Alison Wells Ney Segment of the CR2T, Chautauqua County, NY

The Alison Wells Ney Trail is a segment of the Chautauqua Rails To Trails (CR2T). The trail starts at the parking lot on Prospect Station and ends at the Brocton trailhead on School Street. The trail is 7.3 miles point to point with an elevation gain of 497 feet if you start in Brocton. If you start at Prospect Station, the trail is downhill all the way to Brocton.

The CR2T map shows the trail’s location near Brocton, NY.

Leave No Trace, Ten Essentials

While you’re enjoying the outdoors, please leave no trace to minimize your impact and preserve these special places for others to use as well. If you’re walking or hiking, please pack the REI ten essentials for your own safety. When cycling, consider using this REI checklist. For other activities, review the hiking and biking essentials and use your judgment.

Trail Surface

The Alison Wells Ney Trail Segment web page says, “The segment from Highland to School Street (in back of the High School) is specially surfaced as a ‘Healthy Heart’ trail,” which is about 0.6 miles long. The rest of the trail is gravel, packed earth, and grass.

Please note there is an interruption in the trail where it follows a paved road. The Avenza map shows where it detours via Ellicott Road from 42.368336, -79.451236 to 42.376013, -79.433892. (All GPS coordinates on this page go to Google Maps.)

Please consider carefully whether this trail surface is suitable for your activity.

Restrooms

There are no public restrooms at the trailheads or along the trail.

Points of Interest

A vineyard near Woleben Road is one of the highlights of the trail.

History

In private communication (Mar 8, 2023), Wendy Lewellen, Secretary, Chautauqua Rails to Trails, wrote: “Alison died in a car crash in 1993 at age 23. Her parents were both physicians in Jamestown and were hiker/nature lovers. They financed the purchase of the 9.8-mile trail to honor her. She was a wonderful star, this young woman and was completing graduate study in Russian studies and International relations.”

The trail runs along a section of the Pennsylvania Railroad’s Chautauqua Branch. From Trainz Forge:

The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) was one of the largest and most influential railroads in American history. It had a myriad of lines running from the east coast to Chicago. Four of those lines operated in Western New York and Pennsylvania, two to Buffalo, one to Rochester, and one through Salamanca and Olean to Warren and Oil City Pennsylvania.

Like most railroads, the Pennsylvania reached Buffalo, at one time the second most important railroad city beside Chicago. The PRR reached Buffalo through a route that went north from Oil City, PA through Corry, Mayville, Brocton and Dunkirk on its way to Buffalo along the shore of Lake Erie. This line is referred to as the Chautauqua Branch of the PRR. In 1968 the Pennsylvania Railroad merged with the New York Central Railroad to form the Penn Central Railroad. This lasted until 1976 when the Penn Central was merged into the new Conrail system.The Chautauqua Branch continued in operation until December 29, 1978 when the last train passed over the line. The rails were removed the following year.

Hiking Solo (and Running, etc.)

Solo hikers who find themselves able to do the whole point-to-point trail distance but not the out and back may consider using Uber or Lyft to get a ride from where they parked to the other trailhead. Warning: this trail is in a less populated area. You may have to wait 15 minutes or more for a ride or you may not get a ride at all. I got stranded at a trailhead once and could not get back to my car at the other trailhead. Thankfully, it was close enough home that my wife picked me up. But I have done this successfully in more populated areas.

Trail Summary

Distance	7.3 miles	13.1 miles out and back
Elevation gain	497 feet	When starting in Brocton
Trail surface	Ballast, gravel, grass, asphalt
Difficulty	Moderate
Point of Interest	42.34885, -79.47671	Vineyard near Woleben Road
Prospect Station Rd trailhead and parking	42.32694, -79.50511	About 10 spaces, not paved, not striped
School Street trailhead	42.380537, -79.451941	No parking

Maps

All Trails

Both free and premium All Trails accounts provide the capability to load and navigate this map. Tap/click the trail name on the map to enlarge. Scan the QR code to load the map into All Trails app on your smartphone.

Why have we chosen All Trails for maps for this site?

This route is out and back. This map shows start and end at School Street trailhead. Note that the Prospect Station Road trailhead has a dedicated parking lot; School Street trailhead does not.