Destination Thursday: Boyce Park

First of the Allegheny County parks to be dedicated, in 1963, was the William D. Boyce Park, honoring the founder of the Boy Scouts who was born in the area. All the picnic groves and shelters have names with Boy Scout associations: Tenderfoot, Eagle, Den and even Baden Powell (the founder of the British Boy Scouts). Boyce serves the populous eastern region near Monroeville, and has been outfitted with major recreational features. It is the only location for downhill skiing in the county, with ski lifts, a lodge called "Four Seasons" with all the amenities, and a wave pool. Allegheny County Community College occupies part of the original park property, which was exchanged for adjacent land farther removed from major highways, upon which the wave pool was built.

The above is cited from "Allegheny County Parks" by R. Jay Gangewere, Carnegie Magazine, July/August 1986, which can be viewed online at http://www.clpgh.org/locations/pennsylvania/history/parks.html . This article describes the history of the park system and the individual parks. It also provides a map of the regional park system, which follows the orange-belt highway system surrounding Pittsburgh.

For details and directions to Boyce Park, go to http://pittsburgh.about.com/cs/skiing/p/boyce_park.htm.

Today's photo is by WPC's Jean DiTullio.

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