Cameras and binoculars are musts at this spectacular viewpoint that served Native Americans as a helpful lookout over the valley.
West End-Elliott Overlook Park is a leafy vantage point with stunning views of Pittsburgh and the surrounding rivers. Once a lookout for Native American people, today it has landscaped gardens and an elegant tree-laden walkway. Visit West End-Elliott Overlook Park to take photos of the Downtown Pittsburgh district, with the Ohio River making up a scenic foreground.
Come to the viewpoint at night, when the illuminated city center is reflected in the water. Many of the most iconic photographs and postcards of Pittsburgh were taken from this point.
Sit on one of the terraced stone benches turned toward the city and pick out your favorite attractions in the skyline. Bring food and drink to have a picnic on the grass in this picturesque setting.
Sunrise and sunset are ideal times to visit and fully appreciate the vista, as the city basks in golden light. Set up a time-lapse exposure with your camera to film the breaking of a new day in the Steel City. Your view extends across the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers. Spot the yellow West End Bridge and the Heinz Field arena beside North Shore Riverside Park. Wander through the stylish landscaped gardens adorning the hilltop park.
Watch for small and pointed wedge-shaped stones as you walk along the park’s paths. Locals are said to have found arrowheads in this park, which was once used as a surveying point for the Shawnee people, as well as other Native American tribes. The site, also known simply as the West End Overlook, was renovated in 2003.
West End-Elliott Overlook Park towers over the southern bank of the Ohio River, as it passes through the western side of central Pittsburgh. From the city center, travel by bus to a stop in the Elliott neighborhood and walk northeast for a few minutes to get here.
While in the area, see nearby landmarks such as the Carnegie Science Center, the Pittsburgh Musical Theater and the Rivers Casino Pittsburgh.
