Forest Park

Forest Park is a city park on the Westside. It is also the largest city park in America. The park started as a collection of smaller parks, and the city acquired new land over time. The park contains over 80 miles of trails, including the popular Wildwood Trail and Leif Erickson Drive.

The majority of Forest Park is contained within the Forest Park neighborhood, although it also stretches into Northwest Heights, Linnton, Hillside and Arlington Heights.

History

The idea of having a large section of the West Hills as a forested park started as early as the 1860s, with the notion being championed by Reverend Thomas Lamb Eliot. In 1903, the Olmstead Brothers suggested that a forested area should be part of their proposed 40-mile loop around the city. It was formally dedicated as Forest Park on September 23, 1948.