This is an update to a review I originally wrote 11 years ago, and somehow, I love Allegany State…read morePark even more now than I did then. I've been coming here since I quite literally fit into a bucket (not exaggerating). Allegany has been a constant for me and probably the beginning of my love for everything outdoors. Growing up, my family spent Columbus Day weekends camping here, originally along McIntosh Trail and later at Summit Trail near the Art Roscoe Ski Area and fire tower on the Red House side of the park. Now, they go extra fancy and stay on Bova Trail. Over the years, Allegany became the backdrop for countless adventures from tent camping, cabin stays, hiking, geocaching, and just being together outdoors. These days, instead of Columbus Day, I usually start the year here by staying in a cabin and doing the First Day Hike with my dad. While my most recent visit wasn't the best, it doesn't erase the years of great memories before it. I've visited Allegany in every season, but autumn will always be my favorite thanks to the foliage. The trails shine in summer and fall. I've backpacked the North Country Trail through the park, hiked nearly every trail, and uncovered some lesser known gems along the way. I participate in the park's hiking challenges, serve on the board of the Allegany State Park Historical Society, and appreciate organizations like Friends of Allegany for the work they do to protect and enhance this place. The Red House Restaurant serves up some good times and great food, too. From Thunder Rocks to the Bear Caves, beaches, creeks, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, geocaching (including night caches and GeoBash!), and endless quiet corners, Allegany surely offers something for everyone. It's located a mere hour and 45 minutes from Buffalo and to me, it's a crown jewel of the New York State Park system. My advice? Do a little research before you go so you can make the most of your visit. Stop by the Administration Building on the Red House side, explore Thunder Rocks or the Bear Caves, and camp if you can. And whatever you do... don't feed the bears!

We always enjoy coming to Allegany. This time we decided to hike up to Bear Caves. If you are in…read moretown don't snooze on Allegany. You won't be disappointed.

We were the only ones there so parking was easy. There are only about 4-5 actual parking spaces but…read morecars can also park along the right hand side of the road. The rocks in some area in the creek are tough so water shoes or crocs are recommended. There is a ton of flat spaces though once past the rocks and it's really awesome to just play there on the edge of it with the current pushing you along to the deeper side.

It's a cute little park that's known for the large dam. It offers beautiful views and a nice quiet…read moreatmosphere. Trout fishermen love it here during the spring and fall months best known for trout fishing. People will pile ontop of eachother while casting. It's also a nice park for a quick hike or picnic with the family! There are two parking lots, one on each side of the creek but please be mindful of where you are walking/fishing. There are lots of posted signs for private property.

This is a great off-the-beaten-path scenic park with views available free of charge! Kinzua Bridge…read morehas been on our must-see list for a few years & we added it to a vacation visit to NW PA - & we were treated to a day with awesome weather. The views from the bridge as well as nearby observation decks were awesome. We made use of some of the trails to get views of the underside of the bridge & the valley below. Trail to the bottom of the valley is a bit difficult for a casual hiker, but worth it if you have the stamina & are so inclined;) Views from the observation deck are impressive - affording a display of the power of the tornado that caused the destruction of the opposite half of the bridge. The park includes a small but very nice visitor center with gift shop & museum containing history of the bridge/area. The park also has handicap-accessible access to the bridge. I'd highly recommend this park to outdoor & history enthusiasts!

Kinzua Bridge State Park…read more Finally got to visit this place. The previous reviews said there are no bathrooms but as of 2026, there are bathrooms in the visitor building. Great bridge. Old. Rusty. I'm told they will make future renovations. Inside the visitor center there is a small museum and shop. Highly recommended

Rock City Park is a hidden gem in Western NY. It is absolutely worth the visit! The park is…read morestunning--huge rock formations rise out of a dense, peaceful forest, creating a magical hiking experience that feels like something out of a fantasy novel. The trail takes you down into the heart of these ancient boulders, where you can explore narrow crevices, quirky formations, and mossy paths. Then, you make your way back up the Indian Staircase for a panoramic view from the top--totally worth the climb. The gift shop is delightfully eclectic, with a great selection of rocks, crystals, and local souvenirs. It's the kind of place where you'll definitely find something unexpected. This is a perfect spot for families--easy to navigate, fun to explore, and memorable for all ages. Everyone we saw there was smiling, and our group left talking about when we'd come back again. Highly recommend!

A great place for respite from the heat. The trail takes about 45 minutes round-trip, and it might…read morebe closed if it's recently rained: The stones and mosses get very slippery. This is a great place for birders: Thrushes, vireos and wrens are found here

The Rim Rock Overlook and Picnic Area offer spectacular views of the Kinzua Valley, the Allegheny…read moreReservoir, and the dam. It's comprised of a mountaintop series of huge sandstone boulders. The huge rocks are a lot of fun to climb about but beware of rattlesnakes. I was born in the Town of Kinzua which, despite the objections of the Seneca Indian Nation, which had a treaty signed by George Washington covering their sections of land for as long as the grass grew and the sun shined, was broken, and flooded. So, as striking as the view may be, you're looking at yet another despicable act of a broken treaty with an Indian Nation. For the view, 5 Yelp Stars, for its appalling background of perfidy, I'll let you decide. By the way, the lake is commonly known as Lake Perfidy by the indigenous Seneca people.

This is a beautiful area that overlooks the Allegheny Reservoir. You can park near Kinzua Beach and…read morehike up to the Rim Rock Overlook or you can drive up and park at the top and take a short walk to the overlook. There are a lot of large rocks and boulders that make for interesting exploration opportunities. There's a narrow staircase that cuts right through the rocks as part of the trail between the beach and the overlook. Whichever option you choose, the overlook is gorgeous and worth checking out the view!

This is an amusement park, small ,but takes you back to simple times. The park is mainly geared…read moretoward families with smaller children. Free parking and admission. They do have a few adult rides train, gokarts, bumper cars ferris wheeel, and giant slide. Smaller style arcade, clean bathrooms, gift shop, little museum , golf course and food. Reasonable ticket pricing for rides. I remember coming here both as a young child , and adult. I stopped in, honestly after the Beamus 6k, over at Long State Park. The main reason was to just check out park, neat mini golf and get pizza. Yes, I get they were not even quite open an hour when I arrived a little after noon. My reasoning for the 4 star review, no menu or anything listed on pricing for what was sold, or in my case if it was cheese or pepperoni. The young employee, when asked regarding Do you sell pizza, yes, cheese, pepperoni and I asked how much he said $5. A menu of items offered with pricing, would have been helpful.

Perfect if you have any small children, ideally ages six or under. This wouldn't be a good spot if…read moreyou were going with teens or just adults. I had never been here before in in spite of frequenting the Chautauqua area, my whole life. But, I finally had an occasion because my tiny niece was the perfect age for this place. There were a ton of rides that were perfect for her as a three year-old. Also, they had rides that were good for ages 4 to 6 as well. She really enjoyed the little roller coaster. Watch out that it is actually a little rough for the adults to ride on because it does jerk a little. Also, there were some really cute little boat rides, including one that took took the children around in a circle. There was very little that she was too small to ride on, so it was completely fantastic. Also, we were able to get her a wristband that gave her all inclusive access to rides. For a few rides that do require adult accompaniment for littles, the adult gets to ride free. There's a food spot towards the bottom of the hill and I highly recommend it. I was able to get platters of fries and corn, dogs and pizza, for not too much money. This is a clutch when it came to reducing the chance of overstimulated little kid meltdowns. Also, it was very sunny, and there was very little shade, so bring the sunscreen. Also, they have free boat parking. So, boating over and walking in is a great option if you happen to have or be renting a boat.

Went to zoar last week and it was perfect! Trails were well marked and the shade coverage allowed…read morefor hiking in comfort. The water is at a perfect temperature so highly recommend bringing a bathing suit. Water can be deeper than your expect in places so be careful with dogs and children!

Great hiking trails so close to the city of Buffalo. We ventured out one of the weekends for a bit…read moreof nature time. We went out on multiple hikes and each of them was uniquely rewarding. The first trail that we did was called Holcomb pond trail. The hike was about 2 miles one way and was moderate with a few drops and inclines but it takes you through a bunch of pretty ponds on the way. The trail is not very well marked though so you might get lost on the way if you are not paying attention. There are colored marks on the trees to guide you. The second trail that we did was Deer luck conservation area which was a 3.2 mile round trip with great views of the river gorge and was an easy hike for us. This is the better one to start with if you are a beginner hiker. This trail was better marked too than the other one and was easy to follow. But watch out for snakes because even though we didn't see any (I was hoping not to), we passed a lot of people who mentioned seeing some on the trails. Zoar valley is huge and we didn't even go on the most popular trail 'the Valentine's flats' so I'm definitely making a trip back to cover that.

This place is incredible! Especially on a clear night! Was lucky enough to camp here for two days,…read moreincluding one extremely clear night and one stormy night. Both were great!

Such a beautiful place with even more amazing views! The park lived up to the hype the stars were…read morejust beautiful and it was fun to see all the people enjoying a beautiful summer night together. I was impressed by the inclusion of park staff for educational programming and talks about the the galaxy stars and more. They had telescopes for people to use as well which was pretty cool. Neat place well worth the visit on a beautiful starry night! If I had one complaint and it isn't park related, people really need to abide by the red light rules. We were absolutely blinded on several occasions by people with cell phones and other white light sources and it definitely takes you out of the experience. It really is that dark and it matters!

It was very easy to find. There is no charge, but $5 is a suggested donation. It is well worth the…read morevisit. The sculptures are spread over a large area, several miles of trails up and back. There is another approach road that has a beautiful grouping that you can drive by without getting out of your car. The trail is a bit difficult at parts, (if you have mobility issues),because of lots of tree roots and hilly areas to climb. My friend used a walking stick/came but she couldn't continue at one point. We both thoroughly enjoyed the park and the sculptures. My only disappointment was that we only found a few of the sculptures with placards to let us know the name, artist and meaning behind the artwork. The woman who was taking donations in the souvenir shop was very friendly and knowledgeable and we had a nice time talking with her.

I'm a huge fan of Griffith Park. This cultures are super fun and interesting. You can climb on them…read moreand touch them and otherwise engage with them. This year I was here for part of the Outside chronicles, hiking challenge, as were other people I saw here.I hope it continues to thrive as a place for locals to be able to come and do an interesting hike with their families. They have easy parking access at the bottom of the hill, and there is a suggested donation through Venmo or other apps.

first, why are there 3 separate listings for this park?…read morestayed recently in one of their cabins; enjoyed hiking, campfire, relaxing, walking around the lake. others have noted the many amenities and opportunities to recreate here, so i won't. snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter, so it's a year round destination. some of the cabins have heat, beds, kitchens!

Beautiful, spacious park with lots of amenities and plans to build more bath houses and lockers…read more Lots of cabins by the creek. Good size lake with canoe, kayak and peddle boat rentals ($15 an hour). Nice trails and rocks to climb. Could use more restrooms near the trails, though. Nice gift shop and restaurant in same bldg as the lodge. Benches around the lake and grassy area and a beach area is close to picnic tables and the boat house. Bike rentals available too. Very well maintained park. Police around also. Great place for camping and beautiful scenery.