Friendship Hill Loop Trail

There are many waterfalls at Friendship Hill as the small stream cascade down the bluff to the river

NPS Photo/Renee Benson

Quick Facts

Location:

Friendship Hill National HIstoric Site

Designation:

National Recreational Trail

Amenities

4 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Maps Available, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Pets Allowed

Friendship Hill National Historic Site has more than ten miles of walking trails for you to enjoy. The loop trail system provides a glimpse of this area as it was when first settled by Albert Gallatin in the 1780s. The trails include walking paths through woods, meadows, on the bluffs overlooking the Monongahela River and below the bluffs along the river.

Wildlife abounds. Fox, squirrels, wild turkey, white-tailed deer, pileated woodpeckers, snapping turtles, and red-tailed hawks are familiar residents at Friendship Hill. Wildflowers, mountain laurel and a variety of evergreens and hardwoods enhance the the beauty of the park.

Reminders of the past appear frequently along the trail. Gallatin's first wife, Sophia, is buried on the property as is his friend and business partner, Thomas Clare. Old roads, building foundations, abandoned river gauges and water towers are all evidence for enterprising individuals who walked this land long ago.

The Friendship Hill Loop Trail system was designated a National Recreational Trail in 1984.