Local Stuff & Links

Portville NY, home of Pfeiffer Nature Center, is located in the heart of the enchanted mountains.  The Nature Center reaches out to visitors from the Allegany, Cattaraugus, and McKean county areas and welcomes those from points beyond.

Here are a few spots we like to frequent in the twin tiers and hope you may enjoy visiting them as well.

Where we like to eat…

We love making a home cooked meal with fresh veggies from Canticle Farm Community Supported Agriculture.  They sell shares as well as have a fresh produce stand at their farm.  Our local restaurants in Portville include…

Red’s & Trudy’s, of New York Times 2003 review fame and home of the loose meat sandwich.  It’s yummy and goes well with an ice cold homemade old-fashioned chocolate shake!  501 Main St, Portville, NY 14770  716-933-8982

Sprague’s Maple Farms is the place for pancakes and local maple syrup. Locals know they are the source for fresh turkeys available at Thanksgiving!  They are located about 5 minutes from either of our properties and make a great stop to either load up on the carbs before a long hike or feed a famished crowd when you’ve walked longer than expected in our beautiful woods!  1048 Route 305 N, Portville, NY 14770 716-933-6637

For a quick lunch to take along on your hike, we have our locally owned Subway in downtown, minutes from the Nature Center.   Fast and friendly!  2 Main St, Portville, NY 14770 716-933-7827

If you are here enjoying the spectacular fall foliage, stop in (September – November) for cold cider and hot donuts at Cummins Cider Mill, just 5 minutes east on Rt 417/Portville Ceres Rd, Portville NY 14770 716-933-8890.  

If you happen to pass through Olean, check out…

Attard’s for yummy Lebanese, Italian, vegetarian, and Middle Eastern specialties.  184 N Union St. Olean NY 14760 716-373-7736.  In the same block is another local favorite, The Beef n’ Barrel, 146 N. Union, Olean, NY 14760 716-372-2985.  Many local restaurants provide catering for special events, like outdoor weddings at our Lillibridge Property.

And speaking of weddings…. Caya’s Canopies provides tents, china, and other do-dads for those special events at Lillibridge!

Cool spots to visit…

Rock City Park, what a place to climb gigantic boulders and take in a spectacular view of the area.

Cutco Cutlery & Zippo are two internationally known manufacturers in the area.  Both have visitor centers with intriguing displays and goodies for purchase.

Portville Historical Society and the Eldred World War II Museum provide great glimpses into the past.  We’ve always found them staffed with knowledgeable friendly volunteers.

Great places to hike…

Our area has an abundance of public forests.  The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation has many locations in Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties to explore the diverse ecological systems of a post glacial landscape.

Some of our favorite outdoor sites in Allegany County include the Nature Conservancy’s Moss Lake, an awesome spot to see a glacial kettle lake.  Hanging Bog in Black Creek is a quiet place to paddle and walk.

In Cattaraugus County we like to visit the forests managed by NYS Department of Environmental Conservation State Forests – Rock City State Forest (home of Little Rock City), McCarthy Hill State Forest, Golden Hill State Forest, and of course… the beautiful Zoar Valley River Gorge.

Other unique sites in Cattaraugus include the Buffalo Audubon’s Allenburg Bog Preserve and its neighbor Zaepfel Nature Center.

Right in our backyard we have Allegany State Park, with miles of forest and water ways to explore. The North Country National Scenic Trail, and our local subpart, the Finger Lakes Trail Conference , provide well marked trails that cross through Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.   To the south, in McKean County, PA,  is the amazing Allegheny National Forest, and the Kinzua area.  The PA Wilds website will open the doors to the endless possibilities to explore in our neighboring state.

We love to hike the trails surrounding Bradford, PA.  Check out the giant trees around the Marilla Reservoir and associated trails in the Tuna Valley Trail System.

The Genesee Valley Greenway Trail is also fun to hike.  At 84 miles long, most people choose to do a section at a time.

Nature people we like to hike with and nature places we like to visit…

Are you looking for a group to cross country ski, snowshoe, or hike with?  These groups organize outings on our properties:  Olean Area Hiking GroupSouthern Tier Greenway Hiking.

Susquehannock Trail Club in Coudersport, part of the Keystone Trails Association,  maintains 85 miles of the Susquehannock Trail System which passes thought the beautiful forests of Susquehannock State Forest and Sproul State Forest.  They offer a comprehensive schedule of hikes and programs of varying challenge and interest.

Jamestown, NY is a haven for birders.  It’s home to the Roger Tory Peterson Institute and their annual birding festival and the Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary, which offers ongoing year-round programming on birds and nature.   Both sites provide inspiration with gardens that use native plants and are designed to attract wildlife.

For local birding we work with the Cattaraugus County Bird Study Club.  They provide the free bird walks at the Nature Center in May.  They have regular meetings and field trips for birders in the local area.

For interesting walks and help identifying wildflowers, we rely on the volunteers of the Niagara Frontier Botanical Society.  The group is an affiliate of the Buffalo Museum of Science.

Where to find our next adventure…

You can find local events and activities on these sites:

Olean Area Chamber of Commerce, Cattaraugus County Tourism/Enchanted Mountains, Allegany County TourismOlean Times Herald, The Salamanca Press, Bradford Era, and PA Wilds.