New series focuses on hiking, outdoor culture

By Catie Keller
(Image above: Reinstein Woods, by Catie Keller)

(Editor’s note: We’ve been waiting for the snow to melt, or at least melt a bit, to publish this. Today is that day, at least outside the editor’s home in Erie County. So consider this a holiday gift … and consider a good hike today or tomorrow!)

While it might be well-known that Buffalo has well over 100 bars, our county’s best kept secret may be the hundreds of hiking trails beyond our backyards. Thousands of acres of fee-free forestry, creek-beds, native plants and animals are awaiting your discovery!

Here are a few for you to discover:

Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve

Nestled in Cheektowaga (although Google Maps will tell you it’s Depew) is a 292-acre park that is open year-round. Having roughly eight connecting trails that are well-marked with very little elevation, this is a great place to enjoy the fall foliage, summer lily pads or snowshoeing.

Some features include a wooden boardwalk to view the lily pond, a children’s play area and a free little library within one of the trails. The park contains at least 19 ponds with beautiful, bright pink water lilies that flourish in the summer (and which are actually an invasive species!).

Unfortunately, no dogs are allowed here, due to being a nature preserve. This gives you a chance to see the wildlife in action – deer, turkeys, otters, turtles, bullfrogs, snapping turtles, garter snakes, great blue herons and various other bird species can be found roaming about.

The infamous “Champion” beech tree that stood for over 250 years and reached over 100 feet, is no longer available for viewing along the trail. Local lore has it that in a significant lightning storm in 2019, the tree suffered after being struck, splitting its bark and resulting in an unfortunate decline. Thankfully, there have been recent developments to protect the young beech trees along the trail to ensure they thrive.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also offers a variety of tours and programs, as well as ensuring their experience to be as comfortable and inclusive as possible for all sensory and accessibility conditions, with plenty of benches planted throughout the park.

Reinstein also hosts birding hikes, along with an artisan market festival in the summer and annual fall fest with tons of family-friendly activities and educational hikes (ASL interpreters are provided as well). Be sure to check out their website for upcoming events, including mushroom hunting, senior strolls and variety of seasonal hikes.

There also are signs indicating that ticks can be present if you happen to veer off the trails, so stay safe and bring your bug spray.

Stiglmeier Park

Just down the road from Reinstein (and adjacent at points) is a neighboring park boasting 31 trails, numerous sports fields, as well as shelters for cookouts. This park is very wheelchair-friendly, with lots of benches, picnic tables and flat terrain. Their longest trails are roughly 2.6 and 3.7 miles on the perimeter of the park, which travel along parts of of Cayuga Creek. You might pass by the remnants of a stonewall along the water, or spot deer and wild turkeys along your way. It’s a great place for a bike ride, birdwatching and enjoying a slower paced day.

Creation Walk Nature Trail

Off Two Rod Rd in Marilla lays a lesser-known park with minimal foot traffic that opened to the public in 2013. The 1.2-mile loop trail itself is fairly easy with occasional inclines (less than 100 feet in elevation) that lead you through a little forest beside an open soccer field. 

It serves as a very quiet, pleasant stroll along Little Buffalo Creek, and a perfect place for your dog to tag along. It’s a great hideaway to spot red cedar and veritable oak trees, sugar maple trees, and fungi.

Walton Woods/Audubon Lake

Nestled in Amherst lays a dog-friendly park containing two manmade lakes with shore fishing access: Walton Pond and Audubon Lake. The loop trail is about 1.3 miles with benches scattered throughout and little elevation, making it the peaceful place to take a walk and reset. You may see a family of deer along your path, in addition to the abundance of birch, oak, maple, sycamore, cherry and beech trees. Be sure to check out their events and keep an eye out for their summer firefly night walks. It is handicapped accessible.

Charles E. Burchfield Nature & Art Center

Along Buffalo Creek in West Seneca is a beautiful dedication to the iconic artist, Charles E. Burchfield, with colorful sculptures in the midst of a serene, wooded area. Boasting picturesque gardens with native plants, forestry, playgrounds and an outdoor amphitheater on 29 acres, this hidden gem is the perfect place to visit from spring through fall. They also host a variety of artistic events, including drum circles and photography contests. It is handicapped accessible.

Great Baehre Conservation Park

Located in Amherst sits 270 acres of silver maple-ash swamp – a perfect viewing spot for wildlife, such as blue herons and snapping turtles. It features a 1,300-foot boardwalk that connects to Billy Wilson Park, a playground, and primarily flat terrain. This area is suitable for the whole family! .

Leashed dogs are allowed; however, hunting and fishing are prohibited on these lands. 

Always remember to go at your own pace and leave no trace.

Happy hiking!