Make left and walk one block to Cobden St., where you’ll want to take a peek down this steep section of Eleanor. Each fall, Pittsburgh cycling enthusiasts host a 50-mile bike race that goes up 13 of the city’s steepest hills. Eleanor St. is one of the Dirty Dozen. Cyclists start this leg at Josephine St., at the base of the Slopes, and race up Holt and Eleanor to finish at Cobden St.
StepTrek Route: Gold Route 2024
Gold/West Route 2024
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Berg St.
Continue along left side of Berg. Descend the 9 steps to Eleanor St.
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Berg St. Steps
Turn left and ascend these 43 wooden steps, constructed in 1997, to Berg St. At top, turn around and take in the view.
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Sterling St. Steps
Make right. Built in 1951, the steps connect to Patterson St. above and Mission St. below. Climb 31 steps to Berg St. Steps.
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* Sterling Connector Trail
The trail was designed and built in collaboration with the Student Conservation Association. Funded by a 2015 Birmingham Foundation grant, the trail connects the eastern and western halves of South Side Park in this overgrown area known as Jurassic Valley. Landforce constructed both the Salisbury Connector Trail and Sterling Connector Trail in 2016. Goats from Allegheny Goatscape continue to tame invasive vines. SCA and Slopes volunteers cleared a significant amount of land to cut across the steep terrain. Continue along trail and down 9 steps to its end at Sterling St. Steps. Enjoy the flower gardens along the way.
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Julia Connector Trailhead
Continue along paved lane into the woods. At “T” intersection, make right and join South Side Park Trail. Continue along paved lane. No turns. Goats have been brought in to eat the invasive plants that have overcome the area. Improvements include the signage and newly planted trees. Keep right at intersection with lower South Side Park Trail and continue to overlook where it meets Sterling Connector Trail.
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* South Side Park
Efforts continue to reclaim a 64 acre park that extends from the heights of the Slopes to Josephine St. below. In this wooded hillside are streams, ball fields and pathways. Volunteers have removed invasive knotweed and vines that choke the park and built its trails. With funding from The Brashear Association, SSSNA partnered with Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Landforce and the Student Conservation Association to create this neighborhood asset. Friends of South Side Park manage its ongoing work.
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Esop Way
Turn right and walk 100 feet to parking lot on left. Turn into parking lot. At its end is South Side Park and Julia Connector Trailhead. On the left are views of downtown skyscrapers, Slopes homes and the Ohio River valley.
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Julia St.
Make left and climb two steps on left side. Walk one short block to Esop Way
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Arlington Ave.
Make left. Just past the Fire Station is Julia St.