The Sierra Club wants YOU to get outdoors and experience the beauty of the natural world. We are proposing some excellent opportunities in the following and encourage you to be involved.
NOT FOR PROFIT
Sierra Club National – A wide range of national and international paid trips are available throughout the year for all ages and interests, including ‘service’ trips at reduced rates. Consult the back pages of Sierra magazine, or peruse the website. Sierra Club National
ADK (Adirondack Mountain Club) – ADK sponsors frequent local day and evening hikes, bike trips, paddles, x-country skiing, as well as regional Adirondack and Canadian overnights – both tent camping and lodge stays. Each event has a group leader. You are allowed to participate in (2) activities annually before joining ADK. Annual membership fees are $50 – $60. Niagara Frontier Adirondack Mountain Club
Buffalo Audubon Society – Local activities and nature hikes occur frequently throughout the year. Memberships are $25 – $35 annually, but you can attend some programs as a non-member for a small fee. Buffalo Audubon Society
Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper – WATERKEEPER is a community-based organization dedicated to protecting the quality and quantity of water, including cleaning up pollution, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, and enhancing public access through greenways that expand parks and open space. There are numerous volunteer opportunities and occasional public programs. Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper
Foothills Trail Club – Activities include group hiking on numerous Western New York trails. You are allowed to participate in (3) activities annually before joining. Annual membership fees are $22 – $30. Foothills Trail Club
Niagara Falls State Park – The oldest State Park in the United States has a wide variety of up-close attractions to appreciate the majesty of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge. The Maid of the Mist boats (now fully electric) bring you up to the brink of the falls. For those who are not fans of boats, the Cave of the Winds trip takes you within feet of the Bridal Falls. You can also hike the Niagara Gorge, either on tours guided by the State Parks or on self-directed hikes.
Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve & Environmental Education Center – Conveniently located in Depew, DEC-managed Reinstein Woods is open to the public weekdays and weekends and includes guided hikes, scheduled programs, and public hiking trails. Check the website for times and activities. Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve
Tifft Nature Preserve – The Tifft Nature Preserve offers over five miles of hiking trails and guided walks. Check out their website for featured events run by the Buffalo Museum of Science. The trails are open daily from dawn to dusk and the Visitor Center is open 10 am – 4 pm Wednesday through Sunday. Tifft Nature Preserve
Meet Up – “Meet-Up” is the world’s largest network of local groups. The intent is to get local people together with common interests. Log on to the following, then click on Find top left to browse the numerous listings, or type a group name in the search box mid-page. About Meetup
LOCAL OUTDOOR COMPANIES SPONSORING ACTIVITIES & TRIPS
Paths, Peaks and Paddles – Activities include free weekly paddles on Ellicott Creek across from the store on Ellicott Creek Rd, paid overnight excursions, outdoor education, equipment rentals (kayaks, canoes, snowshoes), and whitewater rafting on Cattaraugus Creek. Check the web-site for activities and contact information. Paths, Peaks and Paddles
Adventure Calls Outfitters – Activities include paid whitewater rafting and kayaking trips on Cattaraugus Creek and the Genesee River in the Letchworth State Park gorge. (Seeing the gorge from the top is spectacular, but paddling through it and looking up provides an altogether different view.) Adventure Calls Outfitters
MEMBER TRIP OR ACTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS
If you’ve had a particularly memorable outdoor excursion, let us know about it and we’ll share with the Niagara Sierra Club membership. Send a brief summary with the date and relevant contact information to niagarasierra@gmail.com.
October 27, 2013 (Submitted by Ron Missel)
I spent the weekend kayaking at Fish Creek Cabin Resorts in Taberg, NY, a little northeast of Oneida Lake. The resort includes a dozen cabins on the banks of Fish Creek. The cabins are all new, sleep 2 – 4 people, and have all amenities. The owners, Tim Schoen and his brother, are gracious hosts. Activities include shuttles for whitewater kayaking and rafting in the spring, still water kayaking/canoeing in summer and fall, fly fishing and canoe fishing all season, and access to snow mobiling and x-country skiing. If nothing else, the fall foliage is outstanding. Feel free to call me direct at 913-7866 if you have questions. Fish Creek Cabin Resort
Sierra Club Niagara Group 