Erie County

Chestnut Ridge Park, in the Town of Orchard Park, is one of the original Erie County parks, with development beginning in the early 20th century and much of its construction carried out by the WPA workforce during the 1930s. Acquired by Erie County in 1926, the 1,231-acre park is the largest and traditionally one of the most heavily used county-owned parks. Surrounding NY 277, or Chestnut Ridge Road, it is divided into east and west sides that offer differing views and natural perspectives. The park includes buildings for groups and families ranging from small covered picnic shelters to large group shelters and cabins, along with both mowed recreation areas and rugged, undeveloped, wooded gorges. Its notable features include impressive natural scenery, vintage WPA-era park structures, fishing at the fishing pier, rugged terrain, deep ravines, mature woodlands, open meadows, scenic picnic areas, and miles of nature trails. The best-known area is a large open grassy hillside crowned by the old stone park casino building, where a north-facing slope provides sweeping views toward downtown Buffalo and becomes a popular winter destination for sledding, skiing, and tobogganing.

Orchard Park, New York · United States