Great place to get information on this spectacular village. I have lived here all my life and it's…read morea wonderful wonderful place to live. They've got to do something with Chautauqua lake though.

Of the many small villages within the New York State, the Village of Lakewood is one of the better,…read moremore pleasant villages to be found. Bordering on the west shoreline of Lake Chautauqua it has a lot to offer, such as boating, swimming and in the winter ice skating and cross country skiing. The homes here are lovely with many of them, such as the old Packard Mansion, summer home of J. Ward Packard, founder of Packard Motor, historic though this particular residence has now unfortunately been converted into multiple condo complexes. The village is also within easy access and reach of the City of Jamestown and the Villages of Celeron and Bemus Point which likewise boarder Lake Chautauqua.

Awesome place to have a calm quiet hike. The history and rock formations are so cool.read more

Wow this is very unique! Not a safe or easy adventure. It's only a mile long, but if you choose to…read moreexplore any of the caves, it's a tiring experience!

Lovely trails with spectacular trees at this time of year. Playgrounds for children, plenty of…read moreparking, Watch for the deer, ground hogs and squirrels. Our dog loves the park as much as we do. He whimpers if we drive by and don't stop.

There was something very different during our visit yesterday. There were two groups of people who…read morehad no respect for our beautiful park or the people that enjoy it. One group (approximately seven people) was at the popular "point". They had all of their belongings, plastic containers, blankets, trash (including a hammock hanging between two trees) scattered in the entire area of the point - it looked like they were living there. It was a filthy mess. No one other than the people occupying the area could enjoy the spot; they had taken it over as if they owned it . The other group was out on the metal dock (north part of the peninsula). Three men had their fishing poles and other gear scattered at the end so no one else could walk there. ALL of these folks were likely illegals. They didn't understand English. I asked them if they caught any fish and wished them a good day; no one seemed to understand what I was saying. I don't care who I offend by pointing this out. If you came here from a (likely) third world country, assimilate, respect our standards and our citizens. We need don't need more deadbeat humans that don't give a crap. LPSP officials, please help?! Ps, there was a huge amount of trash at the picnic table near the north metal dock that some nasty human(s) left there. It's high time we start holding people accountable for their actions.

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.

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 is a truly special place with so much to offer! Do you love visiting the beach and getting…read morewaves and sand without having to travel to the ocean? You can get that at Presque Isle. Do you love hiking and bird watching? That is there too. Historic lighthouses? Historic markers? Great lookout points? Those are all there too. They even have boat rides. This is a great place to spend time as a family, have a romantic date, hang out or get some exercise. The beaches have a variety of facilities and have different types of beach experiences depending on where you are. It is worth a drive to feel like you are getting a beach getaway closer to home. I highly recommend a visit here.

We have come dozens of times from out of state and really enjoy our visits every time…read more We enjoyed this years Discover Presque Isle event. Lots of activities to keep people engaged and show off the great asset that PI is to Erie. One thing they could do a bit better with this festival is communicating when events are changed/postponed/cancelled. The park itself is amazing and looks like the visitors and the staff take every good care of it.

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.

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!

This one is going to be a partial review. Why partial? Well, we barely scratched the surface of…read morewhat's at this beautiful state park and I want to come back to see more. On our way from Ohio to the other side of PA, we took a detour to get a look at where the modern petroleum industry got its start in this country. One big downside is that because this was ad-libbed, we entered the per se, "wrong side" of the park which doesn't have a much to see as the other side. Let me explain: As the below map shows, the park is laid out in a thin vertical line. Instead of arriving at the northern end where the Drake Well Musuem is, we showed up at the southern tip by the Egbert Farm Day Use Area. The big problem with that goes back to the adlibbing and not knowing that the bridge that leads over Oil Creek is long term closed to vehicles. It's possible to go around but it's a PIA and we didn't have enough time. www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/OilCreekStatePark/pages/maps.aspx We saw Coal Oil Johnny's House, some of the Blood Farm Area and walked a bit of the snowy/muddy Gerard Trail before we ran out of daylight. uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-oil-creek-state-park Jim at unoveringpa.com has a great list of stuff to do in the park and later this year I'm hoping to do a longer tour of the area and hit this place up for a few days along with Cherry Springs and Hyner Run. We didn't spend a long time here, but the appetite has been whet for more.

This park is an intriguing blend of history and nature. This is the site of an oil boom town, and…read morethere are a number of historical indicators left memorializing it. An interpretive trail is located near the visitor's center that lets you stroll what used to be an old street in the town. None of the actual buildings remain, but the signage is great. There is a train visitor center where a train still runs through at times. There is also a nice playground and picnic tables available. The Blood Farm area is also beautiful - there's a nice large green space near the Oil Creek, with picnic tables, a playground, and shelterhouses. The Blood Farm Interpretive Trail provides an enjoyable short hike with some information about how the Blood Farm became a site where oil was discovered, and you can still find stopped off oil wells, old equipment and old farm buildings to view. Several waterfalls can be found here during certain times of year; unfortunately, the friendly staff told us that they weren't really running at the time of our visit. Very interesting park!