Road Trip: Hiking in Allegany State Park (NY)

July 29 - August 1, 2016

Three day cross-border backpacking trip to Allegany State Park (New York) and Allegheny National Forest (Pennsylvania). This area is defined by the rolling hills of the Allegheny Highlands forest region. We will be hiking through deciduous forest along the marked footpath of the long-distance North Country Trail system, which goes from New York State to North Dakota.

Highlights of this trip include exploring a new hiking destination fairly close to home; a scenic and secluded camping experience on the Allegheny Reservoir; the experience of using a wooden backcountry shelter; and a well-serviced end point.

Trail conditions along this section vary. The trail surface itself is smooth, but within Allegany State Park, trail maintenance can be spotty, with deadfall and branches sometimes obstructing the trail. The terrain is rolling, but not rugged. The challenge of this trip is more the distance than the terrain, although there are several steeper climbs.

Participants should be self-sufficient and experienced hiking a distance of about 20km with a fully loaded overnight pack. This trip starts from Waterloo. Rendez-vous point will be close to the expressway on the border between Waterloo and Kitchener at 4:00 pm on Friday July 29. Organizers will check travel documents before departure. Travel insurance is also required. From there we will carpool in one or two vehicles to Allegany State Park, NY.

BECAUSE THIS TRIP INVOLVES CROSSING AN INTERNATIONAL BORDER, PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE EITHER A VALID CANADIAN OR AMERICAN PASSPORT AND HAVE ZERO CRIMINAL HISTORY.

Itinerary:

Friday Night: Leave from Waterloo. 4-5 hours driving time, and a border crossing. Camp in a frontcountry site at Quaker Area of Allegany State Park after setting up tents with help from headlamps (and car headlights if needed).

Saturday Morning: Park cars for the weekend and depart on foot heading south. 17k hike through rolling forested terrain with some steeper climbs. This is a moderate to difficult route that is expected to take six to seven walking hours.

Saturday Night: Camp on the edge of the Allegheny Reservoir along a stream. Organizers have never used this site, but we believe it is very pretty and completely unserviced.
Sunday Morning: Depart on foot heading back north to Allegany State Park, retracing our steps from Saturday. Stop for the night at about 15k.

Sunday Night: Camp at the Willis Creek Lean-To in Allegany State Park. This wooden backcountry hiker shelter is 20 years old, open front, and has a water supply and outhouse. It fits six people. Depending on numbers, we may also set up a tent or two.

Monday Morning: Hike back to Quaker Area in Allegany State Park, either by the most direct route of just a few km, or by making a longer loop, depending on what the group wants to do.

Monday Afternoon: Celebrate Civic Holiday and the end of the trip with showers, ice cream, and a possible swim at Quaker Area. Choice of either barbeque-ing at our end point or stopping for lunch on the way home at the Ellicottville Brew Pub in Ellicottville, NY. Drive back to Waterloo.

Cost:
The costs for this trip should be reasonable. Gas and tolls should be somewhere around $35 depending on the number of people per car. We need to pay for our campsite Friday night but the other two nights are free so assume $50 plus some incidentals Gear:
Everyone is responsible to ensure that they are fully outfitted. If you desire to share gear (ie. Tent, stove, ex.) use the comment section