South Shore Riverfront Park and Trail

September 2 2026
Within Walking Distance

Overview

Getting To and From

Inside the Venue

Onsite Accessibility

Our Guidelines

Comments

Accessibility Information Google Map Venue Floor Plan Website

About

South Shore Riverfront Park and Trail runs along the Monongahela River at SouthSide Works, between 25th Street and Hot Metal Street in Pittsburgh's South Side. The site was once the J&L Steel Works, and the former steel mill barge dock was converted into roughly 3.2 to 3.4 acres of public open space that opened in 2012 at a cost of about $13 million. The design straddles a railroad tunnel and overcomes a 40 foot drop in elevation to reach the river, with switchback terraces connecting the upper and lower plazas. The park carries both the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and the multi-state Great Allegheny Passage, and its cycling and pedestrian trail is split into an upper section beside the SouthSide Works development and a lower section at water level. Features include a piazza that acts as the park's front door, a 1,000 seat amphitheater and event stage under a tensile canopy, scenic overlooks, a river landing, a public boat dock open since October 2013, the adjacent South Side Marina from 2015, a water fountain for dogs, a mister for cooling trail users, and public art including The Workers, a steelworker monument built from Hot Metal Bridge I-beams. The park is owned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh and managed by the Soffer Organization, so it is not run by Citiparks even though the City lists it among its parks.

Getting To and From

Features	Information Available on Website	Available at Venue	Notes	Additional Info / Things to Know
On Site Parking Garage or Lot	No	No
Drop Off/Pick Up Lanes/ Ride Share	Yes	Yes	Vehicular access is provided for drop off and pick up at the Piazza, which serves as the front door to the park when entering from the SouthSide Works retail area. The Piazza is also the entry portal for the Hofbrauhaus restaurant.	The 2017 gateway project reconfigured the existing valet lane at the Piazza and reallocated that area to pedestrian uses and adjacent restaurant patrons. A kiosk added in the same project serves valet customers for the adjacent businesses and acts as an information point for park visitors.
Off site Parking	Yes	Yes	No parking lot is listed at this park. On the Monongahela, the recommended trail parking published by Friends of the Riverfront is South Side Riverfront Park at 18th Street (50 spaces, paved lot) and Eliza Furnace Trailhead at Swinburne Street (25 spaces, paved lot). Both are a distance west of this park, and accessible spaces are not specified for either.	Note that South Side Riverfront Park at 18th Street is a different park from South Shore Riverfront Park, despite the near-identical name. This park sits inside the SouthSide Works complex, which has its own parking, but SouthSide Works publishes no parking page and no accessible parking details.
Accessible Entrance
Site Map/Floorplan	Yes	Yes	The Three Rivers Heritage Trail Map and Guide covers the trail through this park and marks access points, parking, and restrooms across the whole 33-mile system. It is a trail map, not a site plan of the park, and no site plan of the park is published.	The trail is maintained by the City's Department of Public Works in cooperation with Friends of the Riverfront, who publish this map.

Inside the Venue

Features	Information Available on Website	Available at Venue	Notes	Additional Info / Things to Know
Dedicated Accessible Entrance	No	No
Street Level Access and Automatic Doors	Yes	Yes	This is an outdoor park with no doors, so the question is grade. The cycling and pedestrian trail is divided into upper and lower sections, giving linear trail connections both at water level and immediately beside the SouthSide Works development, so each trail can be joined at its own level. Between them the site drops 40 feet, and that drop is crossed by switchback terraces and stairs connecting the Piazza to the River Landing.	No source states the grade of the switchback, its width, or whether it meets accessible route standards, and no source says the two trail levels are linked by anything other than the switchback and stairs. Plan to stay on one level unless you can confirm the switchback works for you.
Security Checkpoint
Use of Mobility Aids	Yes	No	No mobility aid provision is described for this park, and there are no loaner wheelchairs. Friends of the Riverfront lists Joy Riders as a trail resource, a service that allows people of all ages who have physical limitations to enjoy a scenic ride along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.	There is no published accessibility contact for this park. The City of Pittsburgh's ADA accommodation process states that it does not handle requests for private businesses or other government agencies, and this park is owned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and managed by the Soffer Organization rather than by the City, so route questions to the URA on 412-255-6600 or inforequest@ura.org.
Accessible Seating (Theater)	Yes	No	The park has a 1,000 seat amphitheater. A large stage area with an overhead tensile structure sits along the Upper Trail for outdoor events, and for larger events the switchback and stairs between the Piazza and the River Landing are used as spectator seating. No accessible or wheelchair seating positions are described anywhere in the venue.	Splitting the trail into upper and lower sections was deliberate, so that trail access stays uninterrupted during events at the Event Stage. If the seating is the switchback and the stairs, anyone who cannot use them should contact the URA before an event to ask what is available.

Location

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

Getting To and From

Find essential details on parking, drop-off points, and accessibility to make your visit smooth and hassle-free.
Check the table below for more information.

Features	Information Available on Website	Available at Venue	Notes	Additional Info / Things to Know
On Site Parking Garage or Lot	No	No
Drop Off/Pick Up Lanes/ Ride Share	Yes	Yes	Vehicular access is provided for drop off and pick up at the Piazza, which serves as the front door to the park when entering from the SouthSide Works retail area. The Piazza is also the entry portal for the Hofbrauhaus restaurant.	The 2017 gateway project reconfigured the existing valet lane at the Piazza and reallocated that area to pedestrian uses and adjacent restaurant patrons. A kiosk added in the same project serves valet customers for the adjacent businesses and acts as an information point for park visitors.
Off site Parking	Yes	Yes	No parking lot is listed at this park. On the Monongahela, the recommended trail parking published by Friends of the Riverfront is South Side Riverfront Park at 18th Street (50 spaces, paved lot) and Eliza Furnace Trailhead at Swinburne Street (25 spaces, paved lot). Both are a distance west of this park, and accessible spaces are not specified for either.	Note that South Side Riverfront Park at 18th Street is a different park from South Shore Riverfront Park, despite the near-identical name. This park sits inside the SouthSide Works complex, which has its own parking, but SouthSide Works publishes no parking page and no accessible parking details.
Accessible Entrance
Site Map/Floorplan	Yes	Yes	The Three Rivers Heritage Trail Map and Guide covers the trail through this park and marks access points, parking, and restrooms across the whole 33-mile system. It is a trail map, not a site plan of the park, and no site plan of the park is published.	The trail is maintained by the City's Department of Public Works in cooperation with Friends of the Riverfront, who publish this map.

Inside the Venue

Get to know what to expect indoors—from seating layouts to restrooms and concessions.

Features	Information Available on Website	Available at Venue	Notes	Additional Info / Things to Know
Dedicated Accessible Entrance	No	No
Street Level Access and Automatic Doors	Yes	Yes	This is an outdoor park with no doors, so the question is grade. The cycling and pedestrian trail is divided into upper and lower sections, giving linear trail connections both at water level and immediately beside the SouthSide Works development, so each trail can be joined at its own level. Between them the site drops 40 feet, and that drop is crossed by switchback terraces and stairs connecting the Piazza to the River Landing.	No source states the grade of the switchback, its width, or whether it meets accessible route standards, and no source says the two trail levels are linked by anything other than the switchback and stairs. Plan to stay on one level unless you can confirm the switchback works for you.
Security Checkpoint
Use of Mobility Aids	Yes	No	No mobility aid provision is described for this park, and there are no loaner wheelchairs. Friends of the Riverfront lists Joy Riders as a trail resource, a service that allows people of all ages who have physical limitations to enjoy a scenic ride along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.	There is no published accessibility contact for this park. The City of Pittsburgh's ADA accommodation process states that it does not handle requests for private businesses or other government agencies, and this park is owned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority and managed by the Soffer Organization rather than by the City, so route questions to the URA on 412-255-6600 or inforequest@ura.org.
Accessible Seating (Theater)	Yes	No	The park has a 1,000 seat amphitheater. A large stage area with an overhead tensile structure sits along the Upper Trail for outdoor events, and for larger events the switchback and stairs between the Piazza and the River Landing are used as spectator seating. No accessible or wheelchair seating positions are described anywhere in the venue.	Splitting the trail into upper and lower sections was deliberate, so that trail access stays uninterrupted during events at the Event Stage. If the seating is the switchback and the stairs, anyone who cannot use them should contact the URA before an event to ask what is available.

Onsite Accessibility

Learn about ramps, elevators, restrooms, and other accessible features available during your visit

Features	Information Available on Website	Available at Venue	Notes	Additional Info / Things to Know
Restrooms
Elevators
On-Site Dining	Yes	Yes	The park provides access to retail and dining, sitting adjacent to or as part of the SouthSide Works complex. The Piazza is the entry portal for the Hofbrauhaus restaurant, and SouthSide Works Town Square holds local food concepts including Slice on Broadway and Tasty Taquitos. The food is at the surrounding complex rather than a concession inside the park.	Tunnel Park, the greenspace the park expanded into across South Water Street in 2017, is being reshaped into a community dog park with an all seasons food and beverage kiosk, a children's playground and artspace, an outdoor movie and activity space, and a community garden. That work is described as in progress, so do not count on it yet.
Theater, Auditorium, etc. (Museum)	Yes	Yes	South Shore Riverfront Park is a 3.2 to 3.4 acre riverfront park that opened in 2012 on the former J&L Steel Works barge dock, at a cost of about $13 million. It carries the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and the Great Allegheny Passage, and holds a piazza, a 1,000 seat amphitheater and event stage, scenic overlooks, a river landing, and a public boat dock open since October 2013 reached through passageways in the river bulkhead wall. The adjacent South Side Marina opened in 2015.	Smaller features include a water fountain for dogs, a mister for cooling trail users, unearthed steel ingots, historic relics of the Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge, pergolas, and The Workers, a monument to Pittsburgh steelworkers led by Tim Kaulen and built over fourteen years by twenty-four artists, whose figures use I-beams once part of the nearby Hot Metal Bridge. The 2017 gateway project added a park identification sign, new lighting and paving, brick-paved seating areas on both sides of South 27th Street, and seven historic cast-iron columns salvaged from the 1878 McKnight Hardware Store and donated by Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation.

Our Guidelines

1. Make Accessibility Info Easy to Find - Dedicated Website Accessibility Page

Clearly post detailed accessibility information online, covering parking, entrances, interior pathways, site plans, and more.

2. Include All Mobility Devices

Consider walkers, canes, crutches — not just wheelchairs. Provide specifics for a variety of mobility needs. Include people who use different devices in the conversation.

3. Go Beyond ADA Compliance

ADA is the minimum. Strive for real-world accessibility through thoughtful design and ongoing improvements.

4. Visibility = Accessibility

If disabled visitors aren't present, barriers may exist. Transparency and preparation are the keys to inclusion. Empower everyone to attend.

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