One Tank Trip /Rock City Park
Walking among the monoliths
Published: October 04, 2009, 12:30 am
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OLEAN—One of the greatest pleasures when driving through the Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County is being slowed down by a tractor. It is a perfect reminder of why you left The Hectic Life behind to pursue tranquillity in the foothills of the Allegany Mountains. Traveling on a snaking road behind a rickety John Deere, you have time to take in the red metal roofs that accent the changing colors of the compactly wooded landscape, the barns in various stages of repair or collapse, and the scattering of grazing horses in the greenest of pastures.
Rock City Park, billed as “the Eighth Wonder of the World,” rises from this pastoral setting. According to the brochure, the park, a prehistoric ocean floor, has “the world’s largest exposure of quartz conglomerate.” Pieces of quartz washed from the mountains and through rivers and settled in the sand and mud. After millions of years, it formed into a quartz conglomerate called puddingstone.
This quartz is estimated to be a half-billion years old. For most of us, time is measured in weeks, years and decades, but the rock formations found here formed about 320 million years ago, giving visitors a peek into infinity. Because the glaciers did not touch this area, Rock City Park became a scenic wonder and the largest formation of its type in the world.
Open to the public since 1890, the park was first operated by a local rail system, the traction line, and thousands of visitors arrived by trolley. The beautiful Bon Air Hotel and dance pavilion graced the park from 1895 to 1922 and hosted such greats as John Phillip Sousa. Guests also enjoyed an amusement park, which included a merry-go-round, photo houses and a rifle range.
As we drove up to the entrance of Rock City Park, signs reminiscent of the old Burma Shave ads greeted us: You soon will enter a wonderland / Carved through Nature by God’s own Hand / From Atop the rocks a magnificent view / Down Below a Fantastic Surprise for you / Gigantic boulders amidst the green
Owner Dale Smith greets us inside a brand new 4,200- square-foot building containing an expanded museum, souvenir and rock shop, and video room. We pay an admission of $4.50 per person and pick up a self-guided map to lead us through the trail.
Our adventure begins as we approached the stairs to “Fat Man’s Squeeze” and descend into the crevice. Inching our way between mossy rock walls, we emerge into a clearing that leads to Dining Hall Pass, where a huge oval formation, akin to the dining table of a race of giants, snuggles up to a lichen- covered wall. My companions, Bill Sheehan, a local rock enthusiast, and my husband, Bob McDonald, revert to their boyhood days, climbing into the slot behind the table and pounding for food.
From here we move on to Indian Pass, believed to be, as the guide indicates, “a shelter, as the area was used by the Senecas as a possible fortress.”We walk down the trail for a bit and turn around for a good view of Tepee Rock, a triangular rock of massive proportion.
Three Sisters Rock is next along the path. One of the most impressive structures in the park, three eight-story-high boulders huddle together, an arch forming under them. If you look carefully, you will see, as we did, “The Old Man of the Rocks,” noticing the shapes of a chin, mouth, nose and indentation for an eye.
We stand in this spot for a bit, taking in the leafy ferns that sprout near the rocks and the wildflowers that sprinkle color through the peaceful scene. That day we have the park to ourselves and the absolute silence surprises us—not a bird chirping or an animal stirring anywhere.
We walk gingerly over exposed tree roots, past the Moray Eel rock and Hamburger Rock until we come to my favorite formation of all, Balancing Rock. This 1,000-ton boulder balances on another rock, giving proof of the lack of any earthquake activity in the area. My boys couldn’t resist climbing under the boulder, pretending to exert great effort to hold it up.
We end our Rock City tour by climbing up a stone stairway, believed to have been built by the Senecas, to Signal Rock. From Signal Rock, the Senecas sent signals to their brethren miles away and, from this vantage point, it is possible to see over 1,000 square miles and about 35 miles straight ahead. I imagine how awe-inspiring this view will be once the trees are feathered in the reds, oranges and yellows of autumn.
After all that climbing, it was time for a decent meal. Since we couldn’t make it to our favorite spot, Randy’s Up the River in Allegany, we headed for Olean to give the Beef ’N Barrel, 146 N. Union St., a try. With plaid wallpaper and wooden tables and booths, this place has a country feel to it that is only slightly altered by the Tiffany pendulum lamps hanging overhead. We all try the flowering onion as an appetizer, and I have to agree with my husband when he declares it, “watery and under-cooked.” The San Antonion chicken sandwich: “tasty, yet dry” and both Bob and I choose roast beef on weck. The beef, piled high and as delicious and tender as it gets—is much better than Schwabl’s in my opinion. Unfortunately, the side of German potato salad tastes pasty, but the beef more than makes up for it, as do the efficient service, friendly atmosphere and reasonable prices.
As we drive back to Hamburg, Sheehan makes a comment that sums up the trip: “So many people across the country think of New York State as all high rises and cement. It’s too bad they can’t see what we saw today. That would sure change their minds.”
If you go:
Rock City Park ( www.rockcitypark.com ) is at 505A Rock City Road, Route 16 south, Olean. The park is open May through October, 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. daily. Last hiking trail tickets are sold at 5 p. m. Rock City Park is closed during inclement weather. Entrance fees: adults, $4.50; seniors, $3.75; children, $2.50; age 5 and under, free. Discounts for groups of 15 or more. For further information, call (866) 404-ROCK or (716) 372-7790.
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