PHOTO BY HUCK BEARD

The name is accurate.

If you spend any time on Saw Mill Run Boulevard, you’ve likely driven past the trailhead of the Beechview-Seldom Seen Greenway hundreds of times without noticing it. Near some less-than-photogenic landmarks — most notably a towering igloo that’s used to hold road salt — is the quiet opening to a hidden urban oasis.

Within feet, you’ll be passing under the 120-year-old Seldom Seen Arch, a marvel of brick and echoing water; beyond, the noise of the highway is quickly replaced with birdsong and crunching leaves. If you go uphill, you can scamper up to a former railroad bridge, now covered in an explosion of graffiti; if you proceed along the flat part of the path, you’ll watch birds flit through the trees alongside gently curving pathways.

This isn’t necessarily a trail for running or long hikes; it’s short and winding, and getting to the longer parts of the path require wading across a few inches of water, as the park is bifurcated by Saw Mill Run itself — the creek, not the road. (You can also access the longer parts of the trail by entering via Beechview, but you’ll miss the dramatic tunnel.)

This is, rather, a place for quiet contemplation and relaxation — a bit of uninterrupted green space nestled between two bustling city neighborhoods.

Where is the Beechview-Seldom Seen Greenway?

The main trailhead is off of Woodruff Street, adjacent to southbound Route 19 on the border of Mount Washington and Beechview. Additional trailheads can be found in Beechview’s Tropical Park.