Introduction:
The United States is one of those countries of the world, which have a lot to offer. In terms of tourism,the United States is one of the best countries. It is such a vast country which has over 50 states and each state has a different tourism. Pennsylvania is one of the biggest states in the US, and it has many parks in it. One of the most famous national parks in the United States is known as “Point State Park”, it is located in Downtown Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Point State Park is surrounded by gorgeous landscapes, which includes things like the Ohio River and a collection of trees. Point State Park is locally recognized as “The Point” and was founded in the August of 1974. The park is now managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Recreational Destination:
The Point State Park now provides recreation for all people in Downtown Pittsburgh. Apart from just on site recreation, the Point State Park is also used as a site for many cultural events like the Venture Outdoors Festival. The Point State Park provides a lot of recreational activities to its visitors can enjoy anything that they like from the vast opportunities.
First and foremost, since the Point State Park is located near rivers, that is why it has easy access to water and watersports. Boating is something that is liked by everyone and fun just gets better if you have a variety of boats. Dock cleats are also available along the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers; thisallows boaters to easily moor their boats when they are not in use. People can boat in any sort of boats,they can either opt for motor boats or non-powered boats. Each provides a different experience and each of it is good.
Fishing is also something that is allowed here in the water of Point State Park. The species that are found here in the three rivers are sauger, catfish, panfish and walleye. Other than just these water sports people can also enjoy hiking and biking here at the Point State Park. The management here at the point have mapped out specific trails both for hikers and bikers. This makes the exercise a lot more exciting.
The Great Allegheny passage provides a trail of almost 141 miles, this trail can be used either for biking for for hiking, it is solely up to the person to decide what he wants to do.
Geography of the Park:
The geography of the Point State Park is pretty straight forward. The park is spread on an area of 36 acres which gives you a clear idea of how big the park really is. The two rivers that flow along the Point State Park are the Allegheny river and Monongahela, both of these rivers confluence or converge to form the famous Ohio river.
Wildlife:
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has worked very hard in order to ensure that the Point State Park is perfect in every way. If you look at map of the park, then you will notice that over 2 acres to the North and South are planted with a wide variety of native plants. To be specific, you can see over 54,000 types of native plants. The ideology behind the plantation of these plants is that these plants were present here during the mid-18 the century. Some plants that can be seen are blueberry, honey locust, dogwood and redbud.
The Point State Park also has a lot of significance because of the fact that it acts as a confluence for the three rivers. The Monongahela river is one of these three rivers which is known to originate from Fairmont Virginia. It flows 128 miles to Pittsburgh where it finally converges. The Allegheny river is the second river which flows 325 miles and converges with the Monongahela river to form the Ohio river.
The fountain that you see in the Point State Park today was dedicated by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the August of 1974 when the park was completed after 29 years of planning and construction. The fountain is now renovated and features easily accessible seating an infinity edge waterfall, new stone paving and a raised fountain base. When the fountain is in operation over 500,000 gallons of water in is the system, six 150 hp pumps power the central column and that is how the fountain operates.
Events:
The Point State Park is famous for all the events that it hosts. Apart from just being a park and recreational destination, the Point State Park also acts as a venue or site for many cultural events. Some of the events that are held there are:
1. Mother’s Day Native Wildflower Walk
2. GAP River Trail Bicycle Ride
3. Adaptive Kayaking and Biking
4. Venture Outdoors Festival
5. Fish For Free Day- Family Fishing Program
Mother’s Day Native Wildflower Walk:
Mother’s day is one of those events that is celebrated in large numbers all over the world. The Mother’s Day Native Wildflower Walk is an event that is celebrated at the Point State Park. It is a 1 mile walk around the park, during which the park’s naturalists identify some native wildflowers in the park and also tell their historic uses.
GAP River Trail Bicycle Ride:
When you visit Pittsburgh, then the Point State Park is supposed to be on your itinerary. One of the main attractions at the Point State Park is Great Allegheny Passage Trail or the GAP trail. If you want to test the GAP trail and are waiting to do it then you can do it at the GAP River Trail Bicycle ride. Here you can join the DCNR staff as they ride a section of the GAP trail, the ride becomes better when you along with your companions make stops to revise history of that area or to learn more about any wildlife that you may see on the way. The bicycle ride is almost 15 miles in length and is an “out and back” ride, one thing to keep in mind is that this program is only for those people who are at least 15 years old but minors can be accompanied by adults. All participants are required to pre-register online as space is limited.
Adaptive Kayaking and Biking:
If you like Kayaking and Biking, then the Point State Park is just for you. Here the rivers act as great venues to host boat rides or kayaking, whereas the trails are perfect for biking. Here at the Point State Park, the DCNR staff has adaptive kayaking and bicycling equipment available for visitors.
This equipment allows visitors to enjoy high quality kayaking, then you can use this equipment, there is also a demo for this activity at the Allegheny river wharf. The demo for the Adaptive Bike is at the State Parks.
Venture Outdoors Festival:
The Venture Outdoors Festival is one of the best festival that is held at the Point State Park. It is a festival that allows all participants to try many recreational activities at the Point State Park and the best part is that they are all free.
People can enjoy everything, they can opt for kayaking and enjoy the great views of the city or go biking and enjoy and see everything that the Point State Park has to offer. People can also stroll around the Point State Park, if you are up for some real sport then fishing is something that you can do. If you just want to relax and just enjoy the scenes then you stretch and attend a free yoga class. All of these activities at the Point State Park are absolutely free on the Venture Outdoors Festival, that is why it is best that you avail these chances.
Fish For Free Day- Family Fishing Program:
If you like fishing then Point State Park is a place which is just for you. The best thing about this day is that no fishing license is required for fishing in Pennsylvania. On this day at the Point State Park, visitors will be facilitated by the Point staff who will provide modern fishing equipment to the guests. The Fort Pitt Museum will also have consumed interpreters who show you how fishing was done in the 18 th century and what did the fishing equipment look like250 years ago.
History:
The area or land on which the Point State Park now stands has a lot of historical significance. During his trip to negotiate with the French, back in 1753 George Washington passed through this area and recognized its importance.
In the 1700s the French and British armies wanted to control the Ohio Valley, to do this four forts were built at the forks of Ohio over a time of 5 years. During the year 1754, the French army managed to capture Fort Prince George. It was a fort that was built by the Virginians and George Washington was the one who led British troops to recapture the but was unable to do it and had to surrender which was is only surrender at Fort Necessity.
Later on the French built Fort Duquesne, it was because of this fort that the French were able to take control of the Ohio Valley. It was in 1755 when General George Baddock was given the task to lead British troops to capture the fort but was defeated. Later in 1758 an army of 6000 men was sent by the British to capture the fort. When the French learnt about this, they decided to burn the fort and flee.
After giving up this fort, the French were never able to regain control of the area and slowly all of the outposts fell to the British. Later in Fort Pitt was left to capture. In 1772 the fort was sold and was reclaimed by the Virginia Territory in 1774.
Environment Education Centers:
Point State Park is the best place to be if you want to enjoy some recreational activities or want to get some education. The Pennsylvania environmental education center offers programs for pre-schooler to college students. The staff also provides community programs on many subjects including topics like natural and cultural history and outdoor recreation.
Renovations:
The Point State Park is one of the most important parks in the United States and considering this fact it is necessary to take care of this site and have it renovated. In the year 2006 Michael DeBerardinis who was the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced a $25 million plan to renovate the Point State Park.
This plan included the improving of green areas of the park and also expand and increase the recreational opportunities. This was important because it is necessary to improve the facilities at thepark. This plan also included the preserving of historical installation and the updating and upgrading of old amenities that were present at the park. After planning all these things the total budget turned out to be $36 million. The project was carried onwards as planned and was completed within 4 years.
Before this plan, everything in the park seemed to be falling apart. Many parts of the park were not being used since 1974, and the condition was such that the homeless had started to use the trenches as temporary shelters. Graffiti on the structures had also become a big problem which needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. The Walkways of the park were beginning to crack and needed to be fixed as soon as possible.
Visit Plan:
If you ever happen to visit Pittsburgh, then it would only be fair that you visit the Point State Park. One thing to keep in mind is that you should always plan your trip carefully. Here you will find some things that will help you plan your trip properly.
1. First of all, you should research properly and know about all the different directions and the transportation that is available near the park so that it is easier for you to get around the park and the city.
2. You should refer the internet to find the map of Point State Park, you should be able to find the map quiet easily and should be able to download it.
3. You should also learn about the sites that are present near the Point State Park, so that you may also go and visit them and have a whole different experience.
Places to Visit:
If you are visiting Point State Park then you will have to check out some places that you can find near it. Pittsburgh is one of the best places for tourism and if you manage to take time to visit these places then you will only make your trip better.
One place that is a “must go” place is Phipps Conservatory. Henry Phipps who was a real estate baron donated these botanical gardens to the city 1893. Located in Schenley Park, this conservatory and botanical gardens offers visitors a great time. The highlight of this garden is the 13-room Victorian glasshouse which includes Perennial, Aquatic, Japanese and Children’s themed gardens.
If you like art, then you will have to take a tour of the Carnegie Museum of Art. It is one Pittsburgh’s most recognized institution and showcases a collection of some high quality and gorgeous paintings. The museum is named after Andrew Carnegie who established this art center in the 1800s. If you go boating at the Point State Park, then you will definitely see the Carnegie Science center. It is a museum that has more than 250 hands-on exhibits which are related to science and technology.
Other places include the Andy Warhol Museum, Frick Art and Historical Center, Duquesne Incline and the Strip District. All of these places are famous tourist spots of Pittsburgh and are close to the Point State Park.
Conclusion:
The Point State Park is without any doubt one of the best location in Pittsburgh, or the United States for that matter. It is a place that is beautiful and offers some breathtaking views which will surely make your day. The Point State Park has a lot of history behind it, which allows it to provide a perfect mixture of history and recreation. These two traits combine to give the visitors the best experience.
All of the things that are mentioned above, give you a very clear idea of how great a place Point State Park is. Looking at what Point State Park has to offer is reason enough to go and visit the place. If you are looking for the perfect location for your vacations, then the United States is certainly that place. Pittsburgh is a place that has a great history, so if you are person who is interested in history and historic sites, then this place is certainly for you. Other than just Point State Park, there are many more places for you to see and enjoy.