block to Clover St. Steps.

29. Commanche St. - Make left and continue along Commanche to Picnic Way.

30. Picnic Way - Make right and descend to Salisbury St.

31. Salisbury St. - Make left. Continue past Eleanor and up Salisbury to Sterling St.

32. Sterling St. - Make left and continue up right side of Sterling past ballfield to yellow brick parks building. Make right and climb 12 steps to Arlington Ballfield & Spray Park. You have now reached the highest point of South Side Slopes!

33. * Arlington Ballfield & Spray Park - For all its steepness

34. Fort Hill Steps - At end of park

35. Fernleaf St. - Make right and climb Fernleaf. On the left at Eccles is the former Engine House #22 which was established in 1894. The view from the roof tower covered several surrounding neighborhoods and provided an ideal lookout for smoke and fires. Ahead at the intersection with Salisbury is the Brashear Association’s Kaufmann Neighborhood House. Continue past Kaufmann House to Salibury St.

36. * Kaufmann Neighborhood House - The Brashear Association was founded in 1917 to honor the renowned

37. Salisbury St. Cont’d - Turn left and continue to Marengo St. and its steps

38. Marengo St. Steps - Turn right and keep right to descend 25 steps to South Side Park.

39. South Side Trail - At bottom of steps

40. * Sterling Connector Trail - The trail was designed and built in collaboration with the Student Conservation Association. Funded by a 2015 Birmingham Foundation grant

41. Sterling St. Steps - Turn left. Built in 1951

42. Sterling St. Steps Cont’d - Descend an additional 64 steps to Mission St. To the left are views of downtown

43. Mission St. - Make left. After the first bridge is the Mission St. pumping station circa 1900

44. Join Gold Route - To join Gold Route

45. Mission St. Steps to Registration - Descend the steps behind the bus shelter on the left at S. 18th & Mission. These 102 steps drop down to S. 21st St. To return to the registration area