Montour Woods

This 320-acre conservation area in Moon Township now includes three formerly individual conservation areas, which still have their own trailheads (see below). The main parking area/trailhead is located on Hassam Road, approximately 100 yards up the hill from the Montour Trail toward Moon. Over 10 miles of wooded trails are open to the public for hiking, biking and enjoyment of nature. As with all Hollow Oak Land Trust properties, motorized vehicles are prohibited. In addition to nearby Montour Trail (at mile 1.5), this conservation area is also less than a mile from Moon Township Community Park. Hollow Oak seeks to connect these amenities through the Montour Woods Greenway project.

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Nike Road Trailhead

On December 23, 1993, Hollow Oak finalized its first purchase, the 113-acre parcel that later was named in honor of Frank Santucci, an active member who had passed away earlier that year. The property is a beautiful example of the diverse natural environment that still can be found in the Montour Valley. A spring surfaces high on the hillside, creating a wet, cool, rocky habitat for mosses and invertebrates and supplies drinking water for the mammals, birds, and reptiles inhabiting the site. Autumn brings the spectacular burst of color characteristic to hardwoods, while through the trees in the winter the expansive vista across the Montour Valley can be seen from the southeastern corner of the property. The property surrounds the former Nike missile site established during the cold war. Property address: 501 Nike Rd., Moon Twp, PA 15108. The property can be accessed from the end of Nike Road off of Ewings Mill Road.

Montour Woods Trailhead

The parking area/trailhead is located on Hassam Road, approximately 100 yards up the hill from the Montour Trail toward Moon. The first parcel was purchased with the assistance of grants from The Pittsburgh Foundation and from the Pennsylvania Keystone Land Trust Grant Program in 2005. The old McCormick Farm property includes steep slopes, floodplain, and a stretch of Montour Run adjacent to the Forest Grove Sportsmen Association. It protects the mouth of Meeks Run as it flows into Montour Run. In 2009, another parcel was purchased with support from a grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation. Property address: 1874 Hassam Rd., Coraopolis, PA 15108.

Meeks Run Trailhead

Hollow Oak successfully sought funding through the Pennsylvania Keystone Land Trust Grant Program for the 1997 acquisition of this parcel located adjacent to the Londonbury housing plan in Moon Township. This area, now dedicated as open space, originally was planned for 59 housing sites. The acquisition protects approximately a linear half-mile on both banks of Meeks Run, a tributary of Montour Run. Meeks Run carries some of the cleanest water entering Montour Run and flowing from there to the Ohio River. Property address: 321 Downing Dr., Moon Twp, PA 15108