This was was written by Jessika Coltz. Jessika is a lifelong North Park go-er, long-time Franklin Park resident and the current Associate Director of Race Operations for GCXC Race Timing and Management here in Pennsylvania. 

North Park is the friend from high school you can hang out with every day, or if you’ve been away for a while, you fall back into familiar and happy banter instantly. Any day, any place in the park can feel like you’ve never been there before, or that you’ve been there this whole time.

The park is where I was almost-grown and experienced the thrilling feeling of being out – even after the streetlights came on. It’s where I logged training miles on visits home, during that cliché part of my life where I lived away from Pittsburgh. When I moved back in 2019, North Park became the start of something new: my first trail miles.

I’ve heard the same hesitation from so many folks who walk or run on the Pie Traynor loop or the much-loved, sometimes-dreaded lake loop; they are afraid to get lost or see something scary in the woods. My response?  Let’s get lost together. It’s the best kind of lost – where you don’t just find cool stuff in the woods, but you find some cool stuff in yourself.

I had no idea what was out there for me – a trio of baby raccoons on the blue trail tried to follow me home one day, and another time I rescued a group of college-aged guys from a black snake on orange.  I’ve met some of the best people, too, getting muddy sharing stories, and miles.

I still can’t figure out how folks used to get to some of the abandoned shelters out there, or how it was decided to build a Roman-like spring house and declare it the Fountain of Youth. And, the dog tree still catches in my throat, and I have to stop to visit all the best boys and girls whose families honor them there.

For the last 12 years, the red trail at North Park has also been home to something special: the Two Face 10K Road + Trail. Held this year on August 2, it’s been the first trail race for many local runners. The format is simple, but irresistible: choose the road, the trail, or both. And once you’ve experienced trail running—even just once—you understand just how vital our parks are, and how much the Allegheny County Parks Foundation’s work means to our community.

So if you’ve ever wondered what’s waiting for you in the woods at North Park, join us at Olympia Shelter on August 2. Whether it’s your first trail race or your hundredth, you’ll be welcomed by one of the kindest, most supportive communities around. We’ll have aid stations stocked with hydration and snacks, Dancing Gnome beer, and a well-earned treat from Tim Wu’s Shaved Ice, all the way from South Park.