Allegany 18 Challenge - Bear Springs - Trail 1 of 18

I recently decided to take on the Allegany 18 Challenge. What is the Allegany 18 Challenge you ask?  It is a challenge where you hike 18 of the original hiking trails in Allegany State Park. .

To start the challenge stop by the Red House administration building and pay $20 for the packet and materials you will need to participate. The packet consists of a folder, welcome letter and trail maps for each of the hikes that you will need to complete.

After receiving your packet you will need to fill out your information for the packet number you have been provided.   Once you've completed the paperwork you can begin your quest to complete the trails. Trails can be completed in any order and you must either make an etching of the Allegany 18 trail markers on each trail or take a picture of the trail.

In this series I will walk through each of the trails and detail what I find on the trails and the conditions on the days that I hiked them.   For difficulty, I will be using the ratings that the park provides for each trail. I will not be posting pictures of the trail markers, you will need to find these on your own adventure.

My goal is to share my quest with you and provide any insights into each trail.   I will be attempting to complete the trails in what I believe to be the easiest to hardest. 

If you decide to take on the challenge good luck and please share your experiences with us. Always remember to let someone know when and where you will be hiking, how long you expect to be gone and when you plan to return.

When hiking it is important to check the local weather forecast, have food and water with you, and bring essential items like a small first aid kit.   The packet provided will also give you a list of recommended items and dangers you may encounter.

Trail 1 of 18 - Bear Springs

Every journey begins with that first step.

After talking with a number of staff at the park and hikers in the area I learned that Bear Springs is the easiest trail to start with.   I haven't done a ton of intense hiking over the last few years so lets start slow.

Trail Name:  Bear Springs
Trail Length:  0.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy
Time Needed:. 30 minutes

Bear Springs is located along ASP 1 approx. 2.5 miles north of the Quaker Run admin building. Park in the lot on the side of the road next to the trail head and head over to the trail head marker for more information.  It is a short straight trail that is not a loop.  It is the shortest Trail in the park and is a mostly flat walk.

On the day that I hiked the trail is was wet and muddy so proper footwear is a must.   While walking along the trail there is a switchback that will make the slight change in elevation easy to navigate.

After a short walk you will find a long abandoned picnic area where I imagine visitors enjoying the natural spring and a family outing in days long gone.

Past the picnic area you will find the destination of this trail, the covered natural spring.  Do not drink the water from the spring as it contains iron and iron eating bacteria.

As tempting as it might be don't drink the water!

At this point turn around and head back to the trail head.   Do not continue on the trail going past the covered spring as this is a social path that has developed from curious adventures over the years and is a trail to nowhere.

First trail complete, 17 more to go.

Adventures at Allegany State Park

Welcome to Allegany State Park!

Since becoming a raft Guide at Adventure Calls Outfitters I have spent countless hours in and around Letchworth State Park but, today I'd like to share another of my favorite New York State parks with you. Allegany State Park is located in southwestern New York and offers year- round adventures and something for everyone. 

Every year I spend at least a week camping with my family in Allegany State Park.  ASP offers multiple options Tent/RV sites, cabins (ranging from four walls to cabins with multiple rooms and heat/electric) and finally cottages (full home away from home accomodations) at both the Red House and Quaker Run sides of the park.   Each side of the park also has a beach and waterfront boating and rental options.

This year we chose to stay on the Quaker Run side of the park in a single room cabin.   Since we are on vacation the idea is to relax so we try not to have any hard and fast schedules for each day but we also don't try to sit just at the cabin either.

Thunder Rocks

Our first outing for the week was a trip to Thunder Rocks.  Thunder Rocks is a series or large granite boulders left behind by glaciers during the last ice age.

As a kid I admit that I spent far too much time climbing on and around the rocks.  Unfortunately over time a number of visitors have forgotten the rules of Leave No Trace and have left graffitti and others markings on both the boulders and the trees. 

That stick guy is always getting into trouble!

Thankfully efforts over the last few years have helped to limit further damage to the formations.  Signs have been added advising visitors to not climb on the rocks and nature is retaking the rocks with vibrant miss and other plants growing on the formations.

If you plan to visit Thunder Rocks and you want to see everything I recommend spending at least a couple of hours here.

Who doesn't love fireworks?

Our next adventure was to be the beach but heavy rains during the week closed both of the beaches.  On the bright side we were still able to enjoy the fireworks over Quaker Lake for the Fourth of July.

No kid of any age can resist playing in a stream on a hot day.

While my family enjoyed the downtown around the cabin and my kids were running off playing in the streams and woods with other campers I decided to embark on a new adventure.   Thanks to fellow guide and outdoor enthusiast, Mike Radomski (Outside Chronicles) I had head about the Allegany 18 challenge.

The goal is to hike all of the original 18 hiking trails in ASP. A task covering 70 miles of trails through the woods of ASP. To see how this turns out follow my posts chronicling each trail as I complete them.