I had a wonderful walk in this conservation area - the trails were well maintained. Seeing the…read morerock formations and crevices was a good experience. No entrance or parking fees.

Fantastic trail no matter what the season. Most of the trail is in the shadow of trees and that…read moregives a good respite from hot days. Don't forget to go to all the three kilns and also the "hole in the wall". Gives a good adrenaline rush for a short time. The walk amongst the rocks is calling as well and when you reach up you see all the crevices that you can jump. Be careful there as we saw some hats, sun glasses etc at the bottom that once fallen there is no way getting them back. Some hidden spots that are just amazing for camping, but alas there is no camping allowed. (Video uploaded). One last plus for this location you don't pay any parking fees.

We Did the blue, red and yellow trails around the ponds off of Vail rd . Before that we started…read moredown the Cattauragus creek trail on other side of gorge but we decided we were not up for THAT challenge this time w/ 300 ft decend and climb. Fall colors were perfect and temp in 60s was great. Area is Somewhat developed but trails are rough and narrow in many places.

Have been going to Zoar Valley since my Dad started taking me back in the late 40's. The only…read morereason I gave it 4 stars is that it is not an area to mess around playing superman and such. There are people that need to get way to close to the unseerable overhang. They can and have taken a very long drop to the bottom. Play safe and it is a great place to enjoy hiking and swimming. Seem to have lost my pics. Figures.

This is a lovely hike in Chautauqua county. There's a very small parking lot to access the hike…read more The trail is wide and well groomed. Even after some rain recently, there isn't really any mud on the trail. The trail takes you up to loop hike where you get some nice view with the gorge.

I had been to the Thornton Bales Conservation Area before and couldn't quite make it to Joker's…read moreHill due to rainfall in the area. However, today I found out that there's a parking lot for the Joker's Hill hiking trail. The parking lot is fairly large, but inconspicuous. There are no signs, so you just have to slow down as you near the entrance heading south on Bathurst because it's easy to miss. I recommend wearing bug spray and long sleeve shirts and pants because there are signs indicating that there are ticks in the area. I also recommend wearing proper hiking shoes because there are areas that get muddy, depending on how far you hike. Don't forget to bring water. The trail starts off on the right and is shaded. Another trail head starts heading straight from the parking lot. I took the one that went straight. That trail starts off very narrow and passes by residential houses until you eventually reach a wider trail. The trail markers are dark blue. It's important that you know how to follow a trail and know how to read the trail markers because I'd say 95% of the trail is marked well and it's easy to go off the trail if you're not paying attention. I used my phone's GPS and Google Maps to figure out where I was located, though Google Maps doesn't show the trail that I was on. The trail merges with other trails. The blue trail markers turned into red and white. I believe the red trail markers are for the loop that starts off to the right of the Joker's Hill trail parking lot. I followed the white trail markers to the end of the Joker's Hill hiking trail, where I entered the Thornton Bales Conservation Area. The trail markers turn light blue. At the end of that trail are the 99 Steps. In total, it's a little over 5,000 steps and about 50 minutes to hike from the Joker's Hill parking lot to the 99 Steps parking lot. Overall, a pretty decent hike.

There's two options for this Bruce Trail. The first, take the one along the escarpment which takes…read moreyou into the forest and other side of the 403, this is more challenging and a bit more scenic. The second, is the paved path down the mountain to the stairs. It's easy going down and there's even a water fountain to drink from at the bottom near the stairs. Going up is a little more challenging, it takes about 20 minutes each way. I really like both paths, but if you are worried about getting muddy shoes, then just take the paved path.

This is a lovely hike early in the day. Tons of stairs, you have to go up them on the way back…read more The path is fairly well marked, but has plenty of areas with a drop off so pay attention. I'm pretty familiar with this hike and enjoy it. Easy parking nearby.

Devil's Hole State Park is just a short distance from Whirlpool State Park…read more Tip: From the overlook, you can't see Devil's Hole; you'll have to hike down the trail to see it. The rocks along the wall on the trail are VERY sharp, so excercise caution while you're hiking here - it's a LONG way to the store for band-aids ;-)

The trail is nice, but you don't really get close to the falls. You look at them from an overlook…read more I would rate the trail as easy and basically anyone can make the 5-minute walk to see the falls.

Tews Falls is quite accessible even if you don't feel like walking in the heat for miles…read more A small parking lot where you can park with less than 5 minutes walk to the observation platform. From here you can walk over to Dundas Peak Overlook. The falls itself is quite pretty and it was soothing to listen to the sound of the waterfall. A portable toilet is set up at the parking lot area if there is an emergency.

Great place for a hike! Dogs allowed!! There's a cool hanging bridge that you can walk over…read more There's walking along near a waterfall. You walk into an apple orchard if you take a certain trail. They have a boy scout display that is partly still around, but seems like some of it has since been destroyed. They seem to have a nice frisbee golf course as well!

This is the only park (that I know of) in the Lockport area that I would consider an actual hiking…read moreand not just a walk through the woods. There is a nice, clean restroom building as well as pavilions for rental and a pond for fishing. Semi-recently a disc golf course was added, which I'm not a fan of because they cut down a decent amount of the front part of woods and it takes away from the experience in nature. But, I suppose it's a good way to bring more people to the park. The hiking trails can be a bit rooty, rocky and muddy in parts, so best to pay attention to your footing. I don't mind it because it makes the hike more challenging. There are up and down hills as well as a suspension bridge. The trails are marked with different colors. I also like that it's not easy to get lost here since I have a pretty bad sense of direction. Also, I've seen birds, deer, chipmunks, squirrels and snakes here. Whether you want to have a picnic by the pond, get a good hike in or both, Royalton Ravine is a nice setting for it!

We love this place so much! We have been coming here to hike for years and last year, we finally…read moredecided to enroll my then 8 year old in their full day summer camp. I can't say enough great things about the staff and the counselors here. The summer camps are run 100% outdoors (unless it rains and they move the kids inside) with incredible 2 counselors to 4 kids per cohort ratio. On non rainy days, kids get to sit outside on a carpet under the tent for various activities and crafting. Each week is themed (insects, aquatic species...etc) and the kids learn about the ecosystem surrounding the Rouge Valley which is a great way to spend a day for a kid. We'll continue to support this wonderful center and hope more people learn about them as well!

Take this route and you won't be disappointed…read morehttps://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/rouge-valley-loop-via-vista-trail-34f5297--2?p=-1 Parked off of Zoo rd. Took the Vista Trail and then hopped over a road and onto the Mast trail. Nice grassy, earthy trails. Open year-round AFAIK. Bring a headlamp and you can go hiking in the fall evenings. Heck, maybe even in winter. Great workout, decent elevation variation and beautiful vista views.