Destination: Outdoor Fun Guide
DESTINATION: Outdoor Fun Guide
Outdoor Adventure Hot Spots In and 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 opens for the season on Friday, May 5th 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 Rt. 1 • Salamanca, NY, 716.379.6450, 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.
ONE HIGH OVERLOOK
Kinzua Bridge State Park: 296 Viaduct Rd • Mt. Jewett, PA, 814.778.5467, visitANF.com
Located in McKean County, PA, the Kinzua Bridge State Park is 339 acres of summer fun possibilities. With great views, self-guided exhibits and the 600-foot pedestrian walkway over the Kinzua Gorge, its a great place to visit for a breaktaking afternoon. Named “One of the World’s Top 10 Most Beautiful Skywalks and Viewpoints in the World” by the Culture Trip, U.K, the Kinzua Bridge Skywalk is an engineering masterpiece with a rich history and one of the most stunning views you’ll see in the Pennsylvania Wilds. Picnicking and hiking opportunities abound.
AN EIGHTH WONDER
Rock City Park: 505 Rt. 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!
GET LOST IN THE WOODS
Allegheny National Forest: Throughout McKean County • PA, 814-927-5700, visitANF.com
The Allegheny National Forest 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 (ANF for short) 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”!
NATURE’S BIKE PATH
Pat McGree Trail: Throughout Cattaraugus County • NY, 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.
NATIONAL HISTORIC PLACE
Scoby Damn Park: 11024 Scoby Hill Rd • Springville, NY, 716.858.8355, www3.erie.gov/parks/scoby-dam
Scoby Dam Park is a linear strip of land along Cattaraugus Creek and is a mecca for fishing. The passive park takes advantage of its setting with excellent fishing, informal kayak access, hiking and the beautiful scenery at the southern end of Erie County. Scoby Hill Dam is the site of a small turn-of-the-century hydroelectric generating facility on Cattaraugus Creek, and at one time generated a small percentage of the Village of Springville’s electricity. The dam was constructed in 1924 and is 30-feet high and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
OPEN AIR ART
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 U.S. 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’s day!