American Youth Hostels, inc. Pittsburgh Council

Youth hostels began in Germany in 1910 as a way to provide basic lodging facilities for traveling students. The idea soon spread internationally, with the first hostel in the United States opening in Northfield, Massachusetts. The concept proved ideal to young men and women looking to explore their own countries as well as others. Affordable travel, coupled with the bountiful outdoor activities that hostelling presented, opened up new opportunities for travel to large segments of the population, especially for younger people. In 1948, members of the community first explored the options of starting a Pittsburgh chapter of the American Youth Hostels (AYH). This vision became reality in 1955 as the Pittsburgh Council was chartered and incorporated. Throughout its nearly fifty year history the Pittsburgh Council is perhaps best associated with the multitude of activities and events in which it was involved. Among the first of these was the establishment and maintenance of the Baker Trail, which originally ran from Aspinwall to the Cook State Forest. When development caused the abandonment of the Aspinwall to Freeport section, the trail was extended north to the Allegheny National Forest. The Pittsburgh Council also launched similar efforts at the Rachel Carson Trail system, a setting that remained a focal point of Council hiking activity for decades. Hiking trips were coordinated with local hostels, including Erie, Morgantown, and Ohiopyle. The Council offered a myriad of other outdoor activities including canoeing, kayaking, rafting, climbing, caving and bicycling. Large bicycle tours were also organized and sponsored by the Council. These included the Mon Valley Century ride, the Sabre ride near the Settlers Cabin Park, and the Great Ride, which was a joint effort with Pittsburgh CitiParks. The Pittsburgh Council hit a high point in the mid and late 1990s, culminating with the opening of the Pittsburgh International Hostel in the neighborhood of Allentown in June 1997. Following the World Trade Center bombing of September 11, 2001, the number of foreign travelers making their way into the United States diminished drastically. Since foreign travelers were the main patrons of the hostel, by the fall of 2003, the hostel was unable to remain in operation and was forced to close its doors. By the spring of 2004 the council leadership felt that with no hostels, an activities program long eclipsed by other competing organizations and a decline in volunteers and memberships, it was time to call an end to the Pittsburgh Council. The Activity Headquarters, located in Mellon Park, was returned to the Pittsburgh Department of Parks and Recreation and the equipment was sold or donated to other organizations.