Little Rock City Park, New York
The #1 Best Kept Secret (FREE) Campsite Park in New York!
When you need to get out of your city, have little vacation time and cash, where can you go? I think there is always fun in the country to be had, even during the cold months of Winter and some of it can come pretty cheap! Maybe you’re planning next year’s Spring/Summer activities and want to enjoy the great outdoors, instead of being stuck in a motel or hotel. You are already dreading those last few days driving home and would like to cut costs in the future. If you’re anything like me, you just need to get away from the stress of civilization for a little bit. Whichever it is, you want to give yourself a financial break! Well guess what? I know a park just north of Allegany State Park in New York that can offer you a break from all sorts of stress for free. I have gone there myself and it’s pretty isolated, but I advise you not to go alone! It’s rumored to be haunted, which is perfect for those who like a ghost hunt all year round!
The prices of Allegany State Park, which has 65,000 acres that run south through the New York/Pennsylvania border, aren’t high. It has RV sites and tent sites with access to electricity that range between $18 — $35 per night, depending on what you need. There are also facilities for hot showers, laundry, and RV dumps. There’s also mini-golf, a playground, hiking, hunting, fishing, canoeing, biking, and boat ramps. But…sometimes we just want to pitch a tent, be left alone, and relax with no worries! Especially on whether we have enough money for one more night, and on where the closest ATM is located at if we don’t!
The number for Allegany State Park is: (716) 354–9121, and the address is: 2373 ASP Rte. 1, Salamanca, NY 14779
In Cattaraugus County, just north of Allegany State Park and Salamanca, nestled below Ellicottville and Holiday Valley (which are both great for Autumn and Winter festivities!) lies a lesser known, much smaller park, McCarty Hill State Park. It is part of Little Rock City Forest and you can check the official NYS page for seasonal information by clicking here.
The camping sites in Little Rock City are for tents only. Each site has a small, wooden covered pavilion with a table and benches. The site I chose had a fire pit left behind, and they are strongly encouraged. You can choose where to pitch your tent at each site. Inside McCarty Hill Park is a lake, called Spruce Lake. The free camping is for three days only, and after that, you must pay.
McCarty Hill Road runs the length of my favorite part of the park. The roads all have cool names, such as ‘Mutton Hollow Road’, ‘Hungry Hollow Road’, and ‘Partridge Hill Road’. There are homes just outside the park, since it’s shape is not exactly perfect. To get a feel for how old the settlement of the area is, think about where the name of ‘Whig Street’ came from! Does anyone know of any ‘Tory Road’ or ‘Tory Street’ names around New England? For anyone who doesn’t know, the Whig Party was made up of American Patriots during the Revolution. They were the ones who founded the United States and declared independence from England. The Whig’s fought the colonists who stayed loyal to the British Crown, AKA a ‘Tory’. The Whigs were also in opposition of removing Indians from their land. How’s that for a quick history lesson while camping?
Well here is another history lesson: The area belongs to the Seneca Nation Indians, so please be respectful of the forest! Also, please make sure you keep your campsite clean and take any trash with you. When I went, someone had been kind enough to leave their unused wood. Maybe they were planning to come back, but no one did while I was there.
Not too far away is the Salamanca Seneca-Allegany Casino, where there are other hotels and convenience stores. Salamanca is only about a 10-minute drive from the forest. Ya know, in case you get spooked out of camping! Or maybe a bear warning gets put in place? These things DO happen!
I can’t wait to go back there again! It is absolutely beautiful in Little Rock City Forest!
