We begin our urban hike at a location once part of General James Findlay's considerable acreage in the forested Northern Liberties. Enjoy some vittles from the good general's market and a leisurely stroll through the Brighton area of the West End. 

Our first set of public stairs takes us to the banks of the Miami-Erie Canal (known affectionately today as Central Parkway). Crossing the canal takes you into the Mohawk neighborhood thus named in the early 1800's for a lone Native American resident whose tribe was most likely misidentified. Once described as "a good place to get away with bad things," Mohawk finds itself on the precipice of rejuvenation as showcased by the widely varying states of urban decay and renewal. 

From here the route "ramps up" (but the stair version of that) scaling the major hillcrest demarcating uptown from downtown. Fairview, Clifton Heights and Mount Auburn each offer their own striking vantage point of the city's bustling basin from points where public inclines once peaked. The Main Street Steps (the most majestically massive stairwell on the route) will bring you back down into the Brewery District before quickly step-peppering east to scale Prospect Hill, cross the once glorious Dear Creek Commons, and clamber up to Mount Adams via the verdant and idyllic Elsinore Place Steps. 

The stairs of Mount Adams lead to art, nature, worship, a friendly pub-hub, and the final public incline peak from which to look down on the Queen in her garlands dressed. Descend from the mount while admiring the rolling green hills of our southern neighbor and head towards the "big water" of the Ohio, but not without saluting the statue of General Cincinnatus. Bathe in the waters and rest on your laurels. The only way back from the river bank is up the Serpentine Wall steps.