Letchworth State Park

Reading the results for our summer category almost always elicits the same set of reactions from AV staff: First there’s cabin fever, then stunned silence and finally heavy drinking. While the folks who answer earnestly come back with many of the same answers year after year—Sunset Bay and Evangola in beaches, Allegany and Letchworth in camping, Zoar Valley in hiking, the UB/Amherst bike path for bicycling, Delaware Park and Chestnut Ridge in parks—occasionally a notable upstart makes the list, like Jones Pond, a gay campground in Angelica. They remind us of why everyone loves summers in Buffalo: long, sunny days and plenty of recreational opportunities. But there are others, the ones who cause stunned silence and drinking, who remind of us of why democracy is bound to crumble. In the beaches category, many people decided on far-off locations, like Laguna Beach, South Beach and Topsail Island, North Carolina. We can only assume that these are not the same people who directed their vitriol toward golfing. One told us to ask the rich white people, and a second simply declared, “Go golf in hell, yuppie scum.” Another morbid person likes the “beach” at Mirror Lake in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Two responses that raised eyebrows under the camping category favored Girl Scout camp. We can only hope that there are Girl Scouts filling out our survey. Needless to say, none of these answers made the top five lists.

Best Beach

Sunset Bay

Sherkston Shores

Evangola State Park

Crystal Beach

Beaver Island State Park

Best Bicycling

Riverwalk

Niawanda Park

Niagara Parkway, Ontario

Buffalo’s Waterfront

Amherst/UB bike path

Best Camping

Zoar Valley

Letchworth State Park

Jones Pond

Darien Lakes State Park

Allegany State Park

Best Fishing

Tifft Nature Preserve

Sturgeon Point

Small Boat Harbor

Niagara River

Eighteen Mile Creek

Best Golfing

River Oaks Country Club

Glen Oak Country Club

Delaware Park

Deerwood Country Club

Brookfield Country Club

Best Hiking

Zoar Valley

Niagara Gorge

Hunter’s Creek

Chestnut Ridge Park

Allegany State Park

Best Park

Niawanda Park

Letchworth State Park

Glen Falls Park

Delaware Park

Chestnut Ridge Park