Much of Moon Township's October is being held on land that Hollow Oak Land Trust has bought along Montour Run since 1993. The October events are spread across the 372 acres the trust calls Montour Woods. The walk and the campfires happen on two different purchases made 12 years apart, so this month's schedule also covers how the preserve was put together.
It also matters this year in particular. In January, Hollow Oak said it planned to finish the Montour Woods Greenway by the end of 2026. That means buying one more parcel and building more trail, plus the first road crossings the project has ever needed. So a campfire at Montour Woods this month puts you in a preserve that is partway through becoming a connected loop.
Three Trailheads, Three Separate Purchases
Montour Woods combines what used to be three separate conservation areas. All three still have their own trailheads. Together they hold more than 10 miles of wooded trails open for hiking and biking, and motorized vehicles are prohibited. Here is how the pieces fit together, and where this month's programs take place.
| Trailhead | Address | How it came to Hollow Oak | October 2026 program |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nike Road | 501 Nike Rd., reached from the end of Nike Road off Ewings Mill Road | The trust's first purchase, completed December 23, 1993 | Nike Missile Site History Walk, Oct. 8 |
| Montour Woods (main lot) | 1874 Hassam Rd., about 100 yards uphill from the Montour Trail | Old McCormick Farm, bought in 2005, with a second parcel added in 2009 | Kids Spooky Nature Campfire, Oct. 9; Whispers in the Woods, Oct. 30 |
| Meeks Run | 321 Downing Dr. | A 1997 purchase of land next to the Londonbury plan that had been planned for 59 housing sites | No program listed |
The Meeks Run purchase shows how the trust works. Instead of becoming a subdivision, that tract now protects roughly half a mile along both banks of Meeks Run. Hollow Oak says the stream carries some of the cleanest water entering Montour Run. Meeks Run is also one of the two valleys the greenway is designed to follow.
October 8: The Oldest Parcel Has the Strangest History
The Nike Road tract is named for Frank Santucci, an active Hollow Oak member who died in 1993, the year the trust bought it. It surrounds a former Cold War Nike missile site. The same tract has a spring high on the hillside that keeps a cool, rocky habitat damp for mosses and invertebrates. Hollow Oak says autumn brings full hardwood color here. In winter, you can see across the Montour Valley from the southeastern corner.
On Thursday, October 8, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., retired U.S. Army First Sergeant George Millerschoen leads a short walking tour of the missile site. He started his military career in 1972 as a Nike Hercules missile crewman at Finleyville. On the tour he points out where personnel and equipment were located and explains what the weapon could do and why it mattered to the Pittsburgh area. Local historian Earl Edwards joins him for questions. The walk is recommended for ages 16 and up, but everyone is welcome. Bring water and wear closed-toe shoes. Registration fees are nonrefundable. If weather cancels the walk, payments become a transferable credit for a future program, good for up to a year.
The walk starts at 5:30 and wraps up by 7, so it fits on a weeknight.
October 9 and October 30: Two Campfires at the Hassam Road Lot
The Hassam Road tract is the most accessible of the three, which is probably why the trust holds its campfire programs there. The lot is 100 yards from the Montour Trail at mile 1.5, and the preserve sits less than a mile from Moon Township Community Park. The land itself is the old McCormick Farm. It has steep slopes, floodplain, a stretch of Montour Run next to the Forest Grove Sportsmen Association, and the spot where Meeks Run flows into Montour Run.
There are two campfires this month, one for kids and one for adults:
- Kids Spooky Nature Campfire, Friday, October 9, 7 to 8 p.m. Hollow Oak's Conservation Rangers talk about some of nature's most misunderstood species around the fire. It is aimed at ages 5 to 10, but everyone is welcome. Bring a camp chair for each person in your group, plus water and blankets. Costumes are encouraged.
- Whispers in the Woods Folklore Campfire, Friday, October 30, 7 to 8:30 p.m. This is the adults-only version, limited to ages 21 and up, at the same Montour Woods location.
Both programs require registration through Hollow Oak's event pages. Questions about the kids' campfire go to [email protected].
The Nights the Woods Aren't Hosting
The township and a few local businesses cover most of the other October dates on the calendar.
- Halloween Spooktacular, Wednesday, October 21, 5 to 8:30 p.m. This free event at the UPMC Events Center, 6001 University Blvd., is indoor trick-or-treating with local businesses and groups. If the weather turns, the evening stays dry.
- Trick-or-treat, Saturday, October 31, 6 to 8 p.m. These are Moon Township's official hours, the night after the adult campfire.
- Oktoberfest at The Tavern, through Friday, October 9. In February, Hyeholde opened The Tavern, a more casual spot in its carriage house at 1516 Coraopolis Heights Road with dark wood and a fireplace. Its Oktoberfest menu of German-inspired dishes and seasonal beer runs September 15 through October 9. The menu's last night is the same night as the kids' campfire. The regular menu includes oysters, smoked cod chowder, grilled octopus, lamb cassoulet and veal osso buco.
Montour Run Road Gets a Break on November 1
The Market Place district has been on a construction schedule all season. The $6.29 million Market Place District Improvement project, sponsored by the Moon Transportation Authority, covers Montour Run Road between I-376 and Hookstown Grade Road, plus Market Place Boulevard between Montour Run Road and Scott Boulevard. The work includes widening, drainage, signal upgrades, paving, guiderail and pavement markings. Mele & Mele & Son's, Inc. is the prime contractor.
PennDOT's August 5 update said the current setup would stay in place around the clock through early October. That setup has single-lane alternating traffic with flaggers on Montour Run Road as needed, and one lane in each direction on Market Place Boulevard. The township's notice gives the bigger picture. The project has a planned winter shutdown, so lane restrictions come off and traffic returns to normal from November 1, 2026, to April 1, 2027. The whole project is scheduled to finish August 20, 2027. Since those notices describe different phases, check current conditions on 511PA before driving through in the next few weeks.
Where the Loop Stands
The greenway is the reason this October is different from past ones. The Montour Woods Greenway is designed as a roughly 10-mile loop linking Moon Township Park, the Montour Trail, Montour Woods and the Trout Run conservation area. It runs through the Meeks Run and Trout Run valleys and over land owned by the airport. Hollow Oak started conserving land in 1991 and now owns about 900 acres in nine conservation areas, with a tenth on the way.
Executive Director Sean Brady described the goal to the Post-Gazette in January:
"That's what we all want: a place to go for a walk in the woods."
The project's story is told in "Going Greenway," an 11-minute documentary made by Point Park University students in 2025. Point Park professor Chris Rolinson came up with the idea. He lives in Moon, has served on Hollow Oak's board and was newly elected as a township supervisor. Closing the loop by year's end is still a goal. Hollow Oak's June 2026 greenway page still describes the work as underway.
The next official update comes after Halloween. Hollow Oak's annual meeting is Tuesday, November 10, from 6 to 9 p.m. at 949 Thorn Run Road. Brady will give a State-of-the-Trust address on acquisitions, trail development and stewardship. The evening also includes author Andrew Moore, volunteer awards and dinner by Tikka'N'Wrapz. Tickets are $15 in advance.
If you live near Montour Woods or along the planned greenway loop and want to know where your home stands, The Bingham Team can put together a free home valuation that takes your location along Montour Run into account.
