Allegany in October

Our final camping voyage happens on the weekend we commemorate Columbus' voyage. The air is crisp, the pumpkins are ripe and the leaves are close to peak display. We never wander far, just enough to get off the grid and enjoy some nature before winter closes in on us. In 2015, we parked at Allegany State Park, Cain hollow on the Quaker side of this huge state park. The park sits on 65,000 acres, making it the largest state park in New York State. Campers can almost always find a spot with 303 campsites and 335 cabins. The park is loved for the 2 beaches, 18 hiking trails, planned activities and events, fishing, canoeing/kayaking, and just hanging out around the campfire with family or friends. The cabins are often grouped perfectly for friends/family to have their own little area to camp together and there is also group camping rentals. Group Camp 5 can accommodate up to 72 people and is a perfect way to stay for a reunion or any other big gathering (any time of the year).

We didn't have a big group, just our usual crew and we spent a lot of time riding bikes around, trying super yummy desserts cooked slow in a dutch oven over the coals and just relaxing with games, puzzles or conversation. We also set out to explore the area, starting with one of our old faves-Rock City in Olean. It was the weekend of the Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show at Rock City and after checking all of the goods out, we wandered through the crevices and cracks of the trails. We finished off the hike with the view from the top, looking over the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaragus. Then we grabbed a bite at a little food stand, Big Rock Grill, that is parked outside of the main building. It was a perfect little lunch of warm fries and sandwiches.

The next day our food radar guided us to a place of nostalgia and pizza. We stopped for lunch and some Pac Man at A Slice of the 80s in Bradford, PA. The walls were covered with movie posters, record album covers and pictures of Rainbow Bright and Donkey Kong. The pizza was pretty good and the atmosphere from the days of big hair and parachute pants made this place worth a stop for us. From there we headed to the Kinzua Sky Walk, which stands 225 feet high above the Kinzua Gorge. The Sky Walk was once the longest and highest railroad viaduct in the world, constructed in 1882 to transport coal, oil and lumber across the gorge. The railroad bridge was later rebuilt with steel and ran a passenger line for awhile but after 121 years of standing a powerful tornado came through in 2003 and a large swath of the viaduct collapsed. It is wild to see the way the tornado twisted the steel and left it for ruin and the reinvention of this engineering marvel into a walkway across the sky. The kids really liked the glass bottom at the end of the walk and loved climbing all over the steel trusses holding up the walkway and its still present rails. This experience is free and was a great way to spend an Autumn day. On the way home, we spend a few hours wandering around Griffis Sculpture Park (which I talked about in another post) and it was a great way to tie up our outdoorsy weekend.

All in all, Allegany was not one of our top favorite spots to camp. The exploring was fun but I feel like there isn't much more to conquer outside of the park. The camping itself was just o.k. with an uneven spot and loud neighbors through the night. There were no playgrounds, little stores or basketball nets for the kids to walk, or even, ride bikes to. This is a huge park so it is understandable but, as much as, we enjoy camping and nature we still like the conveniences for the kids when they are looking for something to do. People really love this state park and return annually, so we may have to give it another try when the beaches are open and the weather is warmer. Feel free to comment if you disagree and let us know the reasons you love it there and if you are looking for travel recommendations, ideas, itineraries or full out bookings, please let us know at Stowaway.