Chestnut Ridge Park is a park in Orchard Park,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * ...

, originally named for the chestnut trees on its hills. It is currently the largest park operated by the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, and is open year-round. The Chestnut Ridge Park property was acquired by Erie County in 1926, and it was one of the first parks established by the county. The park's facilities and landscapes were improved substantially by the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

throughout the 1930s.

Facilities and attractions

* The park has facilities and space for

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball cov ...

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histo ...

disc golf Disc golf, also known as frisbee golf, is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target; it is played using rules similar to golf. Most disc golf discs are made out of polypropylene plastic, otherwise known as polypropene, which ...

snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

sledding Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled (North American), a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, skele ...

and other outdoor activities. * The

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has held summer concerts at the base of the sledding hill, which provides an

amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

-like setting. * On a clear day, the sledding hill offers views of Buffalo and

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Toboggan A toboggan is a simple sled traditionally used by children. It is also a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people (often children) down a hill o ...

chutes also operate on the sled hill during the winter. * The Eternal Flame Falls, a small waterfall containing a natural "

eternal flame An eternal flame is a flame, lamp or torch that burns for an indefinite time. Most eternal flames are ignited and tended intentionally, but some are natural phenomena caused by natural gas leaks, peat fires and coal seam fires, all of which c ...

," is located within the park. The falls are situated within what was once known as the Shale Creek Preserve, a wilderness area formerly owned by the

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. * A tower facility used for firefighter training is located on the premises. Although said to be one of the largest county parks in the

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, at least one larger county park is located nearby. The

Mendon Ponds Park Mendon Ponds Park is a county park located southeast of Rochester, New York, Rochester, New York (state), New York within the suburban towns of Mendon, New York, Mendon and Pittsford (village), New York, Pittsford. At over , it is the largest par ...

, a county park in

Monroe County, New York Monroe County is a county in the Finger Lakes region of the State of New York. The county is along Lake Ontario's southern shore. At the 2020 census, Monroe County's population was 759,443, an increase since the 2010 census. Its county seat ...

, is situated approximately away.

Gallery

Image:Chestnut Ridge hill.JPG, Chestnut Ridge Park sledding hill Image:Chestnut Ridge chutes.JPG,

chutes at Chestnut Ridge Park sledding hill Eternal flame falls 7252.jpg, Eternal Flame Falls in Chestnut Ridge Park

References

External links

Map of Chestnut Ridge Park

Chestnut Ridge Conservancy

Parks in Erie County, New York {{ErieCountyNY-geo-stub