Carroll Area Nature Trail

The grand opening for the Carroll Area Nature Trail will take place Saturday, October 29.

Chautauqua Rails to Trails will open the new two-mile segment at 11:00 a.m. in the village of Frewsburg.

The rail-trail-turned-recreational trail extends from the land behind Lobb’s Service Center at 129 West Main Street in the village to Riverside Road in the town of Carroll.

Overland Trail in Chautauqua County

The Chautauqua Region Economic Development Corporation has received a grant to work on ways of bringing trail groups together.

The $25,000 grant from the Ralph C. Sheldon Foundation will explore the feasibility of establishing a “Friends of Chautauqua County Greenways Group.” This effort will bring together various trails organizations and determine how best they can work together as a Friends group to provide mutual support and seek funding together.

Chautauqua County has also set aside $250,000 in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act for trail maintenance and upgrades. The County plans to purchase new trail maintenance equipment to improve efficiency, and repair bridges on the Overland Trails, among other projects. Funding was also allocated for various trail projects, including major improvements to the Westside Overland Trail in Chautauqua Gorge and Mount Pleasant State Forests, the installation of trailhead kiosks on the Overland Trails and the Chautauqua Rails-to-Trails, new trail signs on the Overland Trails, and trail maintenance projects on the Chautauqua Rails-to-Trails.

County Parks Commission member Jacob Bodway said the promise of a comprehensive “Friends Group” will help break down the silos that have made it difficult for communication and county-wide planning, “The ‘Friends Group’ will help get everyone on the same page and will enable us to seek larger grant dollars for future trail projects. This moment represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to upgrade and expand the county’s greenspaces and to market the county as a regional leader in outdoor recreation.”

The County Planning Department has also been working in partnership with the Town of Westfield to develop the Welch Trail, which will connect downtown Westfield to Chautauqua Creek via a mile-long loop trail. The project, funded through a grant from the New York State Office of Parks and Historic Preservation, is expected to be completed this spring. The Department has also been working to secure easements for a portion of trail that would connect Barcelona Harbor to the Chautauqua Institution, with additional funding from OPRHP.

For more information on Chautauqua County’s ongoing trail development projects and access to the County Greenway Plan, visit planningchautauqua.com/planning/trails/.

WRFA’s Julia Ciesla-Hanley spoke with Chautauqua Rails to Trails President Bill Ward and President Emeritus Jim Fincher on a new trail project that is being developed in the town of Carroll.

Pictured above, one of the trail markers that program participants can rub to record a trail visit in their passports.

MAYVILLE – Since 2005, Wegmans has partnered with town and city recreation programs and park conservancy groups to encourage communities to live healthier, better lives by taking advantage of the trails in their area.

Chautauqua County, in collaboration with Wegmans, is excited to present The Discovering the Trails of Chautauqua County Hit the Trail Passport. Your FREE Passport will make getting active even more fun!

Ryan Salvo, Store Manager at Jamestown Wegmans, said, “We’ve all discovered a greater appreciation for our natural spaces, as many families are looking for safe and healthy activities during the pandemic. Wegmans is proud to provide these pocket-sized passports to the community, and thank Chautauqua County Parks for its partnership with this initiative.”

“We are very excited to be a part of this new adventure with Wegmans, Chautauqua County Parks, and Chautauqua County Rails to Trails,” said Christine Schuyler, Public Health Director/Commissioner of Social Services, Chautauqua County Department of Health & Human Services. “Getting out and enjoying our beautiful countryside is good for mental and physical health.”

Your passport details two trail systems in Chautauqua County – the Overland Trails and Chautauqua Rails to Trails. Take a walk, breathe the fresh air, and enjoy the great outdoors. You have the opportunity to explore over 42 miles of County Trails and 20+ miles of unused rail corridors. Hike the rolling hills and valleys on the Overland Trails, and you will have access to some of the most stunning natural beauty and enjoyable wildlife areas available in Western New York. Rails to Trails provides safe, attractive trails for non-motorized trail users; trails wind through wetlands, pine forests, hardwood forests, pastures and vineyards.

Enjoy the forests, open space, opportunities and challenges provided on these trails:

• Earl Cardot Eastside Overland Trail
• Fred J. Cusimano Westside Overland Trail
• Chautauqua Rails To Trails

“The Chautauqua County Parks Division appreciates Wegmans support in promoting use of the County’s Overland Trails,” said Brad Bentley, Chautauqua County Director of Public Facilities. “The trails are a great way to see some of Chautauqua County’s best outdoor environments, get some exercise and through the Passport booklet become eligible for some great rewards.”

“Over the course of the last year, Rails to Trails saw many more people out on the trail, and had the opportunity to make several trail improvements,” commented Jim Fincher, President of Chautauqua Rails to Trails. “We hope residents and visitors alike will take the time to enjoy nature and history along our miles of trails. Grab your passports and take a hike!”

Get your Discovering the Trails of Chautauqua County passport at Wegmans, Customer Service Desk, 945 Fairmount Avenue, Jamestown; the Chautauqua County Health Department, HRC Building, 7 North Erie Street, Mayville; or online at Wegmans.com/wp-content/uploads/Chautauqua-passport.pdf.

Here is how it works: hit the trail with your passport; rub trail markers to record your visits right in your passport; drop off completed passports at the Chautauqua County Health Department, HRC Building, 7 North Erie Street, Mayville, for a chance to win prizes. The trail maps are divided into segments. You can complete a trail over the course of multiple days or months and in any sequence, as long as you capture the distinctive seal for each trail segment in the frames indicated on the passport.

The event is open to the public in an effort to:

• Support the ongoing maintenance of the 17-mile trail that runs from Sherman to Mayville to Brocton;
• Enable people who appreciate the trail’s contribution to a quality year-round outdoor Chautauqua County trail experience to get together and have fun.

The “all ages” festival will feature music by Bill Ward from 5 to 7.  In addition to a hearty varied meal, attendees will also be able to partake in guided trail hikes, activities for children (including a costume contest), all sorts of raffles and a bake sale.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at Trinity Guitars in Jamestown, Webb’s Captain’s Table, Cool Little Music Shop in Fredonia, or from any CR2T board member, or at the door.

The announcement was made during a news conference hosted by the seniors in the Williams Center at SUNY Fredonia. The organizations were chosen from 16 applicants, which is the largest amount of applications the program has received since it began in 2001. This is also Fredonia’s largest class of public relations students to work on the project, marking the fourth straight year of record enrollment.