StepTrek Route: Black Route 2023

Make left and descend 69 steps. Located at the eastern terminus of Leticoe St., these 3-ft. wide wooden steps were rebuilt by the City of Pittsburgh in the summer of 2021. Continue on Leticoe St.

Cross to the other side of Barry. Make a right and descend 16 steps to Leticoe St. Steps.

Cross Mission and climb 5 steps on right side of street. Make right. Ahead lies the scenic St. Josaphat’s Chapel and the spectacular view that takes in Mt. Washington, the Liberty, Fort Pitt and West End Bridges, the roofs of the South Side and the City beyond the Monongahela River. A city ‘Love Your Block’ grant was awarded in 2022 to a resident on the street who worked with neighborhood volunteers to paint the blue rail and install the bench and flower pots. Stay left and descend the 80 steps to Barry St. These 4-foot wide steps were built in 1950.

Make left and ascend these 98 steps to Mission St. Turn around and take in the view!

Continue along Stella to Oakley Way Steps.

Shelly St. is two levels here. On your right is an iron fence that divides the two sections. In 1935 the Work Projects Administration (WPA) terraced this part of the hillside and created the bi-level street topped with an iron fence. In 1998 Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation designated the Stella-Shelley fence as a historically significant landmark.

Walk along top of Shelly St. which becomes Stella St.

Turn left into park. Cross the short clearing and descend 18 steps to the ball fields. Years ago this grassy area was a city reservoir. The basin was filled with earth in the 1950s. Many local groups use this large, flat field for organized sports and exercise. Cross to the far left corner marked by a guardrail to exit the park onto Shelly St.

Make left and descend 113 steps through a nicely shaded area. The remains of a foundation stand near the bottom on the right. Where the steps come out of the woods is a park. Straight ahead is Josephine St. Make a left and walk through Monongahela Park. Do not descend to Josephine St.

Make left. Ahead is a commanding view of the Cathedral of Learning and Oakland. Descend past Flynn Way and Stromberg St. to where Northview bends to the right. On the left, just past the guardrail and before 3111 Northview, are Northview St. Steps.