Restoring Nature on Historic Grounds

Just outside the city of Jeannette, in Westmoreland County, about a 45-minute drive east of Pittsburgh, is a new preserve of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy called Oakford Park Nature Reserve.

Oakford Park was historically a “trolley park,” where people could enjoy picnicking, swimming and amusement park attractions. It opened in 1896 and operated until 1938, though the swimming pool remained open until the 1980s. Most visible remains of the original trolley park are gone.

A very generous and conservation-minded Westmoreland County donor purchased the property and donated it in 2022. It contains woodlands and Brush Creek, and the Conservancy has been gradually restoring the property for visitor use, wildlife habitat, and enhancement of its conservation values. The Conservancy has added a short loop trail surfaced with crushed stone and a parking lot that includes two paved parking spaces for accessibility. Native trees, including redbud, red maple and swamp white oak, have been planted, and invasive species removal has begun. This year, the Conservancy will plant more trees and a half-acre meadow of native wildflowers that will include pollinator-friendly plants with colorful blooms.

The Conservancy hopes to add more trails over time, but the property is already a nice place to visit for a short walk or run, or simply to explore the newly protected area being restored.

The preserve entrance is near the intersection of State Road 130 and Oakford Park Road, just east of Jeannette. For directions and more information, please go to the Conservancy’s website, WaterLandLife.org/Preserves and search for Oakford Park, or call the Conservancy at 412-288-2777.