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Take a
Paddle - Comments from
Trails.com users
Genesee River (Charlotte
area)
Access to the drop in point at the park was
somewhat difficult unless you knew someone to open the gates. You
definitely want a cart of some sort to get your gear down the
incline... thank god you don't have to come back up. Very quiet,
calm water, nearly no current... nice views of of the surroundings.
Wildlife was abundant... deer, a hawk, geese, a swan, and
several jumping fish.
Black Creek (Chili)
On June 21, 2007 we canoed the Black Creek. It
was a nice trip. The launching area was clean. We paddled upstream
until we came across a fallen tree, past the railroad bridge (second
bridge), which took us about an hour. There is some noise from
airplanes (about one every 15 minutes), and a passing train, but
otherwise surprisingly quiet for being near a large city. The fish
are huge, and a heron kept landing near us. On the whole trip we
only saw 2 other kayakers coming downstream.
Buffalo River Urban Canoe Trail (West Seneca
to Buffalo)
The trail is interesting and taking the trail
guide along is deffinitely the way to go. There were just two
problems that were really quite serious for this trail - one the
trail head off Harlem road is just one slippery mess, it is truly a
chore just to stand, not to mention hauling a kayak in and out. My
score for slippery falls was three on land and one to my knees just
in the waters edge- the other is the opposite end of the trail at
the Ohio street takeout. The concrete ramp seems to be about twelve
feet or so wide at best and would not lend itself well to my
seventeen foot kayak. Worst of all the ramp was full of debree which
apparently had found a home there. I would not recommend this trail
without full warnings on the slipperiest mud I've ever seen, and
only if the trip was a round trip, not planning on the Ohio
St.takeout. I don't know how the oneway time was figured but round
trip took us just about four and a half hours, that incuded a snack
and stretch stop at the Cazenovia Creek.
Burnt Ship & Woods Creek
This is one of my favorite short paddles in
Erie County. I have paddled here many times. You can head into
residential areas on Woods Creek if you want, but it's better to
cross the earthen dam and venture back into the reeds of Buckhorn
Wildlife Area. By mid-summer, much of it is thick with lillies, so
you will have to fight through in places. It's also nice to venture
out a ways on the the Niagara River. It is calm and shallow along
the Grand Island shore. There is a grass island a little ways off
shore where the fishing is supposed to be very good.
East Bay,
Mudge Creek, and Chimney Bluffs
Chimney Bluffs certainly offers the
opportunity to enjoy the outdoors whether on foot or by water.
There is a nice picnic area at the main park with several
different trails. There are several different options by canoe or
kayak in the East Bay area. When we paddled Mudge Creek to East
Bay the creek was very quiet and scenic but the bay seemed to be
very busy - boaters, Jet Skis, etc. There are better canoeing
opportunities on the eastern shore of Lake Ontario if you prefer a
more quiet time. If you don't mind sharing the water with motor
boats and Jet Skis then this is a nice paddle. It is also a good
place to go if you want to break up your day - some
canoeing/kayaking and some hiking.
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