Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve

Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s Headquarters
614 Dorseyville Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15238
412-963-6100

Restrooms onsite; no dogs allowed except service animals.

Office hours: Monday – Friday from 9 am – 5 pm
Nature Store hours: Tuesday – Sunday from 9 am – 5 pm
Trails open from sunrise to sunset, year-round

Beechwood is the largest private environmental education center in Western Pennsylvania. The nature center houses a 125-seat auditorium, two large classrooms, and a Teacher Resource Center. Beechwood’s raptor center houses living birds of prey and an avian health center. Audubon Center for Native Plants provides an indoor greenhouse, a native plant resource library, a spacious multi-purpose room for volunteer work and programs, and more than 20,000 square feet of outdoor nursery and gardens. Audubon Nature Store offers a variety of products that help people of all ages to enhance their connection to nature through native plant gardening, wildlife viewing, and other outdoor activities.

A two-story addition to the Evans Family Barn provides outdoor access to restrooms for the public using our trails and Discover Ground nature play area.

The trails are open dawn to dusk 365 days a year, free of charge. Respect plants and animals by leaving them in their natural habitat and by staying on the trail. Please be respectful of weddings and events that may be taking place on the property.

Please leave your pets at home (service animals permitted). No bikes or motorized vehicles permitted.

All outdoor activities involve some risk, including falling trees and branches, wet or slippery conditions, and interactions with animals and insects. In using the trails at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve, you are agreeing to assume those risks and to hold harmless Audubon Society of Wester Pennsylvania for those risks.

Consider becoming a member of Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania to help maintain this special place.

Download the Beechwood trail map and trail descriptions

Spring Hollow (0.45 miles)

This trail passes through a variety of habitats, hardwood forests, stream hollow, pond, meadow, where you will see plants native to the Ohio Valley. Stop by the treehouse for a birds-eye view of the forest. With easy walking in all weather, this is a good trail for families.

Upper Fields (0.2 miles)

The Upper Fields trail connects the lower meadow by the nature center to the upper meadow on the hill. It passes through an edge habitat between the meadow and forest — often a good place to see birds. This is a great place to see lightning bugs on a warm summer evening.

Goldenrod (0.14 miles)

Named for the flowers that paint the area gold in the autumn, Goldenrod passes from field to forest amidst grasses, berry bushes, shrubs and young trees. Look for galls on goldenrod stems.

Toddler (0.11 miles)

A short, hilly trail connecting Spring Hollow Walk to the top of Oaks Forest Trail by the pond.

Oak Forest (0.53 miles)

See the ecosystem of a young, regenerating forest, which was once home to hay fields and farm worker’s homes. At the top of the hill, look for large mature oak trees. This is a slightly bumpy and hilly trail.

Violet (0.13 miles)

Narrow and steep in places, Violet leads over the damp floor of a mixed hardwood forest on the hillside above a stream. Look for tracks in the mud.

Meadowview (0.41 miles)

Hilly, but well maintained, this trail passes through fields, thickets and the tip of a pine stand.

Woodland (0.51 miles)

Narrow, steep, and shady. Large snags, once huge mature oaks, are now home to a variety of insects, birds, and mammals. Virginia Creeper and grapevines weave throughout the branches, while ferns and other green plants grow on the forest floor. Your nose will clue you into the pine stand.

Pine Hollow (0.91 miles)

Pine Hollow is the longest and most rigorous trail at Beechwood. Narrow and hilly, it branches off Meadowview to wind through fields, a shady forest of mixed hardwoods and conifers, and an old pine plantation. Listen to the wind in the pines.

Whether you are searching for a natural setting for your party, or a convenient location for a corporate retreat, Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve has something for you.

The spaces at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve can comfortably accommodate groups up to 100 seated in our standard auditorium configuration. Our smaller classroom provides a convenient meeting space for corporate gatherings and business meetings as well as birthday or anniversary celebrations. Our staff is available to provide information specific to your rental needs, including catering options, room configurations, and availability. Please call 412-963-6100 to discuss your upcoming event.

Available rental spaces:

Barn

Perfect for graduation parties, reunions and large family celebrations. This three season space is filled with rustic charm and looks out onto treetops and trails here at Beechwood. Typically used for groups up to 125 seated. Cost: $100 per hour – three hour minimum.

Auditorium

Our auditorium is perfect for small get-togethers, lectures and performances. The Auditorium opens out onto our scenic trails and our Discover Ground play area. Typically used for groups up to 100 seated, or up to 50 guests at tables. Cost: $50 per hour – three hour minimum.

Trillium Classroom

Our charming classroom is typically used for corporate events or professional meetings. 50 guests at tables. Cost: $25 per hour – three hour minimum.

Hold your birthday party here!

We have birthday party themes for kids of all ages. Learn more.

From 1903 – now, Beechwood has played a role in connecting people to birds and nature

The property was originally acquired in 1903 by state senator William Flinn, one of Allegheny County’s most powerful politicians, who, after his retirement from politics, established himself as a gentleman farmer at his summer residence on Dorseyville Road. Flinn called his new enterprise “Beechwood Farms.”

Occupying more than 350 acres on both sides of Dorseyville Road, Beechwood Farms became the site of Senator Flinn’s many farming interests, which ranged from roses, to rabbits and poultry, to cattle, with special buildings constructed for his various projects. The farm became famous for its herd of registered Guernsey cattle, which provided much of the fresh dairy products for the northern Pittsburgh area. Rachel Mellon Walton eventually acquired the bulk of the old farm property and its aging buildings, and her daughter, Mrs. Joshua Whetzel, Jr., acquired William Flinn’s old summer cottage.

In 1977, Mrs. John F. Walton, Jr. and Mr. and Mrs. Joshua C. Whetzel, Jr. donated 90 acres of farmland to The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. The Conservancy, while retaining ownership of the land, chose Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania to manage and operate the property as a nature center.

This most generous arrangement resulted in the establishment of one of the largest nature reserves and environmental education centers in western Pennsylvania. Beechwood’s 134 acres contain more than five miles of walking trails, which are open to the public from dawn to dusk everyday, year-round. The reserve offers a variety of outdoor experiences.

In the mid-seventies, the Evans Foundation of Pittsburgh agreed to donate approximately $500,000 for the construction of a nature center on land that was being donated to the Conservancy by the Whetzels and Mrs. Walton. In the spring of 1977, Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania officially took charge of the operation and stewardship of what would later be known as Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve. The nature center operations began in August 1977. The Evans Nature Center, a barn-like structure joined to the original farmhouse, was completed in 1979.

Wildlife, including deer, red fox, skunks, raccoons and screech owls, has always been abundant on the reserve. Shortly after the Evans Nature Center opened in the fall of 1979, the grandchildren of Thomas Raymond Evans presented ASWP with intricately carved Great Horned Owls, which have become an emblem for Beechwood. Created by the now internationally famous artist Larry Barth while he was a student at Carnegie Mellon University, the owls are permanently housed in Audubon’s Nature Store at Beechwood.

During the next decade, Beechwood’s environmental education programs expanded. The pond was built in 1981, attracting Mallards and Canada Geese, which still nest there. In 1984, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy purchased 32 acres of adjoining land, including century-old oaks that comprise parts of Spring Hollow and Woodland Trails.

In 1989, ASWP completed construction of an energy efficient educational wing and finished remodeling the farmhouse. The education building’s award-winning design is a unique demonstration of construction techniques that conserve natural resources. The building is equipped with a solar array on the roof, a furnace that operates at 98% efficiency, an air circulation system to cool the building without air conditioning, clerestory windows which provide natural light, waterless toilets and many other features. Like the homes of the field, pond and woodland community animals that surround it, the education building blends with and takes advantage of Beechwood’s abundant natural resources.

The newest additions to Beechwood are Audubon Center for Native Plants and DiscoverGround. Audubon Center for Native Plants sells plants that attract birds, butterflies, and wildlife. And DiscoverGround provides outdoor, natural play opportunities for kids and their parents. Both are located adjacent to the Beechwood parking lot.

The main parking lot at Beechwood was rebuilt to demonstrate several stormwater management best practices through use of porous pavers, reinforced turf parking, and rain gardens to address surface runoff. Accessible parking was increased, and electric charging stations were added.

The Spring Hollow Trail (1,700’ in length; leading from the main campus up to the Birds’ Nest observation deck) and the Goldenrod Trail (1,400’ in length; leading from the main campus down and around the pond to the Eps Worley Pavilion) meet ADA standards–as does a 1,100’ section of Spring Hollow Trail. Each accessible trail is 5’ wide and built on a base of recycled concrete, topped with a 4” layer of compacted material. There are no cross slopes to the trail and the maximum incline is 6% (ADA allowable maximum is 8%).

An access road and handicapped parking area was installed leading to the pond and pavilion – the pavilion was recently rebuilt after the original structure was destroyed by a falling tree. The access road compliments the trail by providing an additional method for mobility-restricted individuals who cannot manage the trail to access the pond and as a place for vehicles to pick up people that are unable to navigate the uphill trail.

For accessibility needs or questions about any of our sites, please contact Brian Shema at 412-963-6100 or bshema@aswp.org.

For accessibility needs or questions about any of our programs, please contact Chris Kubiak at 412- 963-6100 or ckubiak@aswp.org.

All other questions regarding accessibility or inclusion can be directed to Jim Bonner at 412-963-6100 or jbonner@aswp.org.