Welcome to Buffalo Niagara

Allegany County, with its hilly terrain and abundant farmland boasts venues for cross-country skiing, hiking, mountain-biking and golfing. Many freshwater lakes, rivers and streams meander here, making it a haven for boating and fishing. It is home to Alfred University, Alfred State College, and Houghton College, providing exciting cultural venues and educational opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages and interests.

Cattaraugus County is the heart of Western New York’s ski country, and you’ll find year-round fun with golf and skiing at Holiday Valley Resort in Ellicottville, dubbed “the Aspen of the East.” Nearby HoliMont is the largest private ski area in the country, with over 50 miles of trails. In addition, Allegany State Park’s 65,000 acres of forests, streams, and trails make it one of the largest in the New York State Park System. You’ll also find St. Bonaventure University in nearby Olean.

The world-renowned Chautauqua Institution—a recreation, education, arts, and religious campus on Lake Chautauqua established in 1874—hosts more than 2,000 events each summer. Residents and visitors also enjoy Peek’N’Peak Ski and Golf Resort and myriad campgrounds, cottages, and cabins. Chautauqua has two colleges in the state university system, Fredonia and Jamestown Community College. In addition, historic Lily Dale, tucked in the woods along Upper Cassadaga Lake, is home to the country’s largest spiritualist community, attracting thousands of believers and skeptics alike each summer and making for a lively—and maybe even enlightening—visit!

Erie County—home to the City of Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York State—is the most populous county in the Buffalo Niagara region, with nearly 1 million people living here. It’s also home to countless museums, galleries, restaurants, shops, and more. All of Buffalo’s professional sports teams (major league and minor) play here, as well as several college teams. More than a dozen colleges and universities are located here.

The county’s largest city, Batavia, is undergoing significant revitalization. Genesee County is also home to Genesee Community College, supporting lifelong learning. People here are centrally located between Buffalo Niagara and Rochester, making it a popular home for those whose work includes travel throughout western and central New York State and Pennsylvania. The area’s natural beauty is preserved through agriculture, with many thriving family-owned farms and farm cooperatives.

Niagara County is home to Niagara Falls, the Niagara County Wine Trail (with a burgeoning viticulture/ viniculture industry), thriving agriculture, Old Fort Niagara, the Daredevil Museum, and more. Niagara University and Niagara County Community College are here, too. It’s also home to one of the longest- running hydroelectric power plants in the country.

Orleans County is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Boating, fishing, hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, and so much more await in this lovely area, which offers abundant waterways with Lake Ontario, Oak Orchard Marina, and the Erie Canal. An abundance of natural freshwater resources also makes it a popular spot for agriculture, and much of the county is dotted with corn, apple, berry and other produce farms.

Like Genesee County, Orleans County is a popular place for people whose work or family life is split between Buffalo Niagara and Rochester. In addition, life is great in Orleans County’s towns including Albion (the county seat), Holley, and Medina—famous for Medina sandstone, a reddish-brown stone shipped via the Erie Canal to locations around the world. The steps of the New York State Capitol Building are constructed from it, as are dozens of historically significant buildings in Western New York, New York City, and London.

In Wyoming County, it’s easy to satisfy the most sophisticated and down-to-earth tastes with its mix of quaint villages, unique shops, excellent restaurants, and natural retreats. Each year thousands of outdoor enthusiasts flock to Letchworth Park—the “Grand Canyon of the East”—to enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, and camping. Gaslight Village, still lit by gas lamps, has more than 70 homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Campgrounds, cabins, bed and breakfasts, and resorts abound, and summer fun in particular can be found in the area surrounding Silver Lake State Park—if you’re lucky, you may even catch sight of the legendary Silver Lake Serpent (our region’s own Loch Ness-type legend).