StepTrek Route: Gold Route 2022

To join Black/East Route, make a left at the bottom of the steps and follow St. 21st St. to Josephine St. For more information, please see map and narrative for Black/East Route.

Behind the bus shelter at the intersection of Mission St. and S. 18th St. is a set of steps. Descend the 102 steps to South Side Park and StepTrek Marketplace. You may also join the East Route at the bottom of the steps.

Turn right and retrace your steps to S. 18th St. Stay on right side of street. At the stoplight, cross S. 18th Street to Mission St.

Built in 1944, the stairs drop a total of 314 steps to Pius St. below. They are the longest set of stairs on this side of the Slopes. Cross Shamokin and descend 63 steps to Huron St. and Winters Playground. It is one of a series of small parklets on the Slopes that were placed within a 10 minute walk of any one home. Drop down another 52 steps to Baldauf St. Descend an additional 187 steps past Roscoe St. and Magdalene St. to Gregory St. This last set of 13 steps to Pius St. were rebuilt in time for the initial StepTrek in April 2000. In addition to providing a fascinating tour of this hillside neighborhood, StepTrek encourages the city to make repairs to existing stairways and railings for public safety.

Make a left on Yard Way and walk to Shamokin St. View uptown, Oakland and Greenfield across the river. South Side Works, on the site of the former LTV site, sits to the bottom right.

Founded by Germans, the name Billy Buck comes from goats once kept in the yard of a local store. Bordered by cliffs and rugged terrain, the area is accessible by steps and a single street. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a milk truck once flipped over while making deliveries on its hilly streets. Another time, a horse and wagon, hauling waste from neighborhood outhouses, tumbled over the hillside. The ball field on the left is at the summit of this steep hillside.

Make left. The orange brick building on the left is the St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center, which is available for individual retreats by arrangement. Continue down the street to the brick walls that are part of the monastery. The walls appear to be the original ones that shielded the enclave from the outside world. Parts of the garden and its Stations of the Cross can be seen from either end of the wall. Follow St. Paul to Yard Way. Welcome to Billy Buck Hill!

From the top of Monastery St., make a right and descend one block along left side of Monastery Ave. to St. Paul St.

Known as the barefoot missionaries, the Passionists vowed to live a life of prayer, poverty, penance and solitude. The first bishop of Pittsburgh invited the Italian order over in 1852. Designed by the architect Charles Bartberger, who also designed St. Michael Church, the church was completed in 1859 in the midst of an 11 acre compound chosen for its serenity, natural beauty and seclusion. The architectural style is Romanesque. The interior rose window is a copy of one in Reims, Germany. The newly renovated chapel is exquisite and opens daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please step inside for quiet observation. On exiting the chapel, take in the stunning view of downtown.

Cross street and make left to ascend 15 steps on the right side. These steps and sidewalk were rebuilt a few years ago as part of a project to replace a larger set of steps that ran the length of Monastery. At the top lies the historical St. Paul of the Cross Monastery.