Secret Places of Western New York: 25 Scenic Hikes
Order your copy and start your discovery of 25 secret and scenic day hikes within a day’s drive of Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
Hidden in these pages, you’ll uncover what makes these hikes special enough to be a Secret Place. Both lifetime locals and visitors to the region will be guided to the best paths and trails throughout the Niagara, Buffalo, Rochester, and Southern Tier regions.
Hike to grottos where the only sound is the trickle of water, crawl through hidden caves, commune with nature in ancient forests, stumble upon tucked away treasures like lonely graves, splash on secluded beaches and creeks, admire towering waterfalls, and if you dare, step under the cascade yourself. Find historical carvings on rocks and trees that many walk past but never see, and be awestruck when ice volcanoes erupt on the shores of Lake Erie.
Co-authors Jennifer Hillman and William McKeever have teamed up with Bruce Kershner’s literary estate to encourage the next generation of explorers to discover 25 compelling secret and not-so-secret scenic day hikes within Western New York.
Go take a hike!
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Call it a labor of love, passion project, or an excuse to hike with our kids and dogs. The motivation for Secret Places of Western New York: 25 Scenic Trails is pure of heart and filled with love. We wrote this book because of our love of hiking Western New York’s beautiful places and our respect for the late Bruce Kershner: tree hugger, environmentalist, teacher, advocate, and friend.
Everyone’s motivation to hike a trail is different, some do it for fitness, some do it to commune with nature, others simply like to explore new places. Whatever your reason, this book has hikes for all seasons. The hikes in our book are listed by region and encompass the counties that make up Western New York (WNY) and slightly beyond. Every hike in the book can be reached within a two-hour drive in WNY.
There is an overview map that will show you clusters of hikes, so you can plan on doing a few together or over a couple days.
Each chapter starts off with a description of each hike, including GPS coordinates to the trailhead, along with the street and city to use in your mapping app. We included usage icons to show what you can expect, such as fees, bathrooms, swimming, dog-friendly, hunting allowed, and wheeled accessibility.
Each hike will include a description of a few unique features, which are what make each hike a “Secret Place.” Then we guide you through the trail and point out where to find these unique features. Sometimes, we include a brief history of the location if it will enrich your outing.
At the end of each hike, we discuss seasonality considerations and make special gear suggestions to enhance your experience.
Don’t just buy the book, go use the book.
Go take a hike!
Jennifer & Bill