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Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail is a railbanked 27-mile rail trail in Erie and Cattaraugus counties of New York. Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization of volunteers working to develop and maintain a multiuse recreational trail on the rail corridor. News Springville Concord Fall Walk ECRT fans enjoyed a beautiful day on the trail! Read more Become a Member! Love the outdoors? Consider joining us. Your support helps our ongoing efforts to preserve the former rail corridor with the intent to develop it into a multi-use recreational trail. It also demonstrates community support to our local and state officials. All members receive our ECRT newsletter as well as additional benefits, depending on the Membership level you choose. Learn more about Membership... Events Explore a Section of ECRT in Concord Springville/Concord Friends group leader Mary Carol Dearing will lead this hike on a lovely but seldom explored section of trail. Read more Volunteer Spotlight: Laura Gunderson Since 2021, Laura has been actively involved with the ECRT organization. She is currently the Leader of the West Falls chapter of Friends of the Trail. Read more Become A Trail Expert Read Just the Facts! What sections are open today? What types of activities does the trail accommodate? Who owns the trail? Has it been abandoned? What does railbanking mean? Who has jurisdiction over the trail? What is the best way to build the trail? Who is responsible if someone is injured on the trail? Are adjacent landowners responsible? Has there been recent progress on trail design? What's next for the trail? Explore the Trail: Explore the future Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail. More on exploring Learn More About ECRT: Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and trail manager for the railbanked portion of the Buffalo-Pittsburgh Railway in Western NY. Over twenty-seven miles long, this railroad right-of-way connects the communities of Orchard Park, Aurora, West Falls, Colden, East Concord, Springville and West Valley, New York. More about ECRT Follow Us on Facebook: Sign the Petition to support the ECRT

Map of the trail that displays the open and closed sections. Trail Map Explore and learn more about the various sections of the ECRT! Download Map

Steve Williams As we turn our thoughts to ones of gratitude during the holiday season, ECRT feels especially grateful for the hard work and positive energy that so many of our volunteers have contributed this past year. And Steve Williams, a resident of Orchard Park, is one of them. You may have seen or spoken with him at the Orchard Fresh Farmer’s Markets this summer, enthusiastically engaging with the public on behalf of ECRT. “This past summer volunteering at the Orchard Park farmers market was a great experience to reach out to neighbors and share our mission to make ECRT a reality,” Steve reports. “The response was overwhelmingly positive with great anticipation by all.” Steve believes that joining the Orchard Park Friends of ECRT allows him to connect with nature and support his community. He wants to make his love for bike riding and the outdoors safer and better for everyone. Connecting with nature Steve boasts a lifelong enjoyment of the outdoors. As a young boy on Long Island, he would ride his bike to meet friends, play in the woods, travel to baseball games and deliver newspapers. And he’s still riding locally and in Florida, Boston and everywhere in between. Today every member of his family always had a bike—and they still do! Supporting the community Steve’s career in banking allowed him to work in NYC, Wilmington DE, and Buffalo. In 1988, he moved to Orchard Park, with his wife Theresa, and their two sons, Chris and Dan. While raising their family, Steve was also an Odyssey of the Mind coach and a Quaker Marching Band dad. Now that Steve is retired, he has more time to spend with family and friends. “As time flies by, my childhood, school, career, marriage, parenting, and now growing older, I want to be outside and enjoy nature even more,” says Steve. “OP is a beautiful place to raise a family and enjoy the outdoors. As a grandparent, I look forward to one day riding/walking the trail with my grandson, Lucas!” Thanks, Steve, for all you do for your family, the community, and for ECRT! More volunteers

News Oct 27, 2025 Springville Concord Fall Walk ECRT fans enjoyed a beautiful day on the trail! Read More Jul 20, 2025 2025 EA2EVL CHARITY BIKE RIDE OCTOBER 4 Fifth annual EA2EVL 42-mile ride benefits the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Read More Jul 13, 2025 Volunteers Beautify Orchard Park Depot Grounds A small but keen group got together last week to spruce things up! Read More Jul 6, 2025 Orchard Park Trail Closure for Maintenance July 9th From Ellicott Road to the Orchard Park Depot Read More May 23, 2025 ECRT Project in West Falls Awarded NY Forward Funds Project will construct a 1.5-mile extension of the trail through West Falls hamlet center Read More May 9, 2025 Remembering Rick LeFeber Rest in peace, Rick. We'll miss you around here! Read More May 1, 2025 EA2EVL Fondo Rider Makes Comeback from Cardiac Arrest It took a village to save Patrick Raycraft's life Read More Apr 26, 2025 Celebrate Trails Day Celebrate Trails Day is an annual spring celebration of America’s trails Read More Apr 17, 2025 Members Full Moon Walk ECRT Members enjoy a special evening outing on the trail. Read More Apr 12, 2025 West Falls Easter Egg Hunt Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the ECRT trail! Read More Dec 13, 2024 Report Trail Issues Help keep the trail safe for everyone Read More Dec 7, 2024 ECRT at Christmas at the Depot Orchard Park Christmas at the Depot event was a treat for young and old! Read More Load more...

Parking for the trail just got a little easier. < Back Trail Parking Spots Designated in West Falls Trail Maintenance Oct 28, 2025 Parking for the trail just got a little easier. Great news, everyone! There are now 3 designated Trail head parking spots adjacent to Davis Rd (Rte 240) beside the old Inn Cahoots tavern in West Falls. Previous Next

We are participating in GivingTuesday! < Back Show the trail some love on Giving Tuesday Deborah Stellrecht Nov 24, 2023 We are participating in GivingTuesday! Happy Thanksgiving, Friends! We are participating in GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that takes place November 28, right after Black Friday and Cyber Monday! We’ve heard how much you love the trail and you’re excited for us to improve and open more of it. Help us by sharing our cause on social media using the hashtag #ECRTGivingTuesday , and join millions of global givers on November 28 by donating at https://ecrailtrail.org/donate . Donate $50 or more and you’ll receive an ECRT Supporter car magnet! Bonus! If you’re a resident of Cattaraugus County, you can win prizes for donating to ECRT through our Cattaraugus Gives site. Donate $100 or more before noon EST on Giving Tuesday and your impact will be doubled through a matching gift by an anonymous donor (both through our website and Cattaraugus Gives). We’re grateful for you and all the ways you support the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail! Follow our progress toward our GivingTuesday goals on Facebook or Instagram ! Gratefully yours, Mary Brummer President, Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Previous Next

Springville/Concord Friends group leader Mary Carol Dearing will lead this hike on a lovely but seldom explored section of trail. < Back Explore a Section of ECRT in Concord ECRT Oct 18, 2025 Springville/Concord Friends group leader Mary Carol Dearing will lead this hike on a lovely but seldom explored section of trail. We will meet at Kissing Bridge - Central parking lot and from there head south toward Genesee Road. The total distance we'll cover ( there and back) will depend upon the abilities of the walkers, but the total duration won't be longer than 2 hours. While enjoying our hike, we'll have the opportunity to identify a variety of plant species along the trail. Mary Carol will introduce you to several apps, including iNaturalist and iMapInvasives , that not only assist in identification but also serve as a tool for citizen science. While this section of the trail is sometimes a little overgrown, it will be mowed and tidied up beforehand. As the footing can be uneven at times, s turdy hiking shoes are recommended. Bring bug spray, water and a snack. Register here to let us know you're planning to attend. Hope to see you there! Previous Next

Orchard Park North trail section spruced up. < Back Volunteer Crew Clears Weeds Kathleen McCrone Aug 14, 2023 Orchard Park North trail section spruced up. An energetic group of ECRT volunteers spent an evening on the trail recently to cut back the weeds that were encroaching on the trail. A lot was accomplished in just one evening and we're very grateful that we have such hardworking volunteers. Trail users and adjacent homeowners appreciated the trail crew's clean up efforts, too. You can help build your trail in a variety of ways by becoming a volunteer! Learn more at ecattrail.org/volunteer . Previous Next

Step out in nature to nurture your mental health < Back May is Mental Health Awareness Month Deborah Stellrecht May 1, 2024 Step out in nature to nurture your mental health More and more, research is uncovering the significant benefits of getting outside in nature for our mental health. This is especially vital for the 1 in 5 people who suffer from anxiety or depression. The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) and Mental Health America have excellent resources for you to help yourself and the people you care about to enjoy better mental health. Take time this month to assess your mental health and take action to improve it. (Hint: Walking, running or riding on the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail is a great way to start!) Previous Next

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the ECRT trail! < Back West Falls Easter Egg Hunt Laura Gunderson Apr 12, 2025 Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the ECRT trail! Free event! Learn more about it and please register at www.WestFallsEggHunt2025.eventbrite.com . We want to be sure we have enough candy & prizes for all the kids. Previous Next

ECRT to Share Results of Community Input at Celebration in Orchard Park on Dec. 10th < Back Learn the Results of ECRT Community Meetings Mary Brummer Nov 26, 2024 ECRT to Share Results of Community Input at Celebration in Orchard Park on Dec. 10th The Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail (ECRT) organization invited area Southtowns residents to share their ideas about the 27-mile multiuse recreational trail at two community meetings in Orchard Park and Colden during the fall of 2024. SUNY Buffalo graduate students and faculty from the Urban Planning program facilitated these meetings and recorded the residents’ visions and concerns about the trail project. The information collected at these two community engagement meetings is intended to inform the design process as the recreational trail project continues. The UB personnel will present their collected information in a program that includes a series of vision boards illustrating various aspects of the trail project. “We are delighted that residents dedicated time to meet with us and share their ideas about the trail. Hearing all points of view helps us design the best trail for the community, and these vision boards provide a foundation for that design process,” said ECRT President Mary Brummer. All are welcome to attend this free community presentation and celebration, at the Orchard Park Community Activity Center , 4520 California Road, Orchard Park on Tuesday, December 10 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm . All are welcome to attend. Pre-registration is recommended - click here or scan the QR code below. This SUNY Buffalo/ECRT collaboration was assisted by a grant from the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation . Previous Next

Support our EA2EVL riders – Learn more about the trail < Back ECRT Friendraiser at 42 North Brewing 2024 Fondo Team Sep 26, 2024 Support our EA2EVL riders – Learn more about the trail You are invited to 42 North Brewing in East Aurora on Thursday, September 26th to raise a glass of your favorite beverage in support of the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail! 42 North will donate a portion of all beverages purchased between 6-9 p.m. to ECRT to help extend and improve the multiuse recreational trail that runs from Orchard Park to Ashford, NY. Join in the fun: Take a chance to win our split club raffle! Register to ride in the EA2EVL Fondo 42-mile charity bike ride on October 5 Browse or buy new ECRT gear Join ECRT as a contributing member Grab a bite to eat from Fat Bob’s! PLUS : ECRT Board members can answer questions and share maps and plans for the trail. Previous Next