Finding Adventure in Pittsburgh: River surfing, mountain biking and Kayaking

Very Local Staff

Very Local Staff

You can stream this and more Very Local shows for free!

Download the Very Local app for FREE on your Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV or Android TV.

Very Local Staff

Join host Kinga Philipps as she travels across the country to help individuals break out of their comfort zones and explore the outdoors. Along the way, Kinga challenges each guest to try new things and to experience how stepping outside of the norm can be scary, but ultimately amazing and transformative.

In this episode, Kinga meets Daniel Johnson, a Pittsburgh native and hardworking father of three children who is ready to reconnect with fun childhood activities and have adventures. He’s looking for a fun break from his overscheduled life and hopes to find some work-life balance.

SurfSUP Adventures // Johnstown, PA

Kinga introduces Daniel to Ian Smith, the founder and instructor at SurfSUP Adventures, to do some paddleboarding and river surfing at Stony Brook River in Greenhouse Park. 

Follow: @surfsup_adventures

Wilderness Voyageurs // Ohiopyle, PA

Kinga and Daniel head into the forest for the next adventure–mountain biking! Angelo Ross of Wilderness Voyageurs guides them through the trails, and Daniel gets excited about returning to an activity he enjoyed in nature in childhood. 

Follow: @wildernessvoyageurs

Dynamic Paddlers // Pittsburgh, PA

Kinga takes Daniel into the city for his first foray into kayaking. They meet Larry Gioia, founder and kayak coach of Dynamic Paddlers, for a stint of urban kayaking on the river and through a tunnel. Daniel finds his calm on the water at last. 

Follow: Dynamic Paddlers on Facebook

PRO TIP: Pittsburgh and Venice, Italy, are constantly vying for the title of the city with the most bridges. Pittsburgh is known as “The City of Bridges,” and currently boasts 446 bridges. 

Ready for more new adventures?

Looking for more adventure on the water? Check out this other Pittsburgh episode, where Kinga takes Camryn rock climbing and sailing. 

If you are looking for more places for outdoor adventure near Pittsburgh, check out our show Eat Play Stay Pittsburgh

Stay tuned for more episodes of Finding Adventure to see Kinga take locals outside for adventure in cities across the country.