Located on the banks of the Allegheny River, Olean, New York is a college town with a rich heritage. Founded in 1803, Olean's name comes from the Latin word for oil, oleum, as the area was home to the first North American oil discovery. The city is adjacent to the Seneca Indian Nation's reservation in Salamanca. In 1858, a group of Franciscan friars opened what is now St. Bonaventure University. Golfers will be glad to know that a trio of championship 18-hole courses are within a 15-minute drive of the city--the private 6,300-yard Bartlett Country Club, Pennhills Club's private 6,400-yard course and Holiday Valley's public 6,300-yard greens. Following are some other popular points of interest in the area.
Rock City Park
A prehistoric ocean floor, Rock City Park is a natural canyon created during the raising of the Appalachian Mountains more than 320 million years ago. The park has a 3/4-mile trail, leading to Signal Rock--a point which affords visitors a panoramic view of the region. A 4,200-square-foot visitor's center features a museum, exhibits and gift shop. Tours are self-guided with the aide of a map. The park is open daily from May to October and a small admission fee is charged.
Rock City Park
505 Rock City Road (NYS Hwy 16)
Olean, NY 14760
(716) 372-7790
Allegany State Park
Located just West of Olean is the 65,000-acre Allegany State Park, popular among fishers, nature lovers and campers. The park has 424 campsites and 375 cabins--150 of which are available for winter camping. Winter sports are the primary attraction for parkgoers, with more than 90 miles of snowmobiling trails and the Art Roscoe Ski Touring Area, regarded as one of the finest cross-country ski trails in the Northeast.
Allegany State Park
2373 ASP, Route 1, Suite 3
Salamanca, NY 14779
(716) 354-9121
Quick Center at St. Bonaventure University
The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is the part-museum, part-performing arts center. Opened in 1995, the building centralized the arts programs at St. Bonaventure University and provided a venue to display the vast collection of paintings and sculpture owned by the university. The gallery is open daily and the center hosts a slate of musical performances. Student musicals and drama performances are also hosted at the center.
Quick Center
St. Bonaventure University
Route 417
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
(716) 375-2494
Allegany River Trail
Opened in 1997, the Allegany River Trail is a nearly six-mile recreation trail linking the city of Olean with the village of Allegany. The looping trail reaches as far as Gargoyle Park to the East and the St. Bonaventure campus to the West. The trail was built to give runners, walkers and cyclists a traffic-free path that could showcase the natural beauty of the river.
About The Author
Jared Paventi is the communications director for a disease-related nonprofit in the Northeast. He has extensive experience in the health care, technology and sports industries. He holds a master's degree from Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and a bachelor's in journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
