Chautauqua County Parks & Trails

02/06/2026

Great trails, and great people….

Our annual winter ski gathering for 2026 will be held Sunday February 15th from 11am-3pm . It’s also our tenth anniversary and we will be holding a special raffle! The weather looks favorable for this event and your BHSC board members will be there providing free food, beverage and a campfire! Bring your ski friends and try out our groomed trails. We look forward to seeing our old friends and meeting some new ones too!
Party location is at the Ruttenbur parking lot. Check out our page for more info. regarding trail conditions and updates; FB Boutwell Hill Ski Club
We are always looking for volunteers to clear our trails and accept donations for maintaining the trails. Venmo: -SkiClub Mail: PO Box 182 Cherry Creek, NY 14723

02/04/2026

Grooming on the Westside Overland Trail today…the crew groomed from P at Wiltsie Rd north to the NYSDEC forest road and south from P a ways, approximately 2 miles in total length. Enjoy!

01/05/2026

They were cold and snowy First Day Hikes, but we persevered! Beautiful scenery, fresh air that was definitely brisk, and great company….a terrific way to ring in 2026. We’re already planning next year’s hikes! Thank to our Parks Dept maintenance crew, NYSDEC, Martha Anderson, Sandy Gloss Colvenback, Anne Chittester, and CCETS, Inc. for all of your help!!!!

12/31/2025

Start off 2026 with some fresh air! First Day Hikes are tomorrow. There are 2 options in Chautauqua County alone!

Mark your calendars for First Day Hikes 2026, coming up January 1! First Day Hikes is a nationwide initiative that takes place annually on New Year’s Day. Across New York State, hikes are led by DEC staff, local partners, and volunteers and range from mountain climbs to cross-country skiing, leisurely strolls along birding trails, and so much more!

DEC, NY State Parks & Historic Sites, and the NYS Canal Corporation work together to coordinate the event in New York State, with hikes planned at DEC lands, state parks, historic sites, natural areas, canal trails, environmental education centers, and other public lands. We hope to see you there!

12/17/2025

As of this afternoon, the trees that fell on the bridge west of Stebbins Rd. on the Westside Overland Trail, have been cleaned up! A huge THANK YOU goes out to our Parks Dept crew for their hard work in tough conditions today. Please note that the bridge is sound, but the trees did knock out the hand rail, so please use caution when using the bridge.

12/09/2025

First Day Hikes to welcome in 2026!!!!
There will be 2 different hikes offered this year. Both on the Eastside Overland Trail at 10am on January 1st. You can choose to meet at the parking area on the corner of Gerry-Ellington Road and Harris Hill Road and hike a 4± mile out and back hike with the Chautauqua County Parks Dept. and Chautauqua County Parks Commission, where some trail reroutes and the new steel beam bridge will be explored. Or you can choose a shorter 2.25 loop hike leaving from the parking area on Ruttenbur Road in the Boutwell Hill State Forest hosted by our friends at CCETS, Inc. We hope to see you there!!!!

Below is a link to the map of the NYS First Day Hikes:
https://dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/hiking/first-day-hikes

Mark your calendars for First Day Hikes 2026, coming up January 1! First Day Hikes is a nationwide initiative that takes place annually on New Year’s Day. Across New York State, hikes are led by DEC staff, local partners, and volunteers and range from mountain climbs to cross-country skiing, leisurely strolls along birding trails, and so much more!

DEC, NY State Parks & Historic Sites, and the NYS Canal Corporation work together to coordinate the event in New York State, with hikes planned at DEC lands, state parks, historic sites, natural areas, canal trails, environmental education centers, and other public lands. We hope to see you there!