Rock City Park is a hidden gem in Western NY. It is absolutely worth the visit! The park is stunning--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! read more

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A great place for respite from the heat. The trail takes about 45 minutes round-trip, and it might be 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 read more

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Enjoyable hike amoug the rocks it was just so interesting and fun to be among these stone giants

Really cool rock formations, some with interesting "given" names. Some deep Crevices when walking on top so be aware of your young children! The route could have been better marked along the trail, but we managed. Fair entry fee and mixed bag of stuff in the gift shop. Recommend visit! read more

Came here while staying at the beautiful Allegany resort and casino. It was such a beautiful day and I enjoyed my time very much. Parking is free. You will enter a building and pay to go in ($8 for adults, less for seniors and children). There's bathrooms outside and inside. I used both. The inside women's bathroom was quite interesting and overflowing with antiques. There's a gift shop. It took me exactly one hour to explore the park. It was really cool and hardly anyone else was there which was even better. I spent time exploring small crevices and feeling things growing on the rocks. There are cool formations that look like real-life things. I wouldn't say it's something I would come here over and over again considering it's not free but definitely worth doing once! read more

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It's BEAUTIFUL! This is an absolute must visit for the park and the gift shop! I can't stop talking about how amazing this place is and everyone I've showed the pics to wants to go with me next time. This is a local gem that you're depriving yourself of if you don't go! You get to walk ontop of and under boulders bigger than houses! You get to go up and down stone stairways and through amazing natural formations! They have a reasonably priced gift shop too! It's BEAUTIFUL! read more

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This place is amazing. WARNING! Trails are steep and slippery, so be careful! The gift shop is absolutely huge, and the staff that run the place are ridiculously friendly. read more

Very cute little stop between Kinzua and Niagara Falls. Got to meet Sasquatch and wander some trails. Gorgeous views. Easy hikes. Only problem we had was the trails were NOT well marked read more

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Man this place is just awesome all the way through. From the great gift shop full of lots of interesting items to browse to the absolute amazing nature of the trails and rocks in the city. It is one of the coolest places around and well worth the visit. For only 8 dollars for an adult you'll enjoy a few hours hiking in a super cool place. Bring your boots and apatite for physical activity it isn't a place for those with difficulty with heights or challenges with balance. Can't wait to come back to such an awesome place! read more

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Open from 9-5 pm , May thru October with free parking in their lot.You pay $8 in the gift shop, which sells bigfoot merchandise, shirts and souvenirs. This is not for those afraid of heights or people with mobility issues climbing, otherwise it's a fun day out for the whole family. There's cool photo opps, rocks to climb on and beautiful nature to take in.Its a real amazing experience not to be missed.Make sure to get a picture with Bigfoot on the way out. read more

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Plenty of free parking, you pay your $8 admission in the gift shop.Cool merchandise in the gift shop, then you start your advnture.Its not for those afraid of heights or those that have difficulty climbing. All in all it's a cool place to take your kids or family.Plenty of picturesque spots, plus a cool giant Bigfoot. Nice way to spend a day or just a few hours.Open daily May thru October 9-5 pm. read more

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Friday August 14th, 2020 Tony Vanoy and I enjoyed Rock City Park outside of Salmanica, NY near Olean, NY. The park was very surreal and quiet. With large Rock formations about 2880 feet in the air on top of the mountains. It only cost $5 per person to walk around the rocks at your own self guided tour pace. We spent almost 2 hrs enjoying the sites and weather. Definitely recommend and would definitely go back again! read more

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This is a great place for kids (my 8 year old nephews love it) and a good place for adults without kids as well. They offer day passes or season passes. My friends and I made it a stop on our way home on a day trip that started out in Bradford, PA (we came from Lockport, NY). I got lost and ended up out of the trail in about 15 minutes without seeing over half of the rock formations. I then handed the map off to one of my friends and we made it through all the trails and saw all the rock formations in about 45 minutes or so. I don't know that I would go out of my way to visit here again unless I brought kids with me, but it was a great experience to have at least once! read more

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A drive through the countryside away, Rock City Park is a little further than a stone's throw for most visitors. But it's worth the trip! Upon arriving at the visitors center and store (which on our trip also served as host for a craft fair), you're not quite sure what you're in for. Even stepping out onto the massive rocks behind the building is deceptive... until you look down! Hikers begin their journey by climbing down stairs placed between two massive boulders, finally giving the full impression of the park. Unbelievably giant rocks scattered throughout the park create a breathtaking scene. Nature-lovers be prepared with your camera, because you will want to climb back out of the park with dozens of images to share. Even the shortest route is a hike and a climb, so come prepared. It rained during our trip but we had jackets and ponchos (and the rocks themselves offered protection as well), so we still trekked on! read more

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It's a great spot for a little unique hiking. Parking is free and admission is $5 per person. The lady at the counter was very friendly and welcoming. The gift shop has various rocks and nature like items in it. The bathrooms on the inside are a little weird with different items for sale, and it is a bit cluttered. You think it is another room to view items, but don't go in there when another person is in there, it gets awkward. The hiking itself is very fun. It is like Panama Rocks in the Chautauqua region. To get down into the rocks and the main hiking trail, there is a steel, open staircase. I am afraid of heights and do not enjoy open staircases, but I had the people I was with walk in front of me, and I was fine. Coming back up from hiking the trail you can choose to return on the same stairs, or opt for the Indian stairs, which was rocks carved into the earth. I liked those better. The area is beautiful and fun to explore. I'm into geology and rock formations, so I love everything to do with this. It was a nice, peaceful place. I would go back there. The trail is pretty easy, but it is serene there. There are also benches and rockers along the way. Be careful, though, when there are cracks, because the cracks lead down below to the rocks. This is a time where you want to heed stepping on cracks. Be careful where you step and enjoy the scenery. read more

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This place is so cool. Very reasonable admission, beautiful scenic drive from Buffalo when the leaves are changing. Dogs are allowed to hike too (didn't bring ours, but we saw a few others visiting.) We spent a good 3 hours hiking through. The main trail was well marked, there were a few rough spots, for example the Indian Stairs were pretty steep, but overall this was a great family-friendly outing. Gift shop had tons of stuff to look at, and the kids were able to score some inexpensive rock souvenirs. Staff we encountered were pleasant and helpful. We'll definitely visit again sometime. read more

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I stopped here yesterday morning to hike with a friend. It's in Olean, NY. After hiking a lot the prior day, we stayed in Olean so we could check this place out. We got there around 9:30, which is a half hour after they open. They are open daily 9am-5pm. There isn't a few for parking. It's $5.00 each for admission for adults, which I thought was very fair. Kids 6-12 years old are $3.00 each. There are group and senior discounts. The hike wasn't difficult. The main trail is clearly marked with orange tape/ribbon, which I appreciated. (I get lost easily and didn't want to hike anything dangerous, after hiking so much the prior day.) The metal stairway was a big of a steep descent. The Indian Stairs were narrow with a sharp ascent. Those were the only tough areas. We were there about an hour, which included our hike and viewing the gift shop. Although it smelled a bit dusty in there, they had many cool things to purchase like rocks, hoodies, stickers, patches, keychains, and other neat things. Many of the stickers were in a large wooden card catalog. I loved that it was being reused wisely. I bought a few bumper stickers, which were pretty cool, a keychain for myself, and a keychain for my friend. The woman who works there was really nice. She had a great attitude and was very knowledgeable about Rock City. She suggested the next time we want to hike that we travel to the Kinzua Dam. She gave us a pamphlet for that and we appreciated the advice. I'd definitely return here for another hike. It was really fun!!! read more

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This "old school" tourist attraction on the Penn-NY border was pretty interesting but much smaller than I was expecting. It is not a destination in itself (unless you live nearby) but you can link a visit to other attractions in the nearby Southern Tier. It costs $5 for adults and you take a self-guided wander through the rock formations. The area was compact and if we did not do a lot of poking around we would have been through the "tour" in under 45 minutes. The visitor building is a kitschy throw back to a different era of tourism - make sure to look at the old pictures of this place from the early days since they are fun. We ate our picnic lunch that we brought on one of their many tables near the parking area. Overall worth a quick stop. read more

I was looking for something to do with kids on Mother's Day. I figured something different and going hiking. And my coworker recommended this place. It's a bit faraway from my house but it's an ok drive. It's a bit wet and rainy but we still having a blast. The parking is small area, we are lucky because we get there early enough we score a good parking place. Otherwise I don't where you supposed to park. Since it's Mother's Day I get to enter for free wooohoo. The trail quite easy. It was a lot of interesting rock, greens. Very scenic. I probably should go there on a better day not slightly rain but still enjoyable. I recommend to bring some water and snacks. It took us maybe 1 hr it's not bad at all. read more

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Beautiful park, 5 star rating on the hike and the rocks. However, the owner was sitting there with no mask and several people showed distaste and he responded with a very unconcerned attitude. There is a sign on the door requiring us (the patrons) to wear a mask, but evidently that same rule doesn't apply to the owner of the establishment. Signs sitting everywhere saying "I stand with president Trump" ..made me confused as to when rocks become political. A shame that whomever runs this establishment doesn't follow public health guidelines and uses the fact that they have an influx of people coming to see rocks to broadcast their (absolutely awful) political opinion. Enjoy the rocks, though! Worth the $5 and time, just hoping that $5 doesn't fund anyone's campaign! .. Yikes. read more

I visited Rock City Park over Columbus Day weekend with a large group. We ventured down to Rock City from Allegany State Park. At first I thought to myself, how is this going to be any different from Thunder Rocks at Allegany? Well let me tell you, Rock City Park puts Thunder Rocks to shame. As we walked into Rock City we were given a sample of the freshest apple cider I've ever had the privilege of tasting... so good. We also passed by a food truck and a little farmers stand as well. Although we were in a large group, no group discount was given due to the holiday weekend. Normally there is a group discount available. At $5 a person, it was a fair admission price. We walked through the Rock Show that was happening that weekend and made our way outside. We climbed down the stairs and I instantly felt like some kind of troll immersed in a magical land surrounded by massive rocks all around. Although you are not supposed to climb the rocks, I grew up climbing Thunder Rocks and had my fair share of fun attempting to climb these giant rocks. Had I followed along on the map/brochure, I'm sure I would have learned a lot of history but I was having too much fun running around, taking pictures, and processing the grandiosity of these rocks. We were at Rock City for a little over an hour. If I ever find myself at Rock City again, I would pump the breaks a bit and spend more time exploring. The views from the top of the rocks were absolutely breathtaking. The Autumn colored leaves were the perfect backdrop for several of my pictures. This would be a great spot to take kids whether for a school field trip or just to spend the day exploring as a family. read more

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This place really is a gem out in Olean. Totally worth the drive to explore! Admission is only $5 and completely worth it. This place has a giant gift shop full of different crystals and rocks and fossils and rock candy and sweatshirts and jewelry and more! I went here with my whole family, including my 4 year old nephew. Everybody LOVED IT. From ages 4-56, I can say this place is a great time for everybody (if you enjoy hiking and exploring incredible rock formations and nature itself). My family has had a cabin out in Olean for over 15 years and just recently heard about this place. We had such a fun time and will likely be back again the next time we're out this way! If you enjoy the outdoors and hiking, this is such a cool place to explore! read more

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The trial is a good walk of you are looking for a hike. On top of that are some amazing geological sites. I thought at first the rocks were man made since they are littered with quartz rocks like concrete. Geologists believe these formations are natural and have been around since before the last ice age. You can check out the website for more information. read more

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Perfect entertainment for the fam! Rock City is one of Olean's hidden gems. It has really cool and unique scenery! It takes about an hour to get through and costs $5! It's not opened year round so check the dates online before you go. It's a must-see in the area. read more

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Ok, my review!! First off can't beat the price! Kids under 5 free and 3$ for young kids I believe 6-12? We came on a Saturday with nice weather mid September and the park was not swamped. I called in the morning before coming to speak on regards of time of operation and what not, the owner was very professional and took him time with key details. There is two areas for picnic time and previous visitors left some left over charcoal. The owner says you can use his gas grill as well under the pavilion! Ok ok now time for the trail/hike! Great for kids and better for adults, I give the trail a solid 7/10, markers were well seen and not confusing. I will admit I got a little lost but very simple trail. When you start there are some ledges and drop offs so be cognitive about those areas if you have small kids! Over all very neat and fun trail with cool views especially if your a rock lover. I rate this place a 5 out of 5 but wish I could give it a true 4.5/5 with the only thing con is the gift shop, there is a lot of things stacked up along the sides that are not meant to be there like extra storage or left over shelf's. Not a big issue but should be out of site out of mind. Overall I had a very fun time and my kids enjoyed seeing big foot! I won't post my private pictures so go see for your self read more

Rock City Park - Looks to be a community fire pit! Wonder if they ever light it! - Parks Near Me - Olean, New York

We drove out here from Buffalo. It was a nice afternoon and we spent about 2 hours walking the ground and then enjoyed a picnic lunch on one of the picnic tables. When you walk into the park, it's a lot of flat surface with really deep crevasses, so I would definitely not want to bring somebody that is unaware of their surroundings such as a toddler or a puppy. We walked down the stairs and were able to walk around all of the rocks. It's really pretty and it's nice because it's cooler down by the rocks. We enjoyed walking on the trail and then going into the woods a bit. It's interesting because there's some random metal structures that are there, they were cool, but I'm not sure why they were there. There's a fee of $5 to go into the park and there was also bottles of water available which were cheap. We also enjoyed looking at all the really cool rocks in the gift store from different areas of the world. We didn't buy any, but they were definitely cool and at reasonable prices. read more

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Photos do not do this small park justice. It's quirky, educational, and fun. If you want to rush (why just why?) it could be done in 45 mins. But that's a waste and totally not taking in the uniqueness of this place. You could spend a ton of time here wandering in and out of cave type formations. These rocks are absolutely huge. Beyond that there are some interesting old structures along the way as well. The gift shop is reasonably priced. You could picnic here as well. read more

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We had a fun time here. The shop is incredibly kitschy-there's all sorts of random stuff everywhere, especially the bathrooms! But, the hike itself is beautiful and interesting. It only took us about an hour to get through it (and we stopped to pose our dog for a lot of pictures lol) so we made a full day out of it by stopping at other rock formation parks around the area (Thunder Rocks at Allegany State Park and Little Rock City State Forest). This was probably our second favorite, because it was the only one that cost money to do and it was a bit peoply lol. Our dog had the time of her life though, crawling between the rocks and up them and jumping off. The Indian staircase at the end was treacherous and awesome too. Definitely worth the trip from Rochester when you add in some other stops, otherwise its a bit of a long drive for a short walk. read more

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If you're looking for a neat place to hike and take in some gorgeous rock formations, this is a great pick! About an hour and a half away from Buffalo, close to Ellicottville, Rock City Park is the perfect mix of a somewhat challenging hike (climbing up and down paths that are formed with nature) and scenery. You are greeted by hilarious little signs that compliment the place and are in the style of the "Burma shave" advertisements (google it!) The woman in the gift shop was friendly and explained the trails--$5 admission for adults (which I will gladly pay to keep Nature, nature!) there are some funny sculpture-like things on the beginning of the property and the main trail is very clearly marked. Grab a map--the details about what rock formations are named are in there! I won't give too much else away--just make sure you have on some sturdy sneakers/hiking boots! read more

This was a really neat place to come with my family. Rates were very reasonable, didn't feel rushed going through the trail at all. It's at your own pace. Nice brochure that tells you all the different "sites" along the trail. Owner was very friendly and personable. I am glad we came! read more

This was suggested to us since we moved to olean little over a year ago. Well we finally went and were not disappointed. It is beautiful here and the trails were labeled so we did not get lost. This was perfect little hike. We did not bring our boys ages 7 and 2. But the 7 year old will love it when we come back and our other little one will have a few more years to wait. read more

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Rock City Park is an incredible experience for those who enjoy the rugged beauty of the great outdoors. Their paths take you through some wonderfully scenery that demonstrates the natural beauty of the southern tier. The staff is always welcoming and friendly, and happy to explain the natural features and help you browse their inventory of geological wonders. If you're a rock hound or looking for a gift for someone who is, a day at Rock City and something from their gift shop will make their day. read more

Interesting day trip from Ellicottville, NY. Small privately owned hiking trails through some amazing rock formations. Owners were very nice and had lots of interesting local knowledge. All for only $5. Downside is we wished the trails were more extensive since it only took us about 45 minutes to cover everything. read more

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This place was awesome we took our 5 & 7 years old out without any issue our 2 year old went in a backpack for safety issues. This place is small but fun. Staying on trail is hard but try it helps keep fun for all. read more

This is a wonderful spot to visit. You do have to have the ability to go up and down stairs to get to the main part of the park.

Rock city ! Wow! This place makes thunder rocks ( located in allegheny state park) look like pebbles in a field. For $5.00 you can explore these massive rock formations. Lots to do and see as well as a massive gift shop filled with ...well as rocks. Rock city also offers food and drink and fresh cider. After an semi intense hike and climbing rock ( which you're not allowed... Shhhhh) we needed some grub. As for the food it's mainly quick fast food burgers and dogs and chicken sandwiches. Would like to go back again and explore a little more next time. read more

Rock City Park - Parks Near Me - Olean, New York

This is by far one of the coolest parks I have been to in awhile. I went yesterday and from the moment you go beneath the rocks it's just an amazing experience. I really enjoyed crawling between rocks and following the path. Their trail was labeled great so you can't really get lost at all. Its really quite beautiful. I would recommend this to everyone looking for a cheap little adventure. The only thing that might need to be updated is their store haha it looks like a store and then at the same time it looks like someone's dining room with random things. It was interesting to say the least. Overall though I am coming again! read more

This was a fun hike for me and the kids. My wife decided not to join us after seeing an area at the beginning that was a little tight. If you are claustrophobic, there are a couple of sections that may bother you, but most of the trail is open. We got thru in less than 45 minutes, but we probably would have taken more time if my wife wasn't waiting for us. The gift ship has a lot of interesting things to check out too. read more

This is one of the coolest places I've ever been. The park was technically closed for the season when I went a couple of weeks ago, but that didn't stop my sense of adventure. Following a long two mile walk down into the park region, we came across a sign that pointed us toward the beginning of the rock formations. When you first step out onto the formations, you're overlooking the path that you'll eventually end up taking. It's like an intricate maze. Think Harry Potter Goblet of Fire when the camera looks down at the maze they have to go through. You can see your fate before you even get down there. Pretty neat feeling. It was a warm day when we went down there, but despite it being warm, the huge rock formations block out the sun so you have huge ice blocks wherever you walk. It can prove quite dangerous, especially when walking across the ice. We probably didn't choose the right time of year to go down there, but it was no less amazing. The twists and turns of the maze of rock formations leaves you wondering what's around the next corner. It is also quite eerie to know these rock formations formed hundreds of years ago. This is only proven when you reach a wall of signatures and dates from when people etched their name into the formation. You can clearly see dates that stretch back to the early twentieth century. If you have a need to explore and see beautiful things, you won't be disappointed by Rock City. It's a bit of a drive from Buffalo, but well worth it. read more

Walk on top of the megalithic glacier rocks that have formed the Enchanted Valleys. They are stacked from how they melted out of the glaciers. At times you walk between them and feel their presence as it is a tight walkway in one spot. Great interaction considering their rocks. Follow the Indian rock stairwell out of the lower half of the nature walk in the woods. Low key natural type of activity. Be sure kids listen as it could be dangerous with the open cracks visible to the rock cleavage below when you start out. Not a place for strollers. Great look over the valley. A must for people who want to see Olean from a distance or check out the nature in our area. Doesn't require physical stamina. read more