OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Outdoor Adventure Hotspots In & Around Ellicottville
AN AERIAL ADVENTURE
Sky High Adventure Park: Holiday Valley • EVL, 716.699.4444 • holidayvalley.com
Holiday Valley Resort’s most exciting outdoor adventure is open for the season and offers the largest Aerial Adventure Park in New York State. (3rd in the U.S.!) Platforms, obstacles, bridges and zip lines create 13 courses with varying difficulty levels. Add in the Climbing Forest, Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster, and Mister Happy Gem Mining and Sky High is a superb place for your family or friend outing this summer. For details on all the great activities that the park offers, ticket pricing and packages, visit holidayvalley.com/summer/sky-high-adventure-park.
RED HOUSE ROMPING
Allegany State Park: 2373 ASP Route 1 • Salamanca, NY, 716.379.5450 • parks.ny.gov
Allegany State Park is the largest state park in New York, divided into two sections - the Red House and the Quaker area. The Red House area is a staple location to take the family for a cookout, hike, or a combination of any outdoor activity, offering 5 miles of paved bike paths, boat and bike rentals, beach, swimming, fishing, cabin rentals, camping areas, tennis court, basketball court, two rentable pavilions, multiple picnic areas with outdoor grills and more. Visit parks.ny.gov for information on the Quaker area and to make camping/pavilion reservations.
NATURE’S BIKE PATH
Pat McGee Trail: Throughout Cattaraugus County • 716.354.9101 • enchantedmountains.com
Originally a branch of the Erie Railroad line in 1851, this path was converted as a part of the Rails-to-Trails campaign. The Pat McGee Trail is ideal for the adventurous beginner or anyone looking for a scenic ride and runs approximately 12.14 miles - from the City of Salamanca Town line through the Towns of Little Valley, Mansfield, New Albion and ends just outside of the Village of Cattaraugus, welcoming all for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding. It also features a 1.8-acre community park with pavilion and two gazebos in Little Valley. There are 5 trail heads each with its own parking area.
BIKE PARK BONANZA
HoliMont Bike Park: 6921 NY-242 • EVL, 716.699.2320 • holimont.com
Experience New York State’s finest mountain bike park this summer. No matter your experience level, HoliMont’s Bike Park has beginner trails and expert terrains fit for your adventure style. They currently have 16 mountain bike trails that make over 12 miles of track, and they are building more to come! Their trails include 7 Cross Country and 9 Downhill trails with Technical Terrain and Freeride Terrain. The bike park is open for the season through October 13th; Saturdays and Sundays 10:00am-4:30pm, and Fridays 12:00-7:00pm.
PARK GOLF PARADISE
Bigfoot Park Golf: 5462 Robbins Rd• EVL, 716.541.4059 • ellicottvilledistillery.com
Ellicottville Distillery is the home of Bigfoot Park Golf! A Japanese spin-off of the modern game of golf, Park Golf is quickly gaining in popularity across America! The course size is smaller than a classic golf course but larger than a mini-golf course and uses one-size club and a larger golf ball. Bigfoot is one of the first Park Golf Courses in the United States, inspired by the flagship course in Akron, New York. Currently open every day of the week, it’s an interesting new way to play some golf. Come check it out. Contact Chad Neal at 716-541-4059 for more information!
AN EIGHTH WONDER
Rock City Park: 505 Route 16 • Olean, NY, 716.372.7790 • rockcitypark.com
Rock City Park has been a popular attraction since 1890, with the largest exposure of Quartz conglomerate in the world, hence its label as one of the Eighth Wonders of the World! You can join thousands of visitors who enjoy climbing over, under and through massive rock formations on the 45-minute, self-guided trail. Rock City Park also boasts a museum, picnic areas, and of course a souvenir and gift shop, where you can find something to remember your adventure. You can even book your special events there - birthdays, weddings, you name it!
ART ADVENTURE
Griffis Sculpture Park: 6902 Mill Valley Rd. • East Otto, NY, 716.667.2808 • griffissculpturepark.org
Located between Ashford Hollow and East Otto is a 425-acre outdoor art museum. Created by artist Larry W. Griffis Jr. in 1966, this was the first sculpture park in the United States. Now the park features over 250 large scale sculptures that guests can view and interact with dispersed over miles of amazing hiking trails. Each sculpture was placed with the natural setting in mind, creating a truly unique experience between art and nature. Griffis Sculpture Park is also home to some very unique events including Night Lights and the Griffis Summer Music Festival. It’s an epic place to spend a beautiful summer day!
GET LOST IN THE WOODS
Allegheny National Forest: Throughout McKean County, PA, 814.927.5700 • visitanf.com
The Allegheny National Forest (ANF) is made up of over 514,000 acres. It dominates the western end of the Pennsylvania Wilds and contains within it and around it some of the region’s most treasured places and experiences. It includes two national scenic areas, two wilderness areas and two national wild and scenic rivers (one of those being the Allegheny). The Allegheny National Forest offers a wide variety of recreational activities including hiking, mountain biking, boating, camping, hunting, fishing, ATV riding and snowmobiling that result in about 4 million visitors annually. No wonder it’s called “Land of Many Uses”!