Hitting the Hiking Trails of WNY
Hitting the Hiking Trails of WNY
Go On An Adventure This Summer On One of the Many Hiking Trails of WNY
Photos / Various Sources
We’ve enjoyed a beautiful start to the summer season with plenty of warmth and sunshine. It’s the perfect time to be outside! So lace up those hiking shoes, pack a lunch and take yourself on an adventure! There are many great hiking trails in Western New York; I couldn’t possibly list them all, but I did manage to compile a great menu of local options for everyone - from the beginner to the most experienced hiking guru.
ALLEGANY STATE PARK
Let’s start with a classic, local favorite at 2373 ASP Route 1, STE 3 in Salamanca, NY. Friend of Allegany’s, Jim Schwartzmyer, was happy to share a great deal of knowledge about the best way to hike Allegany State Park, which offers 22 official hikes ranging from a half mile for the Bear Springs trail to just over 18 miles for the ASP part of the North Country Hiking Trail that stretches from North Dakota to Vermont. There are some unofficial hikes, too. People often ask questions such as, "What's the easiest hike?", "What's the hardest?”, etc. Jim helped us cover the basics.
The Easiest Hikes (family friendly):
1. Science Lake Trail is a mile-long walk around Science Lake with only 50' of elevation change. The park built boardwalks over the muddier areas so slipping isn't a major hazard.
2. Bear Paw is located near the Summit Cabin Trail and is 2.3 miles with 50' of elevation change. Parts of it come out at the famous Stone Tower and other sections take you through a forested area that lead to a rainbow of fungi. This trail is usually pretty dry so mud isn't much trouble.
3. Sweetwater is located in the Art Roscoe Cross Country Skiing area and is about 2.7 miles long. This hike has several climbs with a cumulative 300' of elevation change. This path is wide as it is used for cross country skiing in the winter.
The Hardest Hikes:
1. North Country would be the hardest based on the sheer length. Starting in the southwestern corner of the park and running to the northwestern corner, this hike has multiple climbs and traverses through the center of the park before emerging near the northeastern entrance. A cumulative elevation change of around 2500' and plenty of muddy spots lands this as the hardest hike. You need two vehicles for this hike.
2. Mt. Tuscarora is only five miles but generally accepted as the second hardest hike in the park courtesy of a tough uphill if you start in the northwestern entrance. There is a fire tower at the top, but climbing it is off-limits. Once you get to the ridge, there is a 3.5-mile modest downhill grade that goes through some muddy sections. This trail is not a loop, so either you have to have two vehicles or be prepared to walk back to your car.
3. Osgood is only a 2.5-mile loop but has a very steep climb at the beginning that never seems to end. Most of the trail is at the top of a mountain so it's generally not too muddy.
Most Scenic Hikes:
1. Christian Hollow is a 4-mile hike with a beautiful vista about halfway in. Start the hike before sunrise on a nice day after a day of rain and be treated to some valley fog and watch it roll through the valley like water in a river.
2. Red Jacket is a short trail of only 2 miles with a minimum elevation change. It comes out an old downhill ski jump area with beautiful views of Red House Brook below.
3. Eastwood Meadows is a very pretty 2.5-mile hike that traverses the Big Basin and Bay State Rd areas of the park.
Most Popular Hikes:
1. Blacksnake Mountain: If you ask a hundred people their favorite hike, this one will win almost every time. This trail has a unique marker halfway in that designates the NY/PA border. Half of the hike follows old railroad beds so it is fairly wide. After a good rain, you can see the ripples in the ground from the old railroad ties that are now buried six inches underground. This trail has around 300' of elevation change and can be muddy in spots.
2. Bear Caves is four miles but most park at the eastern end and just walk up to the modest caves and back. It is a favorite of kids. The whole hike would require two cars or being prepared to walk the road back to your car.
3. Beehunter comes in as one of the longest hikes at 6.5 miles. This trail has several climbs that lead to long walks at the ridge of two mountains and a descent into the valley where the beginnings of Beehunter Creek can be found. There's usually a one-mile section that can be pretty muddy.
Unofficial Hikes: There are several stone roads in the park that make for terrific walks because they're nice and wide so you don't have to watch every step. These are: France Brook Road, Bay State Road, and Lonkto Hollow Road. Each runs about three miles with 300' of elevation change.
Although the park is open 24/7/365, it is generally accepted that all but the most experienced hikers should be off the trails between dusk and dawn. Jim believes that inexperienced hikers should be off trails by two hours before dusk because darkness comes quickly on the mountains.
If you want to keep track of great events and info, follow the Allegany State Park Enthusiasts page on Facebook. There, you’ll find detailed posts about thirty different hikes and walks that can be done in the park. They can be found by entering the trail name in the search bar at the top of the page. Also, the Hike WNY page on Facebook is the ultimate online resource for everything hiking on Facebook. And finally, to keep up-to-date on ASP itself, follow Friends of Allegany on their Facebook page.
ROCK CITY PARK
Let’s head over to 505 Route 16 S in Olean, NY to one of the great natural wonders of the world. (No cap.) Rock City Park’s hiking trails actually wind through one of the largest displays of natural quartz conglomerate in the world! And that’s only a fraction of what the park has going for it!
The main hiking trail itself is about a 45-minute excursion. It’s family-friendly and open to all ages. (Children should always be supervised by a responsible adult, of course.) Take in spectacular views from the bottom and top of the trail, including the iconic Balancing Rock and the Dining Hall Pass. Thousands of global visitors come to enjoy these views every year.
After your hike, continue the fun by visiting the park’s museum and gift shop. Rock City has a great story to share about its original purpose. It’s been an attraction since 1890, back when it was home to the famous Bon Air Hotel and Dance Pavilion. There was an amusement park, complete with a merry-go-round, box ball alleys, photo houses and more. The museum is a must-stop before or after hitting the scenic trail.
The gift shop boasts a variety of items that you may want to take home to commemorate your trip, including minerals and gems. As a matter of fact, one of the best events to come out to the park for is their Annual Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show held each fall. The park also offers its grounds for special occasions such as family reunions, weddings, and company picnics. (Their scenic vista overlooking the Enchanted Mountains is a breathtaking location for a photo shoot.)
Rock City Park is open May through October from 9:00am-5:00pm daily, though it may close in the case of inclement weather. Pets are welcome as long as they remain leashed and their “business” is cleaned-up. (You know what I mean by “business”.) Cost of entrance is $8 per person for those over 12. Anyone 6-12 is just $5. There are group and senior discounts as well as season pass options. To learn more or to book your special occasion, head over to rockcitypark.com.
FINGER LAKES TRAIL
Stretching over 1,000 miles in length, the Finger Lakes Trail runs from the Pennsylvania/New York border in Allegany State Park to the Long Path Summit of Slide Mountain in the Catskill Forest Preserve. There are branch trails to Niagara Falls, The Genesee River Valley, The Great Eastern Trail (south of Corning), the central Finger Lakes and the Syracuse Region. That’s a long ways to travel right there!
From the PA border to the northeast end of the Onondaga Branch, the Finger Lakes Trail is also the North Country National Scenic Trail. This system is built and maintained almost entirely by volunteers. Covering some of the most scenic land in New York, everyone is welcome to hike it and volunteer to keep it beautiful. The great mission of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference is to build, protect and enhance a continuous footpath across New York State. But how do you tackle this trail?
If it’s your first time on the lovingly termed “FLT”, visit fingerlakestrail.org and view their basics of hiking in the FLT. They list all the best tools and resources to make your journey enjoyable. And you will not break the bank on this trip; the trail is open to the public and is FREE!
The first thing to keep in mind is that the FLT is pretty easy to find. If you live in the Finger Lakes Region, the Erie Canal corridor, or just about anywhere in the Allegheny, Genessee, Susquehannah, or Delaware River watersheds, you can do a short day-hike, a weekend campout, or a multi-day backpacking trip - all within a short drive from home. The website features a free interactive map and you can also download direct GPS data. You can even check trail conditions before you head out!
Make sure you are prepared for your trip. Keeping hydrated is very important, so having drinking water with you should be a priority. Also, if you decide to use the natural water the park provides, keep in mind that all water along the trail system must be treated in some manner to make it safe for drinking. Acceptable methods include boiling for 5 minutes, using water-purification tablets, or a water filtration device.
Be wary of ticks and rabid animals. Do not feed the wildlife. Avoid poison sumac, oak, ivy and other noxious plants. The fingertalkestrail.org website has a detailed list of signs and information you can use to acquaint yourself with these dangers. (If you think of it like the Australian Outback, where everything is trying to kill you, you should be good.)
Dogs are welcome on the trail as long as they remain leashed, have their shots and tags and you clean up after them. For us humans, there are outhouses located at many lean-tos and should be used when available. Otherwise you’ll need to dig a 4- to 6-inch deep hole (at least 200 feet from any water sources), do your business, then cover it back up completely after use.
Be respectful! Respect the rights of landowners. Stay on the trail, don’t take shortcuts or walk on crops. Do not camp or build fires except at locations designated as campsites on the FLTC map. If a landowner asks you not to use the trail to cross their property, please comply and report the situation to the FLTC Service Center. And respect the rights of other trail users. This is particularly true when you are sharing campsites, picnic sites, etc.
Be aware that landowners may give permission to family and friends to use bicycles, ATVs, or horses on the portion of the FLT on their private land, even though such use is not permitted to the general public. Please be sensitive if you choose to remind someone about this when you are not sure whether they have permission.
Take out what you brought in. Clean up the trail and your campsite, and leave it better than you found it. Take only pictures and leave only footprints. If you bring a pet, keep it under control and bury its waste to protect water supplies. Do not disturb plants or animals.
Full details on everything you need to know about the FLT can be found at fingerlakestrail.org. These pages contain a wealth of information and you can also get info about becoming an End-to-Ender and about volunteer opportunities for helping to maintain the trail.
BEYOND THE HIKE
Once you’ve returned from your adventure, your limbs tired but your spirit invigorated, don’t forget to pamper yourself. Grab some dinner at a local restaurant, have a drink at a neighborhood bar. And most importantly, make sure you get plenty of rest so you can get back outside and tackle another trail quest during the long summer days!