Our first van trip was a quick one!
About an hour south of Buffalo is the town of Ellicottville, NY. It’s known for ski resorts, breweries, and being absolutely charming.
While many people visit for skiing in the winter, it’s a stunning place to visit all year round! Don’t miss their annual fall fest. It was unfortunately cancelled this year, but we still wanted to visit and see the stunning colors.
Here’s my recommended itinerary for two days and one night camping in the area. It’s not exactly what we followed, but I combined our camping weekend with some other visits and recommendations from others. Scroll to the bottom of the post for simplified version, what to pack and a budget breakdown.
Day one: Holiday Valley, Ellicottville Brewing Company, and camping in Rock City State Forest
Once you get into town stop at Ellicottville Brewing Company (EBC) for lunch. They have a great atmosphere and an awesome patio! I’m not a beer drinker, but my friends recommend their blueberry wheat ale. While you are there or before your trip, download the area of Rock City State Forest and Spruce Lake into your Google Maps app because sometimes service outside the city can get spotty.
Head over to Holiday Valley Ski Resort and try out the Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster. Disclaimer: I have not actually tried this but I want to so badly! It looks so fun! If you decide you don’t want to do this or spend money on it, just skip it.
At this point if you want to go claim your campsite, you can! The sites at Rock City State Forest are first come-first served, so it’s a good idea to claim one while you can. There are some spots along the road from the Rock City spots to Spruce Lake as well, so if you don’t get one in Rock City you can see if any are open on your way back to Spruce Lake. These are dispersed camping sites, so if you prefer a campsite with utilities then definitely research and book one ahead of time.
Then, go to Spruce Lake for a picnic. This lake is at the top of the Holiday Valley Resort and there are stunning views all around. There are three ways to get there: drive, hike, or pay to take the chairlift.
If you plan ahead, taking the chairlift is the way to do it! I think there is something so magical about riding a chairlift outside of ski season – or maybe I just really love heights. Also: if you plan to take the chairlift up and down make careful note of the time the lifts stop running or bring your walking shoes to hike back down! If you are absolutely set on taking the chairlift, make sure to check ahead of time to see if and when they will be running. If not, you can always walk or drive. Just type Spruce Lake into your phone GPS, it should take you there!
Important note: The Holiday Valley website does say that backpacks and bags are not permitted on the chairlift. Dogs are also not allowed to ride. It’s about a 15 minute drive from the bottom of the resort to the lake at the top. I recommend this order:
- Chairlift ride up, walk around for 10-15 minutes, chairlift ride back down
- Ride the mountain coaster
- Get back in the car, and drive the 15 minutes up the mountain back to Spruce Lake for your picnic and more exploring
This way you get to experience everything, but you don’t have to worry about the chairlift bag rules or time constraints. Plus, then you can drive right from Spruce Lake to the Rock City Campground!
Since we had my dog with us during our van weekend we decided to skip the mountain coaster and the chairlift ride and just drive up to Spruce Lake. This is also a great option if you want to save some money.
Once you are done with dinner, I definitely recommend checking out the trails through the pines and the ski runs. While exploring that area in late September I saw a lot of Dark-Eyed Juncos.
When you are ready to one of the free campsites in Rock City State Forest, about 15 minutes outside of Ellicottville. Remember, it is first come first served and service is spotty so download the maps ahead of time!
Day Two: Exploring Rock City and Downtown Ellicottville
Breakfast at the campsite and exploring the rock formations. If you like rock climbing, bring your pads! If not, it’s still a really cool area to hike.
Our campsite was at the Rock City State Forest Parking Area, and there were trails right across the road.
Once you are ready, pack up the campsite and head into downtown Ellicottville again to explore the shops for a few hours. My favorite is Ellicottville Coffee Company, which has coffee and outdoors gear! Two of my favorite things!
If you have time before you head home, stop by the Griffis Sculpture Park. It’s about 15 minutes north of the city.
Itinerary
Day One
Lunch at Ellicottville Brewing Company (EBC)
Holiday Valley Ski Resort Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster
Picnic at Spruce Lake
Camp at Rock City State Forest, about 15 minutes outside of Ellicottville. *first come first served
Day Two
- Breakfast at the campsite and exploring the rock formations.
- Downtown Ellicottville coffee and shopping
- Griffis Sculpture Park
What to pack
- Camping gear
- Picnic dinner
- Breakfast
- Hiking shoes
- Climbing pads (optional)
Budget
- Lunch at EBC: $20-$30 for food and a drink
- Sky Flyer Mountain Coaster: $10-18/person depending on if you choose one ride or two
- Chairlift ride: $10
- Other meals: up to you
- Gas
- Camping: FREE!
So the total cost would be about $40-$60 plus gas depending on the cost of your food and how many mountain coaster rides you choose. Personally, I don’t count meals I pack during trips as part of the cost because I would be eating at home, too!
However, if you want to save money you could absolutely skip meals out, the mountain coaster, and the chairlift ride! That way extra costs would be $0 and you just need to worry about gas and the food you pack.
