Trail Access & Conditions

The Squirrel Hills Recreation Area currently has one parking lot access located just west off Hwy 10/16 (bottom of the valley) on PR 355. Click here for location.

NEW TRAIL CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETE AND ALL TRAILS ARE NOW OPEN. Please use Trailforks for trail route navigation until proper signage has been installed.
Users assume liability for all risks associated with park and trail activity.

(New trailhead construction with a pavilion and play areas is planned for spring 2024. There is currently no bathroom access at the parking lot. Part way around the perimeter trail, a warmup shack and outhouse can be found.)

If the trail is excessively wet, snow pack is soft, and users are leaving deep (1″+) ruts with tires or boots, please turn around and use the trail another day. Volunteers manage and maintain this trail so let’s not create unnecessary work for them.

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Current Weather
Squirrel Hills Recreation Area
1:38 pm, March 4, 2026
-14°C
overcast clouds
91 %
1025 mb
28 Km/h
Wind Gust: 40 Km/h
Clouds: 100%
Sunrise: 7:16 am
Sunset: 6:25 pm

VLR sends out trail condition reports by email and posts them to Facebook and Instagram. If any particular trail conditions were recently updated, they will appear in one of the 5 Facebook posts below. For special trail condition updates delivered to your inbox, consider subscribing to our Trail Conditions email list.

VLR Facebook Posts

Squirrel Hills New Trails re-groomed and now “Closed until Friday morning at 10:00am.” Trail needs time to set up, plus Thursday will be too warm for trail use. See MoreSee Less
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Squirrel Hills New Trails are Temporarily Closed to allow the trail to set-up after grooming. Groomer working hard to pack new snow. Depending on how well the trails set, they are expected to reopen late tomorrow morning. See MoreSee Less
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✳️ This post had been edited! Please re-read to ensure you aware of closure times ✳️☀️🚫 TRAILS CLOSED (Yes… Even If They Look Fine) 🚫☀️With the warm temperatures and sunshine rolling in, our trails will be closed daily from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM, starting this afternoon and extending through to Saturday afternoon. Good news — the trails can still be used in the mornings and evenings when temperatures are cooler and the base is firm.We know it’s tempting — they might look perfectly usable. But whether you're planning to ride, hike, or snowshoe, using the trails during this warm stretch can seriously damage the base.When temperatures rise, the trail surface softens underneath. Riding, hiking, or snowshoeing can create deep ruts and footprints that freeze overnight and take hours (sometimes days) to repair.We kindly ask everyone to please respect the 12–6 PM closure window so we can keep the trails in great shape for the whole community. Your patience during the warmest hours means smoother, safer trails for everyone later.We’ll provide another update on Sunday.Thank you for helping us protect the trails! See MoreSee Less
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Trails are open, solid and in good shape with the odd slippery areas. Due to changing weather they could get closed on short notice. “Rule of thumb, if you can make a snowball, trail use should be avoided.” See MoreSee Less
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🚧 Trail Update 🚧Due to the current warm weather, our trails are temporarily closed to help protect them.Please keep an eye on this page for updates on when they’ll re-open. Thanks for your understanding and patience! 🌿👀 See MoreSee Less
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