Orchard Park North Segment of the ECRT, Orchard Park, NY

The Orchard Park North Segment of the Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail (ECRT) starts at its Bank Street trailhead and proceeds 1.2 miles through Orchard Park, NY, to its terminus on Jewett Holmwood Road. Traversing from Bank Street to Jewett Holmwood, you will gain approximately 99 feet of elevation.

The trailhead has a small unpaved parking lot just off Bank Street in Orchard Park. There is no parking at Jewett Holmwood.

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 trail surface is gravel end to end. It is easy to walk, bike, or roll.

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

Restrooms

There are no public restrooms at the trailheads or on the trail. There is a public library with restrooms near the Orchard Park Depot.

Points of Interest

Some points of interest along the trail include

• several rail cars including a fine red caboose (see feature photo above),
• Orchard Park Depot (closed),
• large rail bridge over South Buffalo Street,
• Orchard Park Country Club (watch out for golfers teeing off),

History

From Erie Cattaraugus Rail Trail Just the Facts page:

Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad owns the land and the railroad right-of-way. The railroad has not abandoned its interest in operating a railroad on the property. It is private property and is owned “fee simple” which means the railroad holds the title. The railroad has railbanked its property for interim use as a trail to preserve it for the possibility of future rail restoration.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) approved the railroad’s Notice of Interim Trail Use as a multi-purpose trail. ECRT was named trail manager in 2018 through a federal railbanking agreement. This corridor has been identified by the STB as a significant national transportation asset that needs to be protected and preserved for potential reuse. The railbanking order stipulates that ECRT is to develop a multiuse trail on this corridor.

The federal government has jurisdiction over the corridor. This preempts local and state jurisdiction of its use. Even though it is private property, the use of the property is regulated by the STB since Congress regulates interstate commerce. It’s still a transportation corridor, with train traffic being replaced by trail users. It can be replaced by rail traffic again in the future. It is a railroad right of way that is being used as a trail in the interim.

Adam Burns writes on the American-Rails.Com website:

The Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburgh Railway was a western New York and Pennsylvania system that was best remembered for hauling vast amounts of coal from the region in which it served, particularly in the Keystone State.

It reached two of its namesake cities (Buffalo and Rochester) but interestingly never provided direct rail service into Pittsburgh.

Despite this it was able to reach the Steel City beginning in the 1880s thanks to trackage rights over a PRR subsidiary, and then later the Baltimore & Ohio from Butler, Pennsylvania sharing that railroad’s Smithfield Street Station in Pittsburgh.

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. Then you can walk to your car from there. Since this trail is in a populated area, you won’t have long to wait for a ride. I’ve done this several times (on other trails) because I usually hike solo.

Trail Summary

Distance	1.2 miles point to point	2.2 miles out and back
Elevation gain	99 feet
Trail surface	Gravel
Difficulty	Easy
Point of Interest	42.758615, -78.747183	Orchard Park Depot and rail cars
Bank Street Parking	42.760013, -78.749646	Maybe space for about 10 cars, not paved, not striped

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?