Photos Nearby: More Than Just a Fairview

Fairview Park in South Fayette is one of the best-kept secrets in the area, especially if you’re a dog owner.

The park’s dog run zone is a place where canines can run free without leashes while their owners keep a close eye on their pets. I often take my pup, Riley, up to the South Fayette park and walk him with a leash along the hilly trails that stretch near the old Mayview State Hospital. Anyone who wants to have their dog without a leash must first receive a permit from the township, but it’s available to residents and non-residents.

Tractors cut wide paths into the high grass, leading to a spectacular view of nearby Bridgeville and the tops of the USX and Mellon buildings in Pittsburgh. It’s the colorful high grass that makes you feel like you’re in the country rather than just a few minutes from a bustling city.

Riley and I take afternoon strolls through the grass, enjoying sunny days while burning off some energy. He sniffs the numerous scents left behind by other dogs, and we’ll occasionally meet a new friend on the trail. It’s a wonderful place to relax.

Near the entrance of the park, there is a small cemetery dedicated in 1986 to the "Lost Souls" of Mayview. The state hospital’s abandoned geriatric unit sits on the other side of the park up on a hill from the main campus. Both South Fayette and Upper St. Clair townships are trying to develop that land after the state closed the hospital in 2007.

Within a white fence sat 27 unmarked gravestones scattered between several oak trees not far from a playground.

Fairview Park is a beautiful place to enjoy an afternoon, but there is quite a bit of history that many don’t realize while walking through the hilly fields.