5 Reasons You’ll Love Summer in the Enchanted Mountains

Have an Adventure of a Lifetime in Cattaraugus County!

Balance your summer vacation with a visit to the “other” side of New York!

Drive along peaceful country roads, challenge yourself mountain biking on the steeps, ride your horse as far as the eye can see, put your kayak in for a little paddle and golf at every course you can find.

Million-dollar views, amazing art, national sporting events, gigantic metal and wooden sculptures, Native American culture, alpaca farms, chuck wagon dinners, sky high adventures and historic experiences – you can see and do it all in the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County.

Take a Trip Back in Time

Watch for buggy drivers as you ramble along the Amish Trail. Discover the oldest and largest Amish settlement in New York. Get an intimate peek at a simpler lifestyle without running water, electricity and cars. Visit shops to buy handmade quilts, furniture, baked goods and more crafted by expert Amish artisans. No Sunday sales or photographs please.

Join avid geocachers and follow the Amish GeoTrail. Collect 10 caches and receive a special NY Amish GeoCoin. Continue your scavenger hunt along the Enchanted Mountain GeoTrail with caches tucked away in towns throughout Cattaraugus County. Collect all 32 wooden nickels and receive a special EMGT GeoCoin free.

Test Your Skills

Summer is the perfect time to show off your skill at 9 exceptional golf courses with a variety of challenge levels and unbeatable views, like Holiday Valley’s Double Black Diamond course. Challenge yourself in the trees at one of eight treetop courses at the resort’s new Sky High Aerial Adventure Park. Kids and adults alike will love the thrilling twists and turns of the Mountain Coaster as it careens through the woods.

Explore Nature’s Outdoor Playground

Bring the entire family for a fun-filled weekend camping trip. Take in the soothing sounds of nature and enjoy quality family time over crackling campfire cookouts. Camp at Pope Haven in the midst of Amish country. Tame the summer heat at Allegany State Park’s Red House and Quaker lakes complete with sandy beaches and breathtaking scenery, perfect for swimming, kayaking and fishing. Explore the park’s 65,000 acres with your mountain bike, rollerblades, hiking shoes and horses. Take advantage of miles of paved and rustic, multiuse trails leading you to unforgettable views.

From late May to late summer, launch your boat or rent one from Bayview Mini-Mart & Ice Cream Parlor across the street from Onoville Marina on the pristine waters of the Allegheny Reservoir. Escape to 91 miles of natural shoreline with quiet, secluded bays. Make it a weekend and camp along the soothing water or in the cozy shade.

Check Out Our Parks and Trails

Miles of multi-use trails crisscrossing the county are waiting to be explored. The Allegheny River Valley Trail offers over 7 miles of paved trails hugging the Allegheny River shoreline. Embark on an eco-adventure as you pass through 9 unique ecosystems and a continental divide on the Pat McGee Trail, stretching 12.1 miles from Salamanca to Cattaraugus. Soak in the warm summer sun and cool wooded paths at Pfeiffer Nature Center in Portville, Nannen Arboretum in Ellicottville and Gooseneck Hill Waterfowl Sanctuary in Delevan. Challenge yourself on Holiday Valley’s mountain bike trails.

Check out the 1,000-square-mile view and see 8-story-tall prehistoric rock formations at Rock City Park or discover intriguing passages and unusual geological formations at Little Rock City Park in Little Valley and Thunder Rocks in Allegany State Park. Interact with more than 250 mammoth sculptures at the 400-acre Griffis Sculpture Park in East Otto. Pretend you’re an early settler at The Crosspatch horse ranch, offering guided trail rides and an authentic, cowboy-style Chuck Wagon Supper Show.

Festivals and Family Fun

Throughout the summer, you’ll find a myriad of festivals celebrating everything from motorcycles to women to art. There’s never a dull moment around here!

The 4^th of July weekend is always jamming in Ellicottville with its three-day Summer Music Festival featuring outdoor concerts and bands in local establishments. For a change of pace, imagine the Wild West coming to life at the annual Ellicottville Championship Rodeo, complete with barrel racing, bull riding and stick horse racing for the young’uns. The Cattaraugus County Fair, one of the oldest in the country, is a guaranteed delight. Savor funnel cakes, ride carnival amusements, cuddle farm animals and cheer at the Demolition Derby.

Make a rainy day fun with a visit to one of the area’s many interesting museums like the Regina A. Quick Center where admission is free. If games of chance are your passion, try your hand at poker and the slots at the Seneca Allegany Casino in Salamanca. While you’re there, tour the Seneca-Iroquois Museum and shop for unique finds at Salamanca Mall Antiques. Feel the pride of over 1,000 years of tradition at the annual Seneca Allegany Veteran’s Pow Wow in July and watch dancers dressed in vibrant costumes as they perform traditional dances to a native beat.

Basketball lovers, get ready for the Gus Macker 3-on-3 Tournament in Olean. Anyone can play – no experience necessary! Motorcycle enthusiasts will surely be impressed by Olean’s Rally in the Valley and Gowanda’s Hollywood Happening, when bikers roll into town for dice runs and merriment. In August, check out the Cattaraugus County Sportsmen’s Rendezvous for hunting displays and gear.

Stay and Play

Turn a day trip into a romantic getaway and spoil yourself at one of our relaxing spas, stay in a four-star hotel and enjoy a fine gourmet meal. Stay in one of our charming B & B’s and meet welcoming, knowledgeable innkeepers who will give you the local inside scoop.

Start planning your visit now, because one trip won’t satisfy your craving for our kind of adventure. With surprises around every bend, visit us and we’ll make your summertime an experience to remember.

Check our website for a list of accommodations, restaurants and spas. For a detailed list of things to do and see, pick up a FREE 2012 Visitors Guide, visit www.EnchantedMountains.com or call 800-331-0543.