The Best Things to Do in Western New York

A local’s guide to the best things to do (& eat) in western NY

*The view from Inspiration Point (my favorite view!) in Letchworth State Park—the Little Grand Canyon of the East. This photo was taken just after sunrise in the beginning of October.*

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What’s in this Article:

The Best Time of Year to Visit

What to Do

Letchworth State Park

We’ll start with this, since it’s the top picture. Letchworth is one of my favorite places to go for a photo shoot, no matter the season. Especially if it’s the off season (or super early in the morning!), then you can get in for free.

Entrance fees are charged between 9 am and 5 pm from the end of May until the end of October. According to their website, fees are also charged in the beginning of May, but only on the weekends.
Fees are just $10 a car. You can pay with cash or credit card.
You can still get into Letchworth in the off season or the early morning (better for photos!) and then you don’t have to pay.
Try to avoid visiting on the weekends if you can. It can get very busy!

Letchworth State Park is huge and there are many different entrances. I usually go to the Portageville entrance.

If you follow the road from there down into the park, you will come to a parking lot at the base of the middle falls. There is a playground, bathrooms and plenty of picnic tables by the parking lot.

From here you can easily find hiking trails on your right to the upper falls, or you can go to the left up to Inspiration Point (my favorite spot!). You can either walk or drive up to the point.

If you keep driving past Inspiration Point, you will find the Visitor’s Center. Most of the times I’ve spent at Letchworth have been limited to exploring the area from Inspiration Point down, but there is so much more to see. It is a huge park with lots of beautiful nature trails, and it’s easy to hike.

letchworth-state-park-in-winter — *View from the hiking trail past the upper falls in January.*

letchworth-state-park-inspiration-point-early-spring — *View from Inspiration Point at the beginning of March—after an exceptionally cold winter.*

letchworth-state-park-fall — *Very cool stairs to sit on—somewhere along the hiking trail up to the upper falls. Taken in late September.*

Niagara Falls State Park

*The American Falls, viewed from the Maid of the Mist Observation Tower.*

Fun Fact: Niagara Falls is the oldest state park in the country!

Niagara Falls is an easy day trip from my home, and an annual field trip for fourth grade classrooms. So it was crazy to me to realize when I got to college that so many people had never been to Niagara Falls—and really wanted to.

“Wait, you’ve been to Niagara Falls!? How cool! What’s it like?” was a reaction I got a lot. That, and “Can you see the Statue of Liberty from your house?” (Spoiler—the answer is no. No, I can’t).

*The Horseshoe Falls as seen from the Canadian Side on a* ***cold*** *winter night.*

For answers to ALL of your Niagara Falls frequently asked questions, as well as SO much other information and TONS of other fun things to do in the area (both Canada & the US), check out this article!

The National Comedy Center

This is honestly my favorite museum I have been to EVER. It is so fun and so interactive and so completely unique compared to any other museum out there.

And it’s in my hometown of Jamestown, NY, so there’s that (#hometownpride).

The National Comedy Center is completely high tech, from beginning to end. That being said, with technology there is always the risk that it won’t work right, and then what do you do?

But of the three times I’ve been here, only one thing was ever shut down because it wasn’t working right, and there were so many other things to see that it really didn’t matter.

We easily spent over 3 hours here on our first trip, and there was still more to see! Even if you go more than once, you will have a different experience every time.

For a HUGE list of things to do (and places to eat) in Jamestown, click here!

*The historic Reg Lenna Civic Center in downtown Jamestown, NY.*

Where to Eat

Sprague's Maple Farms

NY is known for maple syrup. If you want the best maple syrup experience, you definitely want to check out Sprague’s.

Sprague’s is a restaurant (and so much more!) that’s a ways off the highway, so it’s going to be a bit of a detour. And yet, people keep on coming (because it’s worth it). Plus, since it’s off the highway, they have a lot of room for their Maple trees, their sugar shack, and their huge restaurant.

It’s located in Portville, NY, about 20 minutes off of I-86 from the Olean exit. If you’re coming from the west, this is a good place to stop for brunch on your way to Letchworth! Especially in the fall.

On weekends, starting the last weekend in September through the end of October you can take a free hayride up the hill to their sugar shack where they make their famous maple syrup. There you can try (free!) freshly made doughnuts, apple cider, and apple cider chardonnay.
They have other seasonal events, so be sure to check out their website to see what might be happening before you go!

In addition to the sugar shack and the restaurant, they also have a gift shop full of maple products, and they make fresh caramel popcorn (still not as good as my mom’s), of which you can also get a free sample.

Buffalo Wings

If you’re going to be in Buffalo, you have to try Buffalo wings. The Anchor Bar and Grill is the original restaurant where they were invented (at least they claim that), but people contest whether they or Duff’s have the best wings.

Duff’s are saucier, but the Anchor Bar has the story of the chicken wing on their menu, so that gives them bonus points in my book (I’m a sucker for that sorta stuff).

Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen’s favorite wings are from the Bar-Bill!

The Sugar Shack

The Sugar Shack used to have a pancake house, but their restaurant is now shut down. However, you can still come here and buy all sorts of homemade maple products, syrups, jams, jellies, or whatever of that sort of thing you’re interested in.

Located on the shores of Lake Erie off the scenic Route 5, the scenery itself is worth the drive. It is just down the street from Barcelona Beach on Lake Erie.

Check the website for hours. It is run by a local woman, and the store is right next to her house, down a long driveway through her vineyards. She is only open certain hours, or by appointment.

Wegmans

Yes, Wegmans is a grocery store. But it is THE BEST grocery store in the world (in my opinion)!

When my friends came to visit from Indiana, I knew exactly where I wanted to take them to show them the area. They kept asking where I was taking them, and I just said to Wegmans.

“But what’s Wegmans?”

Then we pull into the parking lot. “Wait…you’re taking us to a grocery store?”

No. I’m taking you to Wegmans.

I once went to a concert in town where the lead singer said she had spent 6 HOURS exploring Wegmans earlier that day (granted they had a reading corner back then).

So do yourself a favor if you’re in Western NY. Go to Wegmans.

The Best Time of Year to Visit

Fall

There’s no doubt that this area is beautiful in the fall. If you can get here for peak fall foliage (usually mid October through early November), the scenery would be breathtaking.

Of course, it might be freezing. It might even be snowing. Or, it might be gorgeous! You just never know.

Here is a list of fall activities to do in western NY!

Winter

Winter has its own perks, especially if you are into skiing or snowboarding (or tubing, for those of us who have no balance).

Check out PeaknPeak Resort or Holiday Valley for winter sports (these resorts are open all year, so you can enjoy them in the summer, too. Especially if you’re into golf. Which I’m not).

If you get a fresh snow, the scenery will be beautiful. If it’s February, and the snow is old and the trees are bare, and the sky is cloudy (again), it’s not going to be so pretty. But if you like winter, this is the place for you.

Spring

I love when the trees start to bloom and the sun comes back out after a long winter. Some of the trees look their best at the very beginning of May.

But honestly, I would wait at least until May if I was planning to visit Western, NY. There will still be snow (and lots of clouds) in the early part of spring, and it’s not winter sport season or fall foliage season, so it doesn’t really have much going for it. So you might as well wait till it gets a bit warmer.

Actually, while I’m writing this, it’s May, and it’s snowing! So just forget spring and come in the summer.

Summer

Summer is beautiful here. The weather is warm (usually) but not hot, and the trees are all in bloom.

The famous Chautauqua Institution is open for the summer season, and if you visit on a Sunday, you don’t have to pay to get in and explore the grounds (you do have to pay to park though).

This is peak season for visiting Niagara Falls, so finding a parking spot there will be hard, and you’ll have to pay for admission at all of the state parks. But you also have the best chance of a hot day, and really appreciating that drenching you’re going to get.

All in all, my recommendation for the best time to visit is September. Kids go back to school, travel starts to slow down, some of the early leaves might even begin to turn, but the weather will still (likely) be beautiful!