Students seeking one-on-one time with mother nature may feel as though they have to travel off campus. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.
There’s a place to relax in the mornings that not many students know about. Behind the Murphy Professional Building of St. Bonaventure University lies the beautiful Allegheny River Valley Trail. It is calm and smooth, extending for a loop around the St. Bonaventure campus. It reaches from the campus to Gargoyle Park, then extends all the way to Valley View Dental. It circles around a line of stores, so students can visit new places off campus. Throughout the path there are fresh trees and green grass. These trees are enjoyed by the many walkers, runners, in-line skaters, cross-country skiers, bikers and babies in strollers that frequent the beloved trail. The scenery is always just right to brighten up a busy day.
The paved pathway is starts in Allegany and ends at 20th street in Olean. At the beginning of the trail there is a warm and welcoming sign, and under that sign there are pamphlets to help visitors along their journey. Inside each of the pamphlets there is a brief history of the trail, the rules for those who decide to visit the trail, as well as a map. The pamphlet also makes it a point that the trail is handicapped accessible.
On the Allegheny River Valley Trail sign there is a QR code. This will link to www.sbu.edu/trees. Here, people have plenty of ways to entertain themselves on their morning strolls. There is a trail map of all 19 different kinds of trees along the path, as well as facts on every single kind of tree! The way the branches cloud over the walkway makes it feel like the inside a green tunnel.
The history behind the Allegheny River Trail is both immense and heartwarming. The Cattaraugus County trail has been around since 1962, when an Olean businessman, Joseph Higgins, decided to make a recreational path along the Allegheny River. He found a consensus of support to have the Allegheny River Valley Trail constructed. The entire town of Allegany sponsored the creation of this beautiful bridge. While the town of Allegany was the sponsor, the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce agreed to be the facilitator for the project. It was completed in 1998, and 21 years later, it remains a symbol of the community of Allegany.
Information on the trail can be found out from www.allegany.org, www.traillink.com and www.enchantedmountains.com, which is a great source for events that are coming up along the path. The locals are usually found running or walking their dogs in the afternoons. The pathway that Higgins gave us is perfect for spending a morning, afternoon or evening stroll. The pathway even circles around so students can come back to the school after taking a short break. It’s no wonder that tripadvisor rates the trail a 4.5 star journey! From what can be seen, The Allegany River Valley trail is a great place to get away from it all, smell the trees and even get in a bit of exercise. It may not be well known, but the road less traveled is often the best one.
By Grace Usala, Contributing Writer
usalagc19@bonaventure.edu
