Ellicott Creek Park

Ellicott Creek Park is a 165-acre (0.67 km2) park in Erie County, in the U.S. state of New York.[1] The park is in the Town of Tonawanda, northeast of Buffalo, New York.[3] The park lies between Tonawanda Creek and Ellicott Creek. Access is free and it is open to the public year-round. It is the smallest multi-purpose park operated by the Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry.[2]

Ellicott Creek Park
Location of Ellicott Creek Park within the state of New York
TypeRegional park
Location1 Ellicott Creek Drive
Tonawanda, New York
Nearest cityTonawanda
Coordinates43°1′22″N 78°49′59″W
Area165 acres (0.67 km2)[1]
Created1926 (1926)[2]
Operated byErie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry
OpenAll year
WebsiteEllicott Creek Park

History

Ellicott Creek Park was among the first parks developed by Erie County. The park was established in 1926 with the county's purchase of 40 acres (0.16 km2) of formerly private land, and was expanded in 1936 and 1937 through the annexation of county tax foreclosures. The park's facilities and landscapes were improved substantially by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) throughout the 1930s. Ellicott Island was constructed to improve navigation on Ellicott Creek with the guidance of landscape architect Charles Ellicott.[2]

The park's popularity peaked in the 1930s and 1940s. However, the park's facilities were neglected and fell into disrepair between the 1970s and early 1990s, and the park soon earned a negative reputation. Following increased county attention leading to repairs at the park in the late 1990s, the park's popularity and attendance once again increased.[1]

Facilities
  • Since January 2014, the park's island has been a designated "Bark Park," where dogs are allowed to run un-leashed.[4]
  • The Ellicott Creek Bike Path[1] and the Erie Canalway Trail pass through the park.[5]
  • The park features a soccer field, fishing access, tennis courts, playgrounds, and a canoe launch.[2]
  • An 18-hole disc golf course was installed in 2010.[6]
  • In the winter, a sledding hill and un-groomed cross-country skiing trails are available.[2]

References
  1. Erie County (N.Y.) Department of Parks, Recreation, & Forestry; Erie County (N.Y.) Department of Environment & Planning; Parsons; Envision: The Hough Group; Paradigm Consulting; Wendel-Duchscherer Architects & Engineers (2003). Erie County Parks System Master Plan, Volume 2, Section 2, Subsection 2.4 (PDF). Erie County. pp. 1–9. Retrieved March 3, 2015.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "Ellicott Creek Park". Erie County Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry (Erie.gov). Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  3. "Ellicott Creek Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
  4. Joseph Popiolkowski (January 18, 2014). "New 'Bark Park' opens in Ellicott Creek Park". The Buffalo News (Buffalonews.com). Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  5. Parks & Trails New York. "Cycling The Erie Canal (Map)". PTNY.org. Retrieved March 3, 2015.
  6. Professional Disc Golf Association. "Ellicott Creek Disc Golf Course". PDGA.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.


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