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Bikina
Insider’s view of Red House
by Lisa Borgia
Mountain biking is fast
becoming one of today’s most
popular recreational activities.
Many mountain bikers are
satisfied with riding on the roads
or paved trails of some public
parks, but for bikers yearning for
wooded trails to ride on, it is
becoming more and more difficult
to find the elusive “perfect ride.”
If you own a 500 acre spread or
are close friends with some one
who does, you don’t need to
know about the mountain biking
at Red House. However, if you
are a biker looking for a choice
riding experience, read on.
Red House is located in
Allegheny State Park, just west
of Salamanca, New York. The
Red House area itself is a portion
of Allegheny State Park that
includes the Quaker Run area, and
is adjacent to the Salamanca
Indian reservation.
When you step into the woods
at Red House, you leave behind
roads, traffic, phone lines, and
civilization. There are ten trail
systems in the Red House Area,
all with cabins, but these cabins
are spread out over approximately
49 square miles, lire extensive
trail systems makes a stop to
pick up a map at the beautiful
stone administration building
located on Red House Lake a
must.
Summit trail system is my
personal favorite for mountain
biking. The Art Roscoe Ski
Touring area is included in this
series of trails, which have
wonderful names such as
Sweetwater, Snowsnake Run, and
Christian Hollow.
From the parking area, you can
warm up on the Stone Tower
Loop, which is a rustic park road
to a stone observation tower that
looks out over the Allegheny
River Valley below from a
benchmarked elevation of 2202
feet above sea level.
Opposite the river, you can see
Red House Lake and the
Photo by Lisa Borgia
SUMMIT TRAIL: A favorite of many, Summit Trail offers that perfect off-road biking with a view
looking over the Allegheny River Valley from a benchmarked elevation of 2202 feet above sea
Photo by Lisa Borgia
RED HOUSE: For those bikers yearning for the off-road biking experience, Red House offers the elusive "perfect ride ” Just
west of Salamanca, New York, Red House is a part of Allegheny State Park.
administration building. After
riding back to the parking area,
you cross the road and enter the
trail system proper.
Depending on your -riding
preferences, you can take
Patterson Run, which is a thrill
ride that runs 2.2 miles with a
vertical drop of 400 feet, before
joining Ridge Run; jump into
the five winding miles of
Snowsnake; or ease into the ride
with the grassy, rolling loops of
Sweetwater, Christian Hollow,
and Leonard Run.
Features
Anyway you choose, you are
in for a treat. The trails are well
kept, and just challenging enough
without being too tough.
Insider’s secrets to riding these
trails: Make sure your bike is in
good shape, never bike alone, and
wear a helmet! Stay off
Snowsnake if the going is wet.
The ground on that trail contains
a goodly amount of clay that
becomes a sticky, gooey mess
when soaked..
If you are not sure about your
riding ability, or if this is your
first time off road, take the
Sweetwater route. These trails
are less than three miles long and
all loop back to the main trail.
They are gently rolling, have
great vistas, and never take you
far from your car. Those of you
who are into riding hard and
sweating, you can take Patterson
first and climb back out Ridge
Run to get rocking. Or turn onto
Snowsnake, and pound it hard.
If you are taking along
children, or want to stay on paved
trails, the bike path around the
lake is scenic and easy to ride.
The trip around the lake is three
miles, and the total mileage on
the paved trail is just over five
and half miles.
The administration building
houses a small natural history
museum for the kids, and a
swimming beach is open during
the summer season. There are
many hiking trails with
interpretive tours that include
bear dens and beaver dams.
Quaker Run has an even larger
lake, with swimming and fishing
areas.
To get to Red House from
Erie, take Route 17 (Southern
Tier Expressway) east for
approximately 65 miles, and get
off at exit 19 at Red House. This
exit will take you directly into
the park, and the administration
building is located on the right
about two miles from the
highway. The ride is beautiful,
crossing Chautauqua Lake at
Bemus Point and following the
Allegheny River Valley through
New Yoric.
Thursday, September 28,1995
Information on cabin rental,
park hours, and fees can be
obtained from the Office of
Parks, Recreation and Historic
Preservation, the Allegheny
Region at (716) 354-9121; or for
reservations, 1-800-456-CAMP.
Have fun biking, and remember
bike safely!
Directions to
Red House
From Erie: Take
190 east past Exit
10 to Rt.l7.
Follow 17 for app.
65 miles into New
York to exit 19 at
Red House.
Follow this exit
directly into the
park.
On your right is
the administration
building about two
miles from the
highway.