Erie County Bureau of Forestry
Visited April 24, 2021
11323 Co Rd 409 (Genesee Road), East Concord, NY 14055
60 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny
No bathrooms that I saw. We came via Route 39 and filled the car with gas and used the facilities at the CITGO at the corner of Routes 39 and 219; it is only a few minutes away from the parking on Genesee Road.
Dogs on leash are welcome. Come prepared to pick up after your dog.
We hiked over four miles on the Old Scarbrook Trail side of the road while we were there. I would allow 3 hours or more to fully enjoy the trails. (Be sure to pack in water with you and bring your trash home with you.) The trails were muddy, very muddy, but so beautiful and many different bridges. The trails were single file except when we were on the horse trail. I would recommend long pants for this trail, but I usually recommend long pants.
These trails are in the southern part of Erie County and there are trails on the other side of the road that we did not even explore. Dogs and people were splashing in the stream.
Mosquitos were not a problem for us today.
No cost for parking. It was a dirt, muddy lot that had space for approximately ten vehicles. There is another lot within sight across the road with the maple syrup house.
While in the park, my daughter and I saw wildflowers (violets near the cabin, the largest tracts of spring beauties that I have ever seen, trout lilies, my first trillium of the spring, and some other pretty little flowers I do not know), gorgeous trees (pine, cherry, ash, and more), three horses and their riders, more than ten people and their dogs. There is a warming cabin, Camp Sardinia, off the horse trail by a pretty section of the creek. Daffodils grew near the door.
The trail at Erie County Bureau of Forestry is part of the WNY Summer Hiking Challenge. I joined the Summer 2021 challenge and this was the eighth trail I completed for the challenge. The first hiker we saw today was also doing the challenge and had done the winter challenge. Cheers, Mr. Marines T-Shirt! https://outsidechronicles.com/challenge
For more information about the Erie County Forestry:
https://www2.erie.gov/parks/index.php?q=bureau-forestry
Nearby:
Spraguebrook Park
9674 Foote Road, Glenwood, New York 14069
Has great trails, tennis courts, picnic shelters and camping facilities, a stream, and veteran’s memorial.
https://www2.erie.gov/parks/sprague-brook
https://www.hikingproject.com/directory/8013304/sprague-brook-county-park
Griffis Sculpture Park
6902 Mill Valley Road, East Otto, NY 14729
A neat place to explore.
https://griffispark.org/
The Bigelow Bridge (AKA the Blue Bridge)
A very quick stop off Route 240 where it crosses the Cattaraugus Creek south of Route 240's intersection with Route 39. Some people park here to fish. I am old enough to remember when this was the bridge on Route 240. There is a historic marker but it has been badly treated.
https://bridgehunter.com/ny/cattaraugus/3060570/
View from parking, sugar shack to the left
Signage at the parking area
At the entrance to the trail. Photo by Anna T.
View of the trail just as we enter
View looking back toward Genesee Road from the first bridge on the trail
The first bridge
First creek we crossed and the last...provided a great place to rinse off all of the mud Wesley picked up on the trail
Bench at the top of the first incline on the trail
Second bridge
Beautiful moss on fallen trees. The air smelled amazing through this section.
It was so peaceful and quiet through this section. No more road noise by the time we reached this section.
Loved the way the light filtered through the trees on this section of trail.
Another creek at the bottom and another bridge
Photo by Anna T.
My first trillium bloom of the season
Lost count of the bridges at this point
Spring beauties are one of my favorite blooms.
Trout lily
Photo by Anna T.
Not sure what this pretty flower was growing by the creek next to trillium and ferns
Between all of the streams and creeks AND the mud, this place was heaven for Wesley.
There were tracts of spring beauties...I have never seen so many in one area before.
Mayflowers not in bloom yet but they are such interesting-looking plants.
Water by the cabin (warming hut)
Horse trail
Water by the cabin was perfect for a cool down and to rinse the first layers of mud off.
We went to the left when we started the trails and went clockwise. So this very tree-root-section of trail was toward the end of our hike.
The Bigelow Bridge (aka the Blue Bridge) on Route 240 south of Route 39.
Cattaraugus Creek viewed from Route 240