Those improvements have helped generate a high usage of trails in the county.

The Friends of Chautauqua County Greenways recently met to discuss various projects going on with a number of groups in the region. The organization consists of representatives of a wide variety of trail users and other stakeholder groups. It is co-chaired by T. John McCune with Chautauqua County Rails To Trails and Twan Leenders with Everwild Land Trust (formerly known as the Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy).

Over the last four years, the various groups in the Greenways organization have raised about $1.4 million through grants and other gifts.

Projects have included improvements to the county Overland Trails, the Marden E. Cobb Waterway Trails, the county Equestrian Trail System, the Boutwell Hill State Forest Cross Country Ski Trails, the county Rails To Trails, the county mountain bike trails and Jamestown’s Chadakoin Riverwalk.

T. John McCune who co-chairs the Friends of Chautauqua County Greenways discusses how the 2012 Greenway plan led to the growth in trail use today. P-J photo by Gregory Bacon

According to McCune, 75,000 to 100,000 people use the Overland Trails each year.

In 2025, there were 45,000 trail users on the Nadine and Paul Webb Trail segment of the county Rails To Trails alone.

Many of those people are tourists. “Trail users spend money at bed and breakfasts, campgrounds, trail-related businesses, hotels and motels, and breweries,” McCune said.

In Chautauqua County, there are:

– 35 miles of groomed fat bike trails for winter riding, the highest in the state;

– More than 400 miles of snowmobile trails;

– More than 45 miles of equestrian trails in Boutwell and North Harmony state forests;

– 25 miles of Rails to Trails, connecting Brocton to Sherman;

– 45 miles of shared use mountain bike trails and public and private properties;

– 50 miles of the Marden E. Cobb Waterway Trail.

COUNTY TRAILS

Jacob Bodway, who is a trail consultant for Chautauqua County Partnership for Economic Development, said this year they are working on Phase V of the Overland project, which is for the eastside trail in Boutwell Hill State Forest.

They have $110,000 which will be used to update a section of private property between Bates and Stebbins roads.

In addition, LaBella Associates has been hired to update the master plan for the trail from Barcelona to Chautauqua Institution. “It was the Barcelona to Chautauqua trail, the B2CI trail. Now it’s going to be called the Lake Erie to Chautauqua Lake connector trail,” Bodway said.

The trail will run from Barcelona Harbor, utilizing portions of the Chautauqua Rails to Trails, and connect Barcelona to Mayville.

BOUTWELL HILL SKI CLUB AND CCETS

The Boutwell Hill Ski Club collaborated with the Chautauqua County Equestrian Trail System to secure a $239,000 grant from Parks and Trails NY to add gravel to the Homestead Trail in Boutwell Hill State Forest.

COUNTY PARKS & TRAILS

Jamie Reynolds with the county Parks Department noted they are delayed in hiring seasonal employees.

“If anybody is out on the trails and sees things that haven’t been attended to, we just ask for some patience. We will be getting along there,” he said.

Reynolds noted the Luensman Overview Park in Portland and the Erlandson Overview Park in Frewsburg are both open and are able to be reserved. They have been used for weddings, family reunions, church gatherings, and more.

Reynolds said his department works in partnership with Bodway on making improvements to the Overland Trails, as well as the CWC (now Everwild Land Trust) in improving the county waterway trails.

This year they hope to construct two bridges in the Overland Trails – one in Panama State Forest and one in Harris Hill State Forest.

They also have funding to replace some of the Adirondack-style lean-tos on the Eastside Overland Trail, the Westside Overland Trail and the Waterway Trail.

RAILS TO TRAILS

Bill Ward with the Chautauqua Rails To Trails said along with various maintenance, they are looking to hire a trail consultant to help develop a Master Plan.

He noted the county Rails To Trails can become a connector to the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail, which is looking to connect to the Industrial Heartland Trail, which extends to West Virginia. “It’s only 30 miles of trails (locally), but it’s really, really important work,” Ward said.

Ward said they are hoping to raise $9,000 to support the work of the trails’ “hidden infrastructure,” specifically focusing on culvert maintenance.

Ward noted there are culverts that were placed in the 1800s and they would like to be able to create an egress from the main trail so the public can explore them.

EVERWILD LAND TRUST

The Chautauqua Watershed Conservancy has now rebranded itself as Everwild Land Trust. Leenders said the new name better identifies their vision.

“We’re expanding constantly the nature preserve network that we have in Chautauqua County, Cattaraugus County and Pennsylvania,” he said.

Leenders said they have 40 preserves, which are all open to the public, although not all have established trails.

He said last fall they completed cleaning out the Marden Cobb Waterway Trail, although some trees have fallen again over the winter.

WNY MOUNTAIN BICYCLING ASSOCIATION

The WNYMBA maintains 9 miles in Whalen Memorial State Forest, 17 miles in Harris Hill State Forest, and 8 miles in Long Point State Park.

Bodway said they have done a lot of maintenance.

They are planning on purchasing a new “Snowdog” Trail machine, which is what is used to create trails for fat biking in the winter.

BEMUS POINT

Bemus Point Mayor Jeff Molnar gave an update on the village’s integrated trail system.

He said they have 4.2 miles of walkable trails in the village. They were able to secure a trail in the town of Ellery, which will create a seamless trail from the Bemus Point Stow Ferry to Long Point State Park.

The entire project will cost $58,000, which is being paid through grants and the village itself.