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Visited June 5, 2021
Visited June 5, 2021
Chautauqua Rails to Trails, Route 394, Mayville, NY 14757
78-82 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, nice breeze
No toilets available. However, across the road are public toilets that are available in Mayville Park; the doors are locked until 9:00 AM.
Dogs must be leashed.
The trail is flat for nice easy going since it is an old railroad bed.
No cost for parking.
Generously sized parking in a dirt lot that must hold more than 50 vehicles.
I visited this trail with Wesley and my first friend, Stacy. The Rails to Trails are great places to hike with friends; they are made for walking and talking because they are well marked so there are no worries about getting lost, and they are usually wide enough to walk side by side for a chat. This three-mile section was dry except for one muddy section but even that was dry around the edges. We encountered a few other ladies on the trail (one nice lady was picking up trash and told Wesley he was handsome) and a boy scout troop from Fredonia. As you will see in the pictures below, we passed over a few road junctions but ended our three miles at Bentley Road and then turned around for the return trek pulled along by the thoughts of ice cream. We hiked from 9:00 AM until around 12:00 PM and the shaded trails were perfect for this warm day.
We saw a turkey vulture sitting on a tree branch over the trail and butterflies. We saw a few quiet deer that stepped into the trail and stared at us before moving along in the woods. There were many old trees within the view of the trail. Many species were there including the maple and cherry we well know. Stacy identified paper birch for me; it is a pretty tree. The tent caterpillars were doing their business along the trail; well-chewed leaves littered a few areas. The wildflowers were pretty today: multiflora rose, phlox, buttercup, clover, and birdsfoot. Milkweed is in bud ready to bloom soon.
There are some recommended trail rules to make the experience enjoyable for everyone.
Trails open dawn to dusk.
Stay on the trail. The trail travels through private property.
No ATVs or motorcycles.
Pets should be kept on a leash.
Carry in, carry out. Leave no trash. And may I add, that means cleaning up after your dogs.
For more information about the Rails to Trails: https://chaurtt.org/.
NEARBY ITEMS OF INTEREST:
Boxcar Barney’s Ice Cream
13 West Lake Road, Mayville, NY 14757 (within walking distance of parking)
They serve Upstate Ice Cream. The server was very sweet and gave Wesley a tiny cup of vanilla ice cream. Be careful when ordering. Their small cone is the size you usually expect to get when you order a medium cone.
https://www.boxcarbarneysicecream.com/
Mayville Park AKA Lakeside Park, Mayville, NY 14757
Hosts nice festivals such as the Ice Festival in February and the Celtic Fest during August of most years.
Chautauqua Institute
https://chq.org/
Entrance to the trail near the parking that is near the dog park across from Mayville Park, near Boxcar Barney's Ice Cream
multiflora rose, invasive but pretty
wild phlox
the only wet spot on the three-mile section we hiked & in the center of the shot is a pretty little deer that checked us out
Interesting historical site: last public hanging in Chautauqua County 1835
This is where we turned around and headed back to our car.
Bench in the woods
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