WNY Great Outdoors

Kissing Bridge in Fall

2013-11-12T09:06:00.001-05:00

Dirt bike and ATV racing at Kissing Bridge. A different prospective of where you typically see the mountains covered with snow.

Caves In WNY

2013-11-12T09:02:00.001-05:00

WNY has many cave systems, some of which have never been explored. Some used for mining raw materials, and some used by Native Americans during the British War as hiding spots and retreats from the carnage that they experienced in a regular basis.

Where's your favorite cave system in WNY?

Ariel Photograph of Buffalo's Grain Mills & Sky Way

2013-11-12T08:56:00.001-05:00

Pictures During The Filming of "Top Gear" TV Show in Buffalo, NY.

•Photo by Anthony Feuerstein

The Eternal Flame Natural Gas Lit Waterfall - Chestnut Ridge Park - NY State

2013-06-17T19:00:00.003-04:00

Chestnut Ridge Park - Park Information

A great place for the family or those looking for a local hiking that's not only safe, but as beautiful, as beautiful can be! The one of a kind...Chestnut Ridge Park - Beautifully peaceful and abundant with wildlife and fun things to do all year round.

Bicycling, Accessible Facilities, Hiking Trails, Picnic Areas, Cross-country skiing, Sledding, Snowmobiling, Tennis, Toboggan Chutes, Disc Golf and tons more. See below for more info on specific activities and fun things to do at Chestnut Ridge Park...

Things To Do include:

Walking

Various informal diamonds

Picnics & Cookouts

Hiking

Biking

Cross Country Skiing

Climbing/Repelling (at your own risk - knowledge of and/or certified for climbing a must?

12 tennis courts

Sledding hill

Snowboarding

Toboggan chutes (2 towers, 4 chutes)

Cross country skiing

Playgrounds

18-Hole Pro-Level Disc Golf Course ("Ravine at the Ridge").

Located only 15-20 minutes from downtown Buffalo, NY. Chestnut Ridge park offers picture perfect scenery with a plethora of hiking trails for, some easy, some not so easy. A great escape for adventurist seeking a quick thrill climb, or a fast repel down one of the many the steep ravines, or a free climb up one of the beautiful waterfalls. One of which has a natural gas lit flame right inside the waterfall, it's also commonly referred to or also known by the local folks as the (Eternal Flame) at Chestnut Ridge Park.

Even on weekdays you'll typically find between 5-10 cars when pulling up yo park (parking described below). For locals it's the perfect place to exercises and get active, along with connecting with and getting in tune with yourself and your surroundings. It's truly a magical place where people from all over the world come too and enjoy the natural beauties WNY has to offer. The "Eternal Flame" is one of the main attractions.

Chestnut Ridge is a 1,213-acre park located in Orchard Park, New York.

Chestnut Ridge Park Shelter Information - http://www2.erie.gov/parks/index.php?q=chestnut-ridge-park-shelters

Map & Directions To Chestnut Ridge Park

Blossom Rd. Waterfalls

2013-06-06T10:33:00.001-04:00

A great place to fish, hike and canoe or kayak. Inflatable are OK here also.

Best Hiking and Fishing In WNY

2013-05-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

If your looking for a great day's get away without having to travel too far you may want to consider visiting the Niagara Falls State Park area, in particular Devil's Hole. Especially if your looking to haul in a world record of a variety of some of the largest freshwater fish on earth.

Bass Fishing in The Lower Niagara - Catch 20-30 Fish Per Hour Minimum

Species of fish in the lower Niagara River just to name a few are - a variety Salmon such as the massive King Salmon and many other Salmon species as well as Large Mouth Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Stripped Bass, Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, Steelhead Trout, Perch, Pike, and hundreds of other types of fish. Some of which are "world record fish" like the Trouts and Salmons.

7lbs Stripped Bass - Fishing of Inflatable Kayak
Caught on Spinner Bate

There's even sturgeon in the Lower Niagara River and plenty of them...sometimes even visible to the naked eye just hiking down the blissful and sometimes treacherous trails alongside the Niagara River. The Sturgeon fish/species is a pre-historic fish dating back to the dinosaur years and is one of the oldest living species on the planet...right here in our backyard for all WNY resident to relish and enjoy! : )

Facing West Up The Lower Niagara River

The area also has some great hiking for all levels. Ranging from easy to moderate. The total trail mileage is approx. 12.5 miles. The hike down Devils Hole's Staircase is very impressive with a historic stone staircase which is not recommended for those with heart conditions and/or not in decent physical shape. Very serene and peaceful. Great place for photographers or people who love exercise.

Nature at It's Finest - Untouched by Man!

Icey-Tek Coolers: The Only Cooler Brand With Tons of Colors & Sizes

2013-05-06T16:18:00.001-04:00

Icey-Tek Coolers: The Only Cooler Brand With Tons of Colors & Sizes: With endless colors and sizes to choose from, and quality you can count on, Icey-Tek coolers are sure to remain to be the king of the hil...

Engel Coolers and Super Rugged Adventure Gear

2013-02-23T22:41:00.001-05:00

Engel continues to pave the way!!! I get all my Engel gear from www.buy-engel-coolers.com or at www.thebestcooler.com, both are very helpful and have free shipping on most of the stuff.

Videos of the hottest and newest Engel products: http://www.streamica.com/#v/peiYJ_Sm9N8

Climbing Knots | How to Tie Climbing Knots | Animated Climbing Knots

2013-02-01T22:48:00.001-05:00

Ever wonder how to tie a specific knot for a specific task? We all have at some point in time for the most part. If you don't know how to tie the proper knot in a particular situation that suddenly arises it could mean life or death. Especially when hiking, mountaineering, rock climbing, fishing or any other adventurous expedition or leisurely activity.

Before you decide to venture into the wild next you should gain a little knowledge and learn how to tie basic knots for many different scenarios. My favorite being rock climbing!

Below is the best hot-to tie knots information and tutorials on the web. Took me a while to find simple and effective tutorials for tying knots so I figured I'd share it with the world.

Enjoy, be safe, and have a blast as always!

Climbing Knots | How to Tie Climbing Knots | Animated Climbing Knots

Hiking WNY

2012-08-27T19:50:00.000-04:00

Places to visit and experience the great outdoors in WNY. We all need a break from the hustle and bustle of the stresses from

Hiking Lake Erie Waterfront

2012-08-27T19:47:00.000-04:00

There are tons of beautiful views and lots to soak in when it comes to the Lake Erie Waterfront. A great place to take the family for a hike and hangout at the beach is at the Angola State Park area of Lake Erie. Great views, nice clean beach, and lots of trails. Camping is also available at this location.

Kayaking on The Niagara River

2012-08-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

A must do for hardcore kayak and water enthusiast. The Upper Niagara River is a great place to experience the force of the Niagara River and Great Lakes Waterways on a kayak, canoe, Boat, or SUP board. Water speed ranges from 0.6 to 0.9 meters per second (mps) [2 to 3 ft per second (fps)].

See: Boat Launch Sites for Erie County

Devil's Hole State Park, Niagara Falls

2012-04-28T13:42:00.000-04:00

Location / Directions / Maps / Parking
Devil's Hole State Park is located on the American side of the Niagara River, next to Whirlpool State Park, just few miles north of Niagara Falls near Lewiston in Niagara County, New York
Maps: Google map; Bing maps (bird's eye); Multi (topo)
GPS: Main parking area: (N 43.13303 / W 79.04762);
Devil's Hole: (N 43.13382 / W 79.04549);
Cave (approx.) (N 43.13485 / W 79.04471)
Directions from the south (Niagara Falls): Take the Robert Moses State Parkway north to the State Park.
Directions from the east: It is best to use Google Directions

Seasons / Hours / Fees
Seasons: Devil's Hole State Park is open year-round. Sections of the gorge trail may not be accessible (or safe) during times of heavy rain or snow.
Best season to visit: Autumn for the foliage and fishing. Summer to get away from the tourist crowds at the Falls.
Hours: Dawn to dusk.
Admission: Free.

Description
Devil's Hole State Park encompasses 42 acres of cleared and wooded land along the Niagara Gorge just north of the Whirlpool. The park is located along the lower reaches of the Whirlpool Rapids, a dangerously turbulent stretch of the Niagara River downstream from Niagara Falls. Here the water starts to calm from the notorious Class V whitewater upstream, creating exhilarating waves for jet-skis and highly oxygenated water for large sport fish. In fact the fishing here, especially for trout and salmon, is so spectacular, major fishing journals and television shows have called this one of the premiere freshwater fishing locations in the country.

From the entrance off of the Robert Moses State Parkway the level lawns and scattered picnic tables overlook the tree-covered gorge, white water, and the massive power plant below. A single stone stairway, in dreadful condition, leads 300 feet down into Devil's Hole. Intimidating? Only if you are out of shape. Take the journey. Devil's Hole is filled with beautiful sights all the way down.

Devil's Hole refers to an interesting, but certainly not unique geological formation. After the last ice age a large creek once poured over the gorge here joining the Niagara River. For the geologically brief time this happened not only did it create a large waterfall, separate from the great Niagara Falls, it also began to erode a semicircular notch perpendicular to the gorge. Since then the creek (named Bloody Run for a horrifying battle that once took place here) has diminished to a seasonal trickle. In recent years almost all of the flow has been blocked by masonry upstream from the park. During the wet season, the small tributary seeps through the bedrock, and even emerges halfway down the gorge. Catch it right after heavy rain and you'll even see a small waterfall.

Not only left are the clues to this ancient tributary, but the mighty Niagara Falls, which are now several miles to the south, once resided here roughly 12,000 years ago. Here they left geological footprints of their passage within the gorge. Numerous pothole formations, gouged out by stones in the swirling waters below the Falls, can be found within the bedrock at the river bed. Other evidence can be found in the water-eroded stones seen high up on the gorge. Walking along the Niagara River and seeing these clues help us to imagine what this section of the Gorge looked like when the Falls were cutting their way through here.

The porous limestone rock layers that makes up a great portion of the cliff wall here have also formed caves as seeping water froze, expanded, and split rocks from the inside. One such cave, the Cave of Evil Spirits, is a 4 ft tall, 30 ft deep fissure in a large block of dolostone just to the north of Devil's Hole. Although many legends claim that the cave will bring misfortune to all who enter it, it is most often used as a hangout and drinking spot for locals and students at the nearby Niagara University.

The moisture that Bloody Run saturates Devil's Hole with, along with the shaded cliff-sides and limited development within the Niagara Gorge, have created a haven for a variety of plants and animals. Rare mosses and ferns adorn the forest floors of the gorge, while trees and their inhabitants flourish from the adjacent and plentiful water and earth. Although many of the plant species that inhabit the cove can be spotted from the 410 crumbling steps that wind down it, those that are out to see more can explore the cliff sides as long as they are careful not to trample what they find.

The rock outcroppings, slower water, and abundance of fish in the Niagara at Devil's Hole make this a frequented spot for birds, especially gulls, who constantly shuffle for the best rocks in the river. Waterfowl and other migratory species also make a stop here to take advantage of the food and warmer waters below the dam, making this an excellent bird-watching location. The best seasons are in spring for large raptors and waterfowl and in autumn for more migratory species. Gulls seem to be around all-year.

An old rail-bed, that seems dangerously close to the rapids, now serves as a trail that connects the Devil's Hole steps to Whirlpool State Park to the south, and creates an excellent looping trail. When hiking this trail, imagine the renaissance of Niagara tourism in the 1920's when passengers would brave the dangers of the rockslides and deadly water, as they paid less than a dollar to ride this close on a steel trolley. (Not only did rockslides kill passengers and some crew on this line, but the resulting damage led to its demise.)

Despite the intimidating name, and proximity to certain death, the park is harmless for those that play safe, and certainly should not be avoided. The small sense of danger, coupled with the tragic history that occurred here, add a little more adventure to the typical Niagara attraction. Bring a picnic, take your time enjoying the sights and sounds of the river, and you can easily make a day of it.

Hiking / Walking Trails

Difficulty: Difficult.

Markings: Trails are well established, but not labeled.
Distance: A 300 ft winding stone stairway down into the gorge, which connects with the several mile long gorge trail. A loop from Devil's Hole Parking area, down into the gorge, back up at Whirlpool State Park and back to Devil's Hole is roughly 2.5 miles.

Description: The Ongiara Trail is an excellent opportunity to experience Devil's Hole and neighboring Whirlpool State Parks and get a good workout at the same time. for a longer hike through these two parks, view the trail guide on the Whirlpool State Park page.

1. Start at the gorge overlook at Devil's Hole, and head down the stone stairway. There are an estimated 410 steps heading down. They are overgrown with weeds, crumbling and constant rock slides morph and cover the trail. Watch your step and be mindful of those making the climb up--their task is a bit more grueling. When descending the stairs take note of the different strata (rock layers) that make up the Niagara gorge.

2. At the bottom, head left (south) on the connecting trail. Many openings along the way make for good views of the lower Whirlpool Rapids and are often used by fishermen. Keep on this trail for 1.1 miles / 1.8 km. Sections of the trail are crumbling, muddy or may be covered in fallen rocks or downed trees. The State does little to maintain it. Be careful, carry a first aid kit, and be sure to hike with a partner. Stay clear of the water. The rapids here are extremely dangerous and can be misleading. People have died here by slipping in.

3. Reach the stairs at Whirlpool State Park. You can head up here, or you can explore the shore and view the upper Whirlpool Rapids upstream. The steps leading up are just as arduous as those at Devil's Hole.

4. The Gorge Rim at Whirlpool State Park offers excellent views of the Whirlpool, Aero Car, and gorge. Travel on the path along the gorge heading North (right if you are facing the river). Along the way the trail merges with a closed lane of the Robert Moses State Parkway. Follow this for roughly a mile back to the Devil's Hole parking area.