2023 Allegany Nature Pilgrimage
2023 Allegany Nature Pilgrimage
Allegany State Park Combines Fun with an Outdoor Learning Experience
You may have been one of the lucky ones in the 60’s to have first attended an Allegany Nature Pilgrimage at Allegany State Park, aka “the wilderness playground of Western New York.” The program has been around long enough for you to now take your grandchildren to this amazing outdoor learning experience for naturalists of all levels and ages. Simply put, from their website, “The Allegany Nature Pilgrimage is an annual outdoor learning experience. It combines fun with a variety of nature-oriented activities.” You’ll find the Program Schedule for Classes, Walks, and Fieldtrips at www.alleganynaturepilgrimage.com (presently confirmed – could change) which can help you plan your weekend. Please note: no pets are allowed on the pilgrimage.
The Nature Pilgrimage is held at "Camp Allegany" in the Red House area of beautiful Allegany State Park, NYS’s largest state park covering a vast 65,000 acres (101.5 square miles). Red House Area is the northeastern half of Allegany State Park. Here you will find Stone Tower, the Summit Fire Tower (built in 1926, the tower is open to the public during times when the park is open), Red House Lake, Bridal Falls, the Art Roscoe Ski Area, and the Administration Building (the original one in 1921 was a converted schoolhouse).
If you’ve ever read about the good work done by the CCC – especially during the WWII war years, this park is a perfect example of it. Wikipedia informs us that “the park was developed extensively between 1933 and 1942 when the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) took on the project of building roads, bridges, camping areas, trails, picnic areas and a ski resort. The CCC were also responsible for numerous conservation projects from reforestation to stream bank retention and wildlife improvements.”
What’s the big deal about this program, you ask? Well, it’s local, yet you’ll get a comprehensive worldview of nature when you are done. You will learn about birding and botany, butterflies and bees, dragonflies and damselflies, nature photography (on your iPhone), and art, mushrooms and edible wild plants, rocks and fossils and orienteering (how not to get lost in the wilds), wildflowers and grasses and sedges, frogs and fauna and the incredible richness and gifts of old growth forest. This program also offers classes in yoga, and papermaking, etc. This is not a complete list, so please go online at alleganynaturepilgrimage.com and get all the information about the program. There you will find registration details, leader bios, event details, etc. Lodging and food are your responsibility, but the site will help you through those details as well. There is one deadline – a Saturday evening meal (BBQ chicken) is available but must be pre-ordered no later than May 20th. Learn more about logistics on the Event Details page.
Pro tips: pack bug spray, sunscreen, tick repellant spray (plus wear long and wear light - https://mountainjourney.com/avoid-ticks-while-hiking/), sturdy footwear (leave the flipflops at home), rain gear, a hat, water bottle and coffee mug (java available at registration building Friday afternoon and Saturday morning), binoculars and camera, blanket and/or lawn chair. Per the program Chairman, Lon Myers, “Last minute walk-in’s will be accepted for a single day fee.” Unfortunately, you cannot pick only one or several programs – “one fee entitles the registrant to attend any of the over 130 programs. As a volunteer group, it would be very difficult to administer a pay as you go event.”
Thanks go out to these organizations who have sponsored and supported the pilgrimage since its inception:
Audubon Community Nature Center (Jamestown, NY)
Buffalo Audubon Society (Buffalo, NY)
Presque Isle Audubon (Erie, PA)
Burroughs Audubon Nature Club (Rochester, NY)
Reminder: you’ll also want to get to know the park well and find your favorite spot for the April 8, 2024, solar eclipse since the park will be in the path of totality (1 minute and 42 seconds). While you are at the park, check to see how the administration will be handling the influx of visitors on that day – don’t be left out!
Happy learning and adventuring!