WNY Hiking Challenge Reports

Trail Closures

Trail Name	Closure Information
General	Spring turkey hunting season (May 1 – 31), Shooting hours are from 1/2-hour before sunrise to noon Early Antlerless (Sept 10 -18), limited WMUs in northern WNY and Finger Lakes. Fall hunting season (Oct 1 – Jan 1) Affects State Forests, State Parks, MUAs, & WMAs.
W8 Devil’s Hole & Whirlpool State Parks	The trail between Devil’s Hole SP and Whirlpool SP is closed about 0.5 miles from the Devil’s Hole stairs. Hikers can complete this trail by starting at Whirlpool SP (https://goo.gl/maps/vmoZTXqzmPKsuz6e7). I, personally, would wait until the trail is clear. The full hike is worth it!

Challenge Packet Version History

Current version: 1.2

Version History
1.2 – Updated location of landmark for W5 Chautauqua Gorge
1.1 – Updated map and description for E11 Letchworth FLT adding clarity to mileage and starting point.

Trail Difficulty Table

Trails on Google Maps

Clean-up & Trail Maintenance Events

Date	Time	Location/Event	Organization	Link
5/10	10a-2p	Darien Lakes SP	WNYMBA	https://fb.me/e/13PJPA3eT
5/13	1p-3p	Family Native Shrub Planting	Buffalo Audubon	Registration form
5/21	9:30a-2p	Sprague Brook Park	WNYMBA	https://fb.me/e/3D1Xw3fy0
6/10	9:30a-12p	Como Lake Park	WNY PRISM	https://form.jotform.com/wnyprism8/volunteer
6/24	9a-11:30a	Letchworth Stewardship Day	WNY PRISM	https://form.jotform.com/wnyprism8/volunteer
8/19	9:30a-12p	West Seneca Soccer Complex	WNY PRISM	https://form.jotform.com/wnyprism8/volunteer
9/9	9:30a-12p	Mill Road Park	WNY PRISM	https://form.jotform.com/wnyprism8/volunteer

Partner Events

Date	Time	Location/Event	Organization	Link
		Buffalo Audubon Public Events	Buffalo Audubon	https://www.buffaloaudubon.org/for-the-public.html
		BN Waterkeeper Public Event	Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper	https://bnwaterkeeper.org/events/list/
		Earth Spirit Public Events	Earth Spirit	https://earthspiritedu.org/events-2/
		Reinstein Woods Public Events	Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	https://reinsteinwoods.org/events/
		Tifft Nature Preserve Public Events	Tifft Nature Preserve	https://www.tifft.org/events/
		WNY Land Conservancy Public Events	WNYLC	https://www.wnylc.org/events
6/3	10a-12p	Walk & Talk: Pfeiffer Nature Center’s Eshelman Property (minutes from Lillibridge property)	WNY PRISM	Registration form
6/5	9a-11a	Invasive Plant Species ID & iMapInvasives Training	WNY PRISM	Registration form
7/26	6p-7:30p	Walk & Talk: Genesee Co. Park & Forest	WNY PRISM	Registration form

Summer Challenge Reports

Date of Hike	Trail Hiked	How would you rate this hike?	Tell us about your hike!
06/08/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	4	Beautiful hike through a wooded forest into a meadow of wildflowers. Great place for families and dogs
06/08/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5
06/08/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Only found a few pieces of trash alone the Gorge trail, but that’s a great thing!
06/08/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5
06/08/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5
06/08/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Makes you proud to live in the state of New York. So much good information about the state.
06/08/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	4
06/08/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	4	Lots of pretty wild flowers and birds! Easy hike! Water clear and beautiful. Smoke was moderate.
06/06/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Very easy. The trails are well marked
06/08/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/08/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	On the hunt for a woodpecker while hiking in the Tillman Road Wildlife Management Area gave us purpose on the trail. As we rounded corners and climbed the ramps to the viewing areas we tried to be vigilant and spot our quarry. As we made our way through the woods we could hear the knocking but couldn’t spot one. By the time we made our way back to the parking lot disappointment gave us no solace and we went home defeated. We will be back and catch a glimpse next time.
06/08/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Beautiful day to be out in the woods. Everything was dry, well maintained and well marked. Did not see any other people out there today. Exceptionally quiet and peaceful.
06/08/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	4
06/08/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/09/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/08/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Beautiful trail - forest was perfect, no mud or bugs, really wonderful!
05/18/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	4
06/08/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
06/08/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Nice mid-day hike. Waterfalls all dried up. Better paved route. Last year was all overgrown and muddy. No mud today.. all smiles here.
06/08/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Always a nice relaxing evening walk. All dry trails. Waterfall dried up.
06/08/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5
06/08/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5
06/08/2023	W2 Boutwell Hill State Forest	5	It was a little tricky and more road walking than we expected but the ponds were beautiful!
06/08/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5
06/08/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Nice relaxing little walk. Smells like flowers around every corner
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Trails in great shape. Always fun. We saw an Osprey land in the nest
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Trails in great shape. Always fun. We saw an Osprey land in the nest
06/08/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Love walking here and birding here. Trails are well maintained and dry.
06/08/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	The trail was dry. We had no issue with air quality hiking in the morning. Clippers to trim away some of the branches hanging over narrow parts of the trail would have been helpful. Trail was clean except for the parking lot on Tillman Road.
06/09/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Trail was in great shape - lots of roots
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
06/07/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	4	Very up and down. Loved it. Great training for the Mammoth March.
06/07/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4	Beautiful day….no smoke up north! Clear blue sky.
05/31/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	Love this hike!!
06/07/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	4	First hike of the challenge! Beautiful hike - only comment is the trails can be marked a little better. Billy Goat Trail was fun.
06/07/2023	U6 French Toast	5	It's a feel good trail. Great trail Maintace , the guys had just finished a section that would have been impossible to go over / under or around , aleast four trees were down together, Awesome forest emersion
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/05/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4
06/03/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	perfect as always
06/06/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5	Glad to explore a new trail.
06/07/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	Really enjoyed this one. Little confusing with the disc golf in the beginning.
06/07/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4	Enjoyed
06/07/2023	U6 French Toast	5	Great hike but view diminished by haze from Canada fires today
06/07/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	The smoke cleared a bit, the trail was dry - great late afternoon hike!
06/07/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	Trails were in great shape since we haven’t had much rain. Such a pleasant hike for late afternoon.
06/07/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	4
06/07/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	Good work out, but worth the stairs
06/07/2023	U2 Breakfast for Dinner	5	Smokey day from wildfires but worth it. Had some sort of problem with Avenza maps but if you add the two tracks together it fits.
06/07/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4
06/07/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4	Beautiful walk but lots of mosquitoes!
06/07/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	4
05/27/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	So beautiful, my favorite spot.
06/07/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	Always one of my favorite places!
05/28/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	I really enjoyed the woods portion of this trail.
05/29/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	4	Really hilly but not a bad trail
06/07/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	4	Very nice! Saw lots of different birds
06/07/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/07/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/06/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/07/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5	No waterfall and very low creek!
06/07/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	5	Hidden Falls. FANTASTIC. This is what a hike should be. Single width trail, varied terrain, wonderful trees, hiking ridges, along valley stream beds, briers, etc. I was not expecting anything this wonderful. Other than the streams being dry, which appears to be the problem throughout western New York, the hike was great. Getting down to the gorge was a problem. I went upstream and got to the top of the falls, but there is little water going over them. ENJOY
06/07/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	The trail was not muddy at all today. Most of the trail was freshly mowed. It was a little bit buggy, but I think the Canadian fire smoke helped calm them a bit. I did not see another person on the trail today.
06/07/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	We enjoyed this beautiful forest and hike. I would say it is a moderate hike, not an easy one.
06/07/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5	Tranquil & beautiful
06/07/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	2
05/31/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	5	This is always a pleasure! The trail was very dry.
06/06/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Hazy due to the wildfires. Took a picture at the marker, but no water there.
05/28/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5
05/28/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Cleaned up trash at Reinstein Woods
05/28/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5
05/20/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5	Introduced my friend Brian to the WNY Hiking Challenge with a rainy hike at Allegany!
06/06/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Trail was very dry and peaceful.
06/06/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5	Barred Owl said hi!
06/06/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5
06/06/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Lots of critters and no bugs tonight!
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4
06/05/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Trail was fairly dry, but still definitely at least a moderate hike.
06/06/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5
06/03/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	This hike is so very beautiful. The stairs are certainly a challenge!
05/21/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Lovely day for a hike. Enjoyed the hike with my son!
05/20/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	Always a good hike. Rainy but still fun!
06/06/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4	🥾🥾🥾🥾
06/06/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	3	🥾🥾🥾
06/06/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Great hike! We saw so many animals!
06/05/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Another one of my favorites!
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	The paths around the visitor center were packed with wildlife, including a racoon who watched us pass from a tree, while the paths away from the visitor center were very interesting for the experienced hiker. Looking forward to returning here throughout the seasons.
06/06/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	4	Easy, flat hike. It was quiet and not too buggy or hot. Not a very exciting hike, but it was nice to get out!
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4	Beautiful hike with lots of wildlife sightings.
06/06/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5	This hike was beautiful! I loved the lush forest, colorful flowers and interesting animals, like the hummingbird. I highly recommend this hike to anyone look to go someplace new.
06/06/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5
06/06/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5
06/03/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	A great East nature walk!
06/06/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Franklin Gulf is one of my favorites. Today, we had the whole peaceful trail to ourselves, just us and the birds. The trail had no mud and the streambeds were pretty dry due to the absence of rain lately. It was a relaxing walk today.
06/06/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Great hike!•
06/06/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/05/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	4
06/06/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	4	Most of the trash was in the parking lot but we found a bit on the trails too!
06/06/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Trails were dry, skies were milky from smoke but we had a great hike!
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4
06/05/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	We always enjoy this hike.
06/06/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	A beautiful day and a lovely hike in the woods. The bridge is really cool and the old stone home is interesting. It was a bit buggy. The elevation is minimal and the guide ropes are helpful. A good hike during dry weather.
06/06/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5
05/30/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	4
06/06/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	4	Great hike! Unfortunately there has been no rain so that was a bummer. Beautiful cool day!
05/17/2023	S7 Participate in a partner event	5	Knox Farm Audubon cocktail party and fund raiser.
06/06/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	5	This is a great hike. It takes stamina, but is well worth it. There is a true sense of actually being alone in the woods. The trails remain a bit rough, and I enjoy that. Plus, you can find every type of WNY tree imaginable. Parking is a problem and the town is getting to be a real stickler with on road parking. BEWARE THE SIGNAGE... A special thank you to the guy who left a western hat in the rafters. Thank you and a thank you to all those who left it behind. It was wonderful to enjoy wearing it for a while.
06/06/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	2	A gentle walk in the woods. Very well kept up. NIce to see school kids enjoying it. I enjoyed the descriptions that are strategically placed. Wendy's meditation spot under an old tree is gone, but the stump remains. Good OLD growth forest and new second growth.
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5
06/06/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Beautiful arboretum and a really nice combo of meadows and woods An “easy” trail that can be lengthened or shortened for different fitness levels
06/05/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	I wasn't sure which was the landmark stilted tree. I picked one with a trail blaze on it.
06/05/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	We love this park and have returned many times since being introduced through the challenge. So much beauty. Extremely dry conditions
06/06/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	3	Not my favorite trail but saw some pretty cool things along the way.
06/06/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	4	We always like walking around the Farm. The waterfall wasn't much of a WATERfall but it was a really nice walk!
06/06/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	No mud and limited water due to recent dry conditions. Still lots of roots though. Beautiful trails and woods. Always fun at Franklin gulf. Hiked with niece Kara Kryszczuk. 😀
06/06/2023	S5 Take a Leave No Trace class	5	Reinforced good behavior
06/06/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	3	Tifft is nice, but a bit noisy from highway traffic.
06/06/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	3	Always a nice hike, though not exactly peaceful. Lots of wildlife, lots of cottonwoods, lots of school groups, lots of traffic noise.
06/06/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4
06/06/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Beautiful trail. Awesome conditions.
06/06/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4
06/06/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful hike today! No mud, no bugs, and water lilies are blooming!
06/06/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Dry trails, no bugs!
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	3
06/06/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/06/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5	So peaceful! Love Letchworth💕
06/05/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5	The drive there from Ellicottville is really pretty now with huge rhododendrons in blooms.
06/05/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4	Nice easy shorter trail, lots of bugs as mentioned in the description
06/04/2023	E11 Letchworth FLT	5
06/04/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	4
04/23/2023	S6 Participate in a clean-up or trail maintenance event	5	We participated in an earth day cleanup of the trails around our house (Niagara river/ Erie canal in Tonawanda)
06/05/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	The Challenge introduced us to Franklin Gulf a few years ago, and it's been a favorite ever since. Headed there on a pleasant (if hazy) Monday, and hiked the suggested route counterclockwise. Red trail was dry as a bone in contrast to early spring, when it was pretty sloppy. The forest was alive with flycatchers (Least, Acadian and mayyybe an Olive-sided). We were also visited at the Confluence by a young, curious Eastern Towhee. Also a delight were Black-throated Green warblers and a very vocal Winter Wren. It was odd to see the extremely dry conditions, but that's how it's been in WNY the past month or more. We've seen the many cascades and beautiful flows here, and know they'll return. Great hike!
06/06/2023	E11 Letchworth FLT	5	Well marked trail. Breathtaking view of gorge! Will be back.
06/06/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4
06/06/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4	Dry and Enjoyable!
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/05/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/05/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4	Good trail with varied landscape.
06/05/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Found this during my hike at Tift Nature Preserve
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5
06/05/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5
06/05/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5	Very dry, hard packed trail. No water flowing over the falls. Still loved it.
06/05/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	4
06/04/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5
06/04/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5
06/02/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/02/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/05/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Love this trail. Very sad that the creek is so dry. Hoping for rain soon!!
06/05/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5
06/05/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	Very nice areas to explore.
06/05/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5	Great day to hike.
05/07/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5	Although a short hike, there is so much wildlife to be observed. I saw so many birds, frogs, turtles.
06/05/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5
06/05/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	This was a beautiful hiking trail that I never knew existed! We joked it was uphill both ways. The trail was very well marked and we appreciated the Mossy Point This Way signs.
06/04/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Beautiful evening hike. No water at the waterfall
06/05/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	Glad it’s been dry, the trails were in great shape. A great hike.
06/04/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	4
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	Nice and dry with many boardwalks
06/05/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	4	Was looking forward to some creek crossings but all crossings are dry. Photo spot has one direction dry, the other standing water where they meet.
06/05/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	4	More Gorge less woods, but its a nice hike.
06/05/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	I could spend all day here.
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	3	This trail was not as picturesque and interesting as other trails. I hiked 4 miles. Easy to hike and very dry.
06/05/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/05/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4	It was nice to get out into nature on an easy walk/hike. Great for beginners but be careful bc it gets a little confusing once you get in there - lots of different trail choices along the way.
06/05/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	4
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	2	Was an average hike through some woods and grasslands. Ended up hiking 4 miles.
06/05/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5
06/05/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5
06/05/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5
06/05/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful trail! The lily pond was magnificent!
06/05/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5	Loved the section past Maple shed, new to me,overall trail was great
06/05/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Loved the trail and learning about NYS!
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	First hike back with the challenge after a leg injury in January. Did it!!
06/03/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest trail may be a new-ish reroute to make this gorge rim walk easier. The new trail has switchbacks not in the original trail and I saw at least one “Trail Closed” sign on an overgrown trail section. The trail starts near the Mayville end of the Ralph C Sheldon Jr Trail Segment (Chautauqua Rails to Trails) and meanders to the gorge rim walk. Beyond the gorge overlook challenge landmark, you will be closer to the creek and recognize its geology similar to Chestnut Ridge and other WNY creeks. On the return trip, I surprised a raccoon under the wooden bridge. He scampered quickly into a hole under a nearby tree so I only saw his backside and distinctive tail.
06/03/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5	The W7 College Lodge Forest challenge hike is comprised of mostly the green and while trails. There's a little bit of red trail at the start and end. The green trail is relatively easy and mostly forest with some wetlands. The pond has a small blind close to the trail. If you take the challenge hike counter-clockwise, you will turn off the green onto the white trail at the northern end of the green loop. The white trail is easy to miss. The intersection sign is on one tree but you're going in the wrong direction to see it. The moderate difficulty designation of the challenge trail can probably be whole attributed to the white trail.
06/05/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	It's very dry right now! Becoming a new favorite of mine.
06/05/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	4
06/04/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	4	The rock formations were amazing!
06/04/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	4
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	4
06/05/2023	X1 Chimney Bluffs State Park	5
06/05/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/05/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	Great conditions, water flowing at the falls. A bit of mosquitoes too.
06/05/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	2	Gorgeous landscape but honestly so buggy we couldn’t enjoy it
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	Very woodsy and peaceful.
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Gorgeous day lots of birds out!
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Lovely day so many birds out!
06/05/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Beautiful day, lots of butterflies and pollinators out today.
06/02/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5	Allegany Nature Pilgrimage hike. Saw a Mourning Warbler for the first time!
06/05/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	Lots of people hiking this trail this morning! Perfect cool temps and it was a great walk. I live 15 minutes away so I hike the gorge frequently throughout the year.
06/05/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	Awesome gorge view!
06/05/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4
04/22/2023	S6 Participate in a clean-up or trail maintenance event	3	Tuscarora state park Earth day clean with rotary club
05/30/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	3	Reinstein woods , introduced five new people to hiking , part of collaboration for Black Girls hike Buffalo and Black birding week
06/05/2023	S3 Join our partner organizations	4	finger lakes trail membership
06/05/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	2	Super buggy and the trail was really narrow and grassy in parts.
06/05/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4
06/05/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	forgot to log trash pick at zoar valley.
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
05/06/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	3	Picked up trash at Tift
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	4	This is a great park!
06/04/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	Great day to hike and rumble around rocks. Perfect temperature with a little breeze to keep bugs away.
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4
06/04/2023	U1 Banana Pancakes	5	This is one of my favorite ultra hikes. The 3 lean-tos helps to break the hike into sections, and the lean-tos themselves are well maintained.
05/30/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	This was the first time I hiked this trail at Chestnut Ridge...the spot for the challenge pic was very serene!
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/04/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/04/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	5
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/04/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	4
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	4
06/03/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/03/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Great weather, tons of birds and turtles. First time seeing 5 great blue herons in one location.
06/04/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5
06/04/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5
06/03/2023	X1 Chimney Bluffs State Park	5
06/04/2023	U1 Banana Pancakes	5	The ASP FLT Ultra continues to be one of my favorites. We hiked this trail today in perfect weather and the periodic, cool breeze felt wonderful! I am so happy we chose today for this hike. Trail mud was almost non-existent due to the dry spell we have been having. The vegetation alongside the trail is overgrown in multiple areas and reaches over the trail itself causing the need for bushwhacking. Ticks were on my mind in those sections, but thankfully, we saw none and brought none home with us.
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	first time on this trail . no mud. minimal people. peaceful
06/04/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5	Love seeing a snapping turtle making a nest. Yes it was buggy but with repellant they don’t land on you.
05/28/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	4	Love the new challenge point but the day was way too hot even going in the morning.
06/02/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	3	Buggy!
06/04/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5
06/04/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	Great to treasure hunt for a stilted tree at one of our ‘backyard’ hiking spots. Perfect temperatures again today with a little breeze. No bugs in an area that can be wet sometimes. We found several stilted trees and had fun doing it!
06/04/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	Very dry today. But the paths were very over grown and had to whack a lot of weeds and trees
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5
06/04/2023	U6 French Toast	5	Perfect trails for our first ultra
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4	peaceful
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	Great trail could use a little grooming. Saw one turkey
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	It was my first time on this hike. It's a nice, easy hike surrounded by suburbia! This is a "known to be muddy" hike, so I opted to do it now since we are in a dry spell. You could definitely see that the trail is very muddy at times, but today it was pretty much bone dry. I did see one snake. (not my favorite)
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	3	Was disappointing you can’t actually see any of the valley from the trail as we have never been here before. The grass was very tall and taking over the trail by the first pond to the point I could no longer see my German shepherd who was walking directly in front of me. Loved the pine trees and wetlands here!
06/04/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4	Avenza is not accurate at top of trail but trails are in great condition and very well marked so it should not be a problem for anyone. Not much water at the waterfall due to lack of rain.
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
05/06/2023	E11 Letchworth FLT	4	The hike was good, however, we picked a bad time to hike this entirely, muddy trail. The gorge is always beautiful to see
06/04/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Great hike!
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/04/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5
05/07/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4	Easy trail to combine with another. I really love jumping on the suspension bridge. The waterfall at the top makes it all worthwhile.
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	Fun hike, a little unsure if I was at the check in location.
06/04/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Wonderful hike to do with a young adventurer -- age 8! We both had a great time. 😁
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	We did an intense 6-mile hike hitting every trail that I didn’t even know existed; The creek bed was very dry and we were able to cross. I love hiking this park in all seasons
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Love it here. Always. Loved that the landmark was my favorite spot.
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	Very little mud and no bugs! FYI the packet says the challenge landmark is the bridge but the camera icon is not in the map
05/28/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	2
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	Easy stroll about the park. Everything is dry, you could easily see where it would normally be very muddy in spots but presently the worst you encounter is slightly soft spots in sections.
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5	My favorite so far!
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/04/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
05/31/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	5	Decided to hike Buckhorn trail on yet another warm and brilliant May day. The lack of precip was obvious on the trail, which most of the time has a few wet spots and some real boggy portions. Dry as a bone and alive with birdsong, the trail today was a dream. We took our time and enjoyed the river's exceptional calm and beauty. Felt blessed to be there.
06/04/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	We did this one for the winter challenge and it was a sloppy, muddy mess. Everything is bone-dry now and it was delightful! I did spot some poison ivy along the trail and flicked a tick off my daughter so watch for those.
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	Beautiful, perfect day for this hike! Absolutely gorgeous. Saw some toads and chipmunks. Absolutely no garbage to pickup. Ice cream at Lake Effect afterwards.
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4	Photo from creek overlook.
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4	It was hard to find the picture spot. The steps were rickety so we did not go down them.
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5	Nice hike. Beautiful ferns!
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5
06/04/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	4
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5	Love ❤️ Letchworth always wanted to do a trail there so this made me love Letchworth even more!! Falls at the entrance were an added bonus.
06/04/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5
06/01/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	Plenty of shade on a warm June 1st…
06/04/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	The trails are well marked and maintained! Would definitely recommend!
06/04/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5	Fantastic afternoon strol
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Stewardis task invited a friend to join
05/10/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	4
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	We absolutely loved this trail! We'll be going back to this park for sure!
05/28/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	4
05/21/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	4
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	4	I always like Knox Farm, but today it was packed with people and dogs (both on leash and off). We deviated a bit from the recommended route, to enjoy the solitude more. Lovely day with a breeze to keep bugs down; cool, dry trails; and lots of interesting birds! Waterfall was pretty much all dried up…
06/04/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Always beautiful, always fun!
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Always love coming here
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4	Nice easy hike - bugs weren’t too bad but still some mushy spots with standing water surprisingly!
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	So peaceful
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4
06/04/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	3
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5
06/03/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5
06/04/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	One of my new favorites.
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	4	It was a beautiful place to hike. Some steep places but overall not too strenuous. I could see how going in the mud would be difficult however I would still like to go back to see the waterfalls as they were all dried up when we went.
06/04/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	2
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4	Half of the blue trail wasn’t mowed - watch out for ticks. Trail was dry. Nice walking next to the lake and seeing the lighthouse!
06/04/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Beautiful along the water. Decent amount of tall grass and thorns so would recommend pants
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	The giant oaks are so cool!
06/04/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	Very enjoyable
06/04/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	5	A cool hike! I really enjoyed the parts through the Spruce stands!
06/04/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Fantastic hike to do with kids, as always!
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5
06/04/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4
06/04/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5
06/04/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Dry well marked trails.
06/04/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/04/2023	S5 Take a Leave No Trace class	3
06/02/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	4	ANP weekend hike with a botanist to learn about the flora on the trail.
06/04/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	4	Who brings glass bottles to a park??
06/04/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5
06/04/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4
06/04/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	4
06/04/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4
06/04/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	4	Part of Devils hole trail was closed. No warning signs at the top of the stairs.
06/04/2023	S3 Join our partner organizations	5	Renewed my membership to the buffalo Audubon society!
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Not that much trash, which was nice to see!
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	I have always enjoyed this trail. For those who haven't been here before, parts of the trail are shared with the disc golf course. There are lots of signs! The trail is currently mostly dry. Muddy sections can be navigated fairly easily. I would recommend poles - there are sections with lots of roots, and some ascending and descending areas that can be challenging. Personally I like to go up the steepest hill (where the red and hello trails meet) and then come back down the more gradual one. If you do this, I recommend that you just go for it - don't stop, don't look up, just look at your foot placement and keep going. That hill can be a treacherous one, so if you don't want to do it, don't do it LOL Another great day to be out in the woods 🙂
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Really like this hike. Such a nice walk and view!
06/04/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4	Very peaceful. Lots of water lilies
06/04/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	Beautiful day! Lots of bikes out too; great people!
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Love this hike lilly pads were gorgeous
06/04/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	This was great! First hike of the challenge and first time using Avenza! I'm excited to do more.
06/04/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Personal favorite. Water lilies out in full bloom.
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	Pond was awesome... beautiful
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Awesome hike on various trails and they are all dry right now.
06/04/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5	Watch out for the geese! I had to jog part of the trail when I came a little too close to some gosling who were hiding in the grass.
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
05/20/2023	X1 Chimney Bluffs State Park	5
06/04/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Enjoyed my hike today at Golden Hill State Park. I find this to be an understated and underrated trail - it's easy, it's lovely, and any time I get to be alongside a lake I'm a happy human. Also, it's the kind of peaceful we all need once in awhile. I'm quite glad I waited for it to dry out, though - I'm sure it was quite the mud hole throughout during muddy season. A couple of things to have in mind if this one is on your list: The trail occasionally lines up with the disc golf course, so just keep your head up 🙂 Because of the amount of traffic during the muddy season, there are various parts of the trail where footing is uneven. There are also various sections that are somewhat overgrown. Be sure to wear bug spray and do your tick checks - also this can make footing trickier because it's hard to see where there are uneven parts under the grass. Also there are a few spots with thorny bushes/branches encroaching the trail, so just be mindful. Happy hiking!
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	4
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5
06/04/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/04/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	4
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful day to get out and enjoy nature.
06/04/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Always an enjoyable place.
06/04/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	4	The hike around the pond was wonderful
06/04/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Well marked trail and perfect conditions
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	3
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	2
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/04/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4
05/07/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	One of my favorite places
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	3	Absolutely beautiful, but not a well-marked trail. I got turned around a few times.
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Perfect weather and dry trail. Nice and easy.
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5
06/04/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5	Easy to follow not very difficult to navigate. No mud but not a lot of water.
06/04/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	I saw pink lady slippers!!
06/04/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	3
06/04/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5	Hike was beautiful but hard to navigate.
06/02/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5	Few muddy spots but still a great hike!
05/27/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5	Took my friends and their 2 youngest kids hiking at Allen Lake. Everyone had a blast!
05/27/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5
05/20/2023	X1 Chimney Bluffs State Park	4	Very cool to see these naturally made towers
05/21/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	To much trash
05/19/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	5	We couldn't finish the last few hundred feet bc there was a family of geese we didn't want to disturb! But it was a great hike, and I'm sure we'll go back to see the point again
06/03/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5
05/21/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	5 stars worth of trash is what I found at Devil's Hole. Bottles and fishing line and wrappers. It's so sad to see the way people treat these great places
06/02/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	Excellent trail system, beautiful little waterfall and gorgeous old trees
06/02/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5
06/02/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Collected a small bag of trash at 18Mile Creek
06/03/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5
06/03/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5	Creek Walking at Chestnut Ridge
06/03/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Introduced my friend to 🔥
06/04/2023	S3 Join our partner organizations	5
06/04/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful day!
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Beautiful morning in the park. Saw a Bluebird on a bluebird nesting box. Also a Bobolink in the grass just singing away. This is one of my favorite parks and I just don’t get here enough.
06/03/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	It was a little hard to follow the trail but it was beautiful and well maintained. I have lived near this for most of my life and never visited it. So I am grateful the Hiking Challenge is inspiring me to see places I have driven right by! I went with fellow challenge member Nancy Sledziewski
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	Watched the sunrise from the overlook! Highly recommended. I echo what others have mentioned; the “back half” of the trail has a LOT of blowdown. Got a little turned around trying to find a way around a particularly large downed tree but course corrected easy enough thanks to Avenza.
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Weird collection of trash out there at Deer Lick! Found someone’s discarded takeout lunch, water bottle, rubber bungee cord, bloody tissues and… some other personal items I tried not to touch with my skin that certainly didn’t belong on the trail…. Yuck. But felt good I was clearing that crud out of the forest!
06/04/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	We saw birds a deer eating. Very peaceful hike!
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	4	This is the first I’d even been too this trail. The marshland area was astounding - felt like I was walking into a sacred space following the gently waving ferns along the trail leading out between towering pines to reveal SO many birds flitting about the wetlands. Gorgeous. The trail itself was very pleasant - the only thing I did NOT enjoy was the shoulder high long grass by the initial pond at the start of the trail. I’m 6’1” and felt like I was struggling to keep sight of the way forward with all the pollen flying about. I was covered with green powder. The trail to the north of the first pond was also completely flooded. I did the hike as an out and back along the one side to avoid the water.
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Trail was pretty dry the entire way through. What was usually muddy was pretty solid in near every instance. Great hike!
06/03/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	4	The four only because of no waterfall 🫤. Not even a trickle. Lol
06/03/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5	Very cool trail that I’ve never been to. You can tell they’ve done a lot of work on it to make it better. Wish there was a bigger lot but since there was only me there it didn’t matter, lol. But normally would only fit maybe 5 or 6 max. I also realized that if I would have walked 5 more feet to the next opening it was a much better view. Lol
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
06/04/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
06/03/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Great hike! I liked it better than the eternal flame 🔥 hike last year!
06/03/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Story book trail and natures playground were a huge hit for the kids!
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5
06/03/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	4	Nice hike for a dog like me. Warm sunshine and a nice breeze. Not too much mud to make paws dirty…. There was not much water in the creek but I noticed a small fish in a cavern pool.
06/03/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	4	Great hiking weather. The trail was dry and the waterfall had just a trickle of water… but I got hubby to sign up for the challenge and that is a good thing!
06/03/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	Nice elevation and humongous rocks in this old forest
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	I liked this hike a lot! I liked that there were several different sections that all had different things to offer. Really great scenery and lots of wildlife, especially birds.
06/03/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5
06/03/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	4
06/03/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	4	Great hike! There's a lot of pricker bushes lining the trail. Also saw some poison ivy right next to the trail. Going down to the hidden waterfall was amazing.
06/03/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4
06/03/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	Beautiful. We went down Devil’s Hole Stairs and left to the trail closure, then back to the stairs and back up and across the top to the whirlpool.
05/28/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	4	One of our favorites
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4	Nice breezy day hike today
06/03/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	Beautiful scenery! Beautiful day!
06/03/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	4	The old rail bed was a nice hiking surface!
06/02/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Not much trash but found a few candy wrappers and a beer can.
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Beautiful views of the lake.
06/10/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	Was prepared to collect trash and was pleasantly surprised to only find this bobber by the pond on Boyce Hill.
06/02/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5
06/03/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	5	One of my favorites! The trail was dry today and quite lovely. As Mike has mentioned, going the entire way to the pond is worth it. The trail is well marked and the air conditioned loo always brings me a giggle. Highly recommend bug spray for this hike. Was prepared to collect trash and I only found a bobber 🙂
06/03/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5
06/03/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5	Glorious day in 716! Beauteous!
06/03/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Extraordinary! What a great place. The welcome center is fabulous. So much to learn. The rails are very well-marked and well maintained. The information signs were extremely helpful. I am so impressed with this hike. Please. Drive the extra mils and visit. Take a lunch and enjoy this wonderful place.
06/03/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5	The trails are wonderfully kept up and well-marked. But, the lake is overgrown. What a shame. it is way too early in the season for the lake to be so dry. What is going on? All the streams i am used to are dry so early in the season and the lakes and ponds are filled with water plants, What are the water fowl going to do?
05/28/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	First time to Mossy point and loved it.
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful location, many photographers out today. Fiat, easy trail. Went to challenge location but couldn’t resist using a photo of the pink flower water lilys.
05/21/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4	Beautiful place. People riding ATVs near upper part of hike disturbed the peaceful place a bit but still a nice hike.
06/03/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5	Wonderful. The river is warm. I am not sure if that is a good sign, but it was fun. Great people at the campsites and on the trails. Wonderful time.
06/03/2023	W2 Boutwell Hill State Forest	4	Great day ... but too dry... where did the water for the streams go?
05/21/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	3	Park a little over crowded today but still a beautiful hike. Enjoyed doing in combo with Royalton ravine.
05/28/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5	Our first hike of the challenge and our first visit to Letchworth State Park. The kids had a blast and asked if we could go back tomorrow!
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Dry sprout. No creeks to cross
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5	Perfect trail conditions
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Go now!! It’s so dry that all the creek crossings are basically just rocks! Even if you venture off the suggested trail and do the purple trail, the ever present standing water in the 40 markers are just light mud!
06/03/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Always a favorite
06/03/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5	Gorgeous day!
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5	Always a great hike!
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful trails and tons of things to see.
06/03/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	5	Great work out loved the different forest. Cool car,
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	4	Beautiful weather for a hike. Little to no crowd. Most go to just see the small waterfall in the beginning. No mud and easy to follow.
06/03/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4
06/03/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	4
06/02/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5	Great hike! Fairly secluded with some elevation gain/loss. Trails are narrow so long pants are recommended.
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	3
06/03/2023	S5 Take a Leave No Trace class	5
06/03/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5	The temperature today was perfect for hiking! Usually, this park is noted for wet, muddy trails. Not today! I'm glad I went here before it rains again. Beautiful forest trails on both sides of Genesee Rd. Plus, we saw horses!
06/03/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	Loved the Swinging Bridge!
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	3	Many downed trees, a lot of ducking and climbing over. Trail is very messy with branches and sticks.
06/03/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	4	No falls...probably better to do this in the Fall. My selfie was approximately where the Falls is. Still a good walk through the woods!
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	We enjoyed this hike. The weather was awesome and the trails were great. Saw some snapping turtles which made our day.
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Beautiful trails and so much to see! We took many photos of the lily pond and wildflowers along the path. Really enjoyed this nature preserve.
06/03/2023	S5 Take a Leave No Trace class	5
06/03/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5	A but windy today, but a great place to be!
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Walking along the water was absolutely lovely. You could hear the waves the whole time. The wild honeysuckle made it smell wonderful too. The ruins were just a special treat.
06/03/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	5	Loved the wildflowers, wild water, and the ruins! I've hike here before, but never went all the way to the ruins before. Wonderful breeze off the lake made this a terrific day hike!
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5	Beautiful! Make sure you go along the creek to see Kisil Falls at the beginning, then get back on the trail with the cool purple blazes (trail 18). This was not difficult at all. But gorgeous!
06/03/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/03/2023	S7 Participate in a partner event	5	National Trails Day with Foothills
06/03/2023	S7 Participate in a partner event	5	Attended an Adventure Hike at Amherst State Park with Earth Spirit. Mr. Sandy was amazingly knowledgeable about so many things! Two hours just flew by!
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Great weather for a bike
06/03/2023	S4 Donate to our partner organizations	3
06/03/2023	S3 Join our partner organizations	3
06/03/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5	Artsy and physical. What could be better?
05/06/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	5
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	Love getting in a good difficult trail, provides a nice work out. Still quite a few large downed trees on the trail, and some pretty muddy spots near the bridge, even with the dry weather we’ve had. Nice quiet hike in the woods!
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	Great hike, easy to follow the trail and only one tiny spot with mud. Lots of frogs!
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	I've been here quite a few times, but this was my first time taking the service trail all the way around to the far pond to where the challenge landmark was. A wonderful hike today & the wind kept the mosquitoes away, haha
06/03/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	This was a nice little hike; lots of birds singing, frogs, and dragonflies. The trail was very dry and peaceful.
05/14/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	4
06/03/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	Loved the pond. The trails were overgrown.
06/03/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Wonderful stroll through the woods and lots of wildlife to see and watch.
06/03/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	Love this place! So many options and terrain and nature to look at! Always a nice stroll through here.
06/03/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4
06/03/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	4	Finally enjoying a nice hike with my daughter.
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	4	Very little trash at Mossy point
06/03/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Love this new addition.
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4	Heard this one was muddy but this week without rain it was perfect!
06/03/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	4	Absolutely great place. I give it a 4.75
06/03/2023	W3 Buckhorn Island State Park	3
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	4
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	Very much enjoyed this hike, but it kicked my butt just a little. First true trail that I would agree was "moderate." Loved putting in some effort. Beautiful, peaceful woods. Person who said there were a lot of trees across the trails wasn't kidding!
06/03/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	4	Nice climb if go clockwise
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	4
06/03/2023	S7 Participate in a partner event	3
06/03/2023	S5 Take a Leave No Trace class	3
06/03/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5
06/03/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5
06/03/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	4
06/03/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	4	Good challenge though parts are starting to get overgrown.
06/03/2023	W13 Letchworth State Park (Trail 18)	4
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	Nice hike!
06/03/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	Love this Hike. A family favorite.
06/03/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Continued rollercoaster. No bugs, nice breeze. No mud.
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	Nice hike today. Not as challenging as expected. Few muddy spots but nothing you couldn’t get around.
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	Great hike!!
06/03/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	4
06/03/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5
06/03/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	4	Well marked, very narrow foot path with plenty of thorny over growth to navigate through. Water levels were extremely low so finding the waterfall was a bit tricky but we did it!
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5
06/03/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	Finally got a look at the Interpretive Center, pretty neat!
06/03/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	5	It was a nice hike but I expected more water after looking at pics of trails by here. Will have to check out others as well!
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	This is such a gorgeous hike!
06/03/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4	~What a sweet little spot.. thanks for putting it on the list this year!~
06/03/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5	Trails were in good shape. This is one of my favorite hikes, perfect weather and really had a great day.
06/03/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	5	Amazing rocks and perfect trail conditions
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Perfect home for a day when we want to get outside because it isn't 90, but when we don't have a lot of free time.
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5	Gorgeous day and amazing hike!
06/03/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	5	Saw catbirds, 2 young doe, pileated woodpecker, and 2 garter snakes! Gorgeous day it was lovely
06/03/2023	W7 College Lodge Forest	5	Many beautiful old trees! Glad the path was mostly dry.
06/03/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	As always spectacular.
06/03/2023	E12 Mossy Point	4	Dry, well marked
06/03/2023	W8 Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks	5	Awesome hike despite the one section being closed. We took the Whirlpool trail to the end and then back to the Rock of Ages. Devils Hole trail is closed off just beyond the Rock. They did a great job repairing the Whirlpool stairs. I am particularly proud of myself as I was able to climb up all 362 stairs non stop.
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4	🥾🥾🥾🥾
06/03/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5	Perfect trails , well marked and very peaceful. We went clockwise around the trail so the beaver pond was the treat at the end!
06/03/2023	E3 Beaver Meadow Nature Center	5
06/03/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	3
06/03/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5	A rollercoaster. Only dried mud. No bugs.
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	3
06/03/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	3
06/03/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	3
06/03/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	A little confusing when lots of trees are down but a beautiful place to hike. Definitely needed poles but not as difficult as expected. Some mud which was surprising after all the hot days.
06/03/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5
05/29/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4
06/03/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	4	Not much garbage on trail.
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	5
06/03/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4	Nice day, not very muddy or buggy.
06/03/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5
06/03/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	5	Wonderful place for a hike. Love the climbing.
06/03/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4
06/03/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	We found a plastic candy wrapper and 2 pieces of plastic; the wrapper and one piece shown here. The stewardship piece of the challenge is great because I am hunting garbage!
06/03/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	Beautiful winding trails--and magical big trees! Loved it!
05/22/2023	W10 Franklin Gulf County Park	5
06/02/2023	W15 Tifft Nature Preserve	4	Beautiful quick hike with lots of variety!
06/02/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5	Nicest hike of the day. Spectacular! The Challenge Landmark - stone marker where New York and Pennsylvania meet - was very cool.
06/02/2023	X2 Allegheny National Forest (Rimrock Trail)	5	Very cool castle-like viewing structure at Challenge Landmark. Gorgeous forest walk. Yes, only 2.5 miles - but all downhill (many steep declines) from East to West trailheads - and all uphill on our return - very challenging (our run keeper has the trail dropping 601 feet and then ascending 601 feet on our return to the East side trailhead). It was easily a difficult rated hike (not moderate) and with temperatures in the upper 80's - I would rate it a strenuous hike.
06/02/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	5	As always, very scenic, lots of different bird songs identified by Merlin. Very challenging trails.
06/02/2023	E1 Allegany State Park (Blacksnake Mountain)	5	Absolutely loved this hike. Took the climb slow and easy. Narrow trail on the climb with lots of foliage brushing up against you, but trail widens up and it is absolutely beautiful. Great forest views. Beautiful relaxing hike.
06/02/2023	X2 Allegheny National Forest (Rimrock Trail)	4	First time there. Stunning view at the overlook. Rock staircase really cool. I would rate this hike more strenuous vs moderate. That climb was a killer. Going down was also hard on the feet.
06/02/2023	E13 Pfeiffer Nature Center (Lillibridge)	5	Challenging hike. Merrick's Run is no joke. Lots of climbing. Pretty woods. Nice views. Beautiful pavilion.
04/23/2023	S6 Participate in a clean-up or trail maintenance event	5	Canal Clean Sweep event, "West Canal Marina Cleanup."
06/02/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5	The trails were flat and there wasn't much elevation change. A perfect hike for someone not used to hiking!
06/02/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5	The oak trees were HUGE and so beautiful, and I loved the shade cover the maple forest provided.
05/26/2023	E2 Allen Lake State Forest	3	Not my favorite but we still had a great time!
06/02/2023	S2 Introduce someone new to hiking	5	We brought my husband/Colin’s dad! It was so great to show him how we spend our days hiking. Thank you for including this!
06/02/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	This was an awesome hike!!
06/02/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/02/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	This hike was awesome and memorable!
06/02/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5
06/02/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5
06/02/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5
05/29/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5	picked up garbage
06/02/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4	It was a great hike and saw a lot of animals! A few more days and the lily pads will have bloomed.
06/02/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/02/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Always a great time!
05/29/2023	W6 Chestnut Ridge Park	5	Nice hike. Patches of Pink Lady's Slippers.
06/01/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/02/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	4
05/13/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	5
05/26/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5
06/02/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	5
06/02/2023	W4 Carlton Hill Multiple Use Area	5
06/02/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	5	All the things I like about a trail. Pretty dense vegetation, lots of trees and a pond with a trail around it. Just needs a waterfall!
05/28/2023	E4 Boyce Hill State Forest	4
05/28/2023	E14 Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forests	3	This is a great hike, but the instructions for the photo location are poor (well, non existent). There are so many stilt trees throughout the park, a picture in the packet would have been very helpful.
05/28/2023	E9 Griffis Sculpture Park	4	Always a fun one - a little unfortunate that it is now pay to hike.
06/02/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5
06/26/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5
06/02/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	Awesome, beautiful, peaceful hike, even though I got off course ( adding a little bit more to the hike).
06/01/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	5
06/01/2023	W11 John B. Austin Nature Trail	5
06/01/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	5
06/02/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5
06/02/2023	W1 Audubon Community Nature Center	5	Fun
06/02/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5
06/02/2023	E12 Mossy Point	5	Beautiful in the woods! Very clean too so no stewardship task needed
05/28/2023	U7 Western Omelette	5	Great Hike...and Beautiful Day...although a little technical difficulty in tracking hike...will try something different than Avenza Maps on future hikes...
05/27/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4	Very easy, great for beginners
06/02/2023	W9 Eighteen Mile Creek County Park	5
06/02/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4	Awesome hike.
06/02/2023	E6 Erie County Bureau of Forestry	4	Perfect!
05/28/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	4	Some tall grass, and one of our dogs picked up a tick that we found right away, so just be careful and dress appropriately
05/28/2023	W5 Chautauqua Gorge State Forest	5
06/02/2023	W12 Knox Farm State Park	5
06/01/2023	E15 Royalton Ravine Park	4	Nice and cool in the woods. Quiet. Nice hike.
05/31/2023	E7 Genesee County Park and Forest	4	Buggy as hell, but it’s so pretty there.
05/28/2023	W14 Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve	4	Super easy and saw a blue heron!
05/28/2023	E16 Tillman Road WMA	4
05/27/2023	E10 Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge	4	Gorgeous views by the water, but the bugs were awful in the woods.
05/27/2023	E8 Golden Hill State Park	4	The trails cut across the parking lots in spots, unless we went the wrong ways, but it was a nice trail. Beautiful. A little muddy in spots but beautiful!
05/21/2023	E5 Deer Lick Conservation Area	5	Another great area.
05/21/2023	W16 Zoar Valley (Holcomb Pond)	5	Great area
06/01/2023	S1 Pick up trash on the trail	3	Picked up a trash bag & cigarette butt on the trail to Holcomb pond!

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