Allegany State Park is a state park in western New York State, located in Cattaraugus County just north of the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania. The park is divided into two sections: The Red House Area and the Quaker Run Area. It lies within the Allegheny Highlands forests ecoregion.
The Red House Area is the northeastern half of Allegany State Park. The Red House area's attractions include Stone Tower, the Summit Fire Tower, Red House Lake, Bridal Falls, and the Art Roscoe Ski Area. This section also contains of paved bike trails and 130 camp sites. The Red House area is the location of the Administration Building for the park.
The Quaker area is the southwestern section of the park. Its attractions include Quaker Lake, the Mount Tuscarora Fire Tower, hiking trails, Science lake, Bear Caves, Thunder Rocks, the Quaker Amphitheater, and several campsites. The Cain Hollow campground is located on the Quaker side of the park.
Allegany State Park was named as a top "Amazing Spot" in the nation in 2007. It has also been referred to as "the wilderness playground of Western New York."
The park is 1 of 80 New York State Parks that was in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, with 1 minute and 42 seconds of totality.
History The Allegany State Park began on May 2, 1921, when an Act of the New York State Legislature approved the purchase of two tracts of land in the Quaker Run Valley. The act provided $25,000 in state funds for the purchase of land, provided that an equal amount in private funds be raised first. The first tract, consisting of of land belonging to the heirs of Amasa Stone, was purchased for $31,500 on June 18, 1921. The second tract consisted of of land and buildings adjacent to the Stone Estate. The price for this property was $4,300. The park was formally dedicated on July 30, 1921.
Senator Albert T. Fancher was appointed by New York Governor Nathan Lewis Miller to head a five-member team to develop a vast park that continues to grow to this day. Fancher is known as the "Father of Allegany State Park," and the seven Fancher Cottages in Allegany State Park are named after him.
A converted schoolhouse (near the present day Quaker Inn) served as the park's first administration building, and World War I Army surplus tents on wooden platforms were primarily used during the time between the park's creation until the completion of the first permanent cabins in 1925.
The first State Park Bond Issue was passed in 1924, and provided funds for the development of the Redhouse Area, including the construction of the Redhouse Administration Building and the building of the Redhouse Dam, which created Redhouse Lake.
In 1926, Science Lake was built and offered the first official swimming area in the park. Adjoining the lake was the Allegany School Of Natural History, a group of 42 cabins, and a main building housing a library, several science laboratories, and an assembly room.
The park was developed extensively between 1933 and 1942 when the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) took on the project of building roads, bridges, camping areas, trails, picnic areas and a ski resort. The CCC were also responsible for numerous conservation projects from reforestation to stream bank retention and wildlife improvements.
Through the years, the park was developed further with the addition of Quaker Lake, winterized cabins and full service cottages, hiking and snowmobile trails, picnic and recreation areas, bike and horse paths, and better roads enabling people to access the park. A ski facility was constructed in the park in the 1930s; the Bova ski area, which featured traditional alpine skiing and ski jumps, closed down in 1980 because of disrepair. Cross-country skiing is still available in the park.
By the 1960s, Allegany State Park had expanded to the point where it covered almost all of the towns of Red House and Elko, as well as much of the town of Carrollton. During this time, two major projects along the Allegheny River, the Kinzua Dam to the south and the Southern Tier Expressway to the north, were underway, and the state of New York attempted to evict those who remained in Elko and Red House through eminent domain using those projects as a pretense; what usable land that remained would be integrated into the park or handed to the Seneca Nation of Indians as compensation. Elko was successfully vacated and dissolved, but many of the remaining residents of Red House, among them the family of Pro Bowl fullback Marv Hubbard, managed to fight their evictions. To this day, a small northwestern corner of Allegany State Park is notched out, with 14 houses still mostly privately held by 38 residents. The state maintains a standing offer to the residents of Red House to buy out their property should it ever be abandoned.
Dance halls Among some of the park's rich history is the Old Quaker Dance Hall. The dance hall was located off ASP 3 across the creek from the Quaker Inn, near the Brow Cabin Trail and the Quaker Maintenance Area, and was torn down in 2002 due to its poor condition. Many dances occurred here through the Great Depression era into the mid-20th century. Bands would play live music at the hall while scores of people danced on the large dance floor.
The Redhouse Dance Pavilion was located along Redhouse Lake, near the beach parking lot. The old dance hall was built upon the concrete barn floor of a farmer,(John Sharpe), that formerly owned the land. As with the Quaker Dance Hall, weekend dances were held at the Redhouse Dance hall throughout the summer, from the 1920s through the rock & roll era.
The Redhouse Dance Pavilion was last used for an Independence Day dance in 1973. The building then housed a game room until it was torn down in 1984. The Redhouse Miniature Golf Course was later built on the same concrete floor; that facility was torn out in the late 2000s and the site is currently a vacant lot, with only the overhead lights remaining.
An amphitheater was constructed on the Quaker side of the park. It is the traditional home of the park's long-running hootenanny, which was held from 1972 to 2019.
New Ireland Also a part of the history is the settlement of New Ireland (Carrollton, New York) which was formed in the mid-19th century by a small group of Irish settlers who had fled the pains of the Great Famine. It is near Limestone but within the boundaries of Allegany State Park. The village since was incorporated into Limestone, and no longer exists. Ruins of the old village are still visible and are accessible from the Limestone Run Road.
Park fire towers Due to the danger of forest fires, and the damage caused by them in New York State Parks, three fire lookout towers were constructed. The first; Summit Fire Tower; was completed in 1926. It stands tall. The other fire towers were at Mt. Tuscarora Fire Tower located in the Quaker Area, and the Mt. Irvine Fire Tower, located in the Rice Brook (Limestone) area. The Mt. Tuscarora Fire Tower still stands today, near Quaker Lake. The Mt. Irvine Fire Tower, however, was disassembled by the park and moved to Science Hill near the Bradford, Pennsylvania entrance. When all the fire towers were abandoned in favor of aerial surveillance in 1971, the Mt. Irvine tower was the only one taken down by park personnel in the early 1970s. It was saved however, when reassembled by a BOCES class in Ellicottville.
Gas lease Contained within the park off France Brook Road is a large storage pool for natural gas. Formerly a large gas well, the Limestone Storage Pool is operated by National Fuel Gas Supply Corporation. National Fuel leases rights to maintain and operate over 20 wells it uses to store and regulate the natural gas it stores in the massive underground sandstone deposit. The storage pool is connected to the "K" line, which is a diameter gas pipeline that runs from Buffalo, New York to Eldred, Pennsylvania. The pool is regulated by equipment located in a compression station situated on the access road near the Bova Ski Area and Camp Allegany. The gas stored in this pool is used by the park (which it receives for free as part of the agreement), and by local industries requiring high-pressure, high-volume gas supply. The rest of the gas is used on the K line for distribution in New York and Pennsylvania.
A master plan, adopted in 2010, provides protection from oil and gas drilling within the park.
Park roads The park uses a system of three main roads linking the Red House area and the Quaker Run area, and serving as major thoroughfares in the Red House and Quaker Run Areas.
Allegany State Park Route 1 (ASP Route 1) runs north-to-south through the middle of the park. ASP Route 1 runs between the park's entrance from exit 21 of the Southern Tier Expressway (Interstate 86 and New York State Route 17) in Salamanca, to its intersection with ASP Route 3 in the Quaker Run Area near the Quaker Rental Office. ASP Route 1 also intersects with ASP Route 2 by Redhouse Lake. Winding ASP Route 1, historically known as Stoddard Road before the park was constructed, is shut down and used only as a snowmobile trail during the winter. The route becomes New York State Route 951M (an unsigned reference route) at the park's northern border.
Allegany State Park Route 2 (ASP Route 2) runs west to east along the northern part of the park and then north to south along the eastern side of the park. ASP Route 2 runs from exit 19 of the Southern Tier Expressway (the former New York State Route 382) in the town of Red House, New York to its intersection with ASP Route 3 at the Bradford, Pennsylvania, entrance of the park. ASP Route 2 also intersects with ASP Route 1 by Redhouse Lake. ASP Route 2 to ASP Route 3 is the sole automobile road between Red House and Quaker Run within Allegany State Park during the winter.
Allegany State Park Route 3 (ASP Route 3) runs west to east from the southern terminus of ASP Route 2 near the Bradford entrance to New York State Route 280 at the park's Quaker Run entrance in Coldspring. ASP Route 3 to ASP Route 2 is the sole automobile road between Red House and Quaker Run during the winter.
There are also several paved secondary roads in Allegany State Park.
Allegany State Park Route 2A (ASP Route 2A) runs along the southern shore of Red House Lake between ASP Route 1 and ASP Route 2. Quaker Lake Road runs from its intersection with ASP Route 3 (about east of the Quaker Entrance) around the North East side of Quaker Lake to just past the Quaker Beach. Cain Hollow Road goes from Quaker Lake Road (just north of ASP Route 3) into the Cain Hollow Campground. Friends Boat Launch Access Road is entered from outside the park, off NY 280, about north of the Quaker Entrance. This road leads to the boat launch onto the Allegheny Reservoir near the site of the old "Tunesassa School" (Indian School).
The park also has many minor access roads. These usually are dirt roads that go unmaintained during winter but otherwise range from good to rough condition. Bay State Road runs from ASP Route 1, about midpoint between Red House Lake and ASP3 past the former Big Basin Ski Area, north through the hamlet of Red House, and connects with ASP Route 2 just outside the park near I-86. Bay State Road cannot be navigated from end-to-end; it is only usable by snowmobile during the winter months and is gated off just south of Red House during the summer so as not to disturb the 38 remaining permanent residents of Red House. Bay State Road is maintained year-round by the town of Red House from the hamlet northward, as are two other roads in the hamlet, Lonkto Hollow Road and Beck Road. France Brook Road runs from ASP Route 2 near Group Camp 10, about south of Red House Lake, to ASP Route 1 near Bay State Road. Ridge Run Road starts at its intersection with ASP Route 2 (about north of the Bradford Entrance) and follows a ridge north to Thunder Rocks. Ridge Run Road is the main entrance to Thunder Rocks.