Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• Restroom facilities are available mid-April through late October.
• Open year round, dawn to dusk.
• Ice rink, open during the winter season:
  
  Ice Rink Hours of Operation:
  Sundays - Thursdays: 11:00am - 6:00pm
  Fridays & Saturdays: 11:00am - 7:00pm
  
  Skating is weather dependent and no ice skate rentals are available. Hockey sticks and pucks prohibited.

• Picnic Shelter (Non-Electric): Available for reservations in season. Call 8am-3pm M-F (716) 284-5778

Fees & Rates

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.

The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.

• General Park Usage:
• No Fee
  

Maps

• Trail Map (pdf)
• Niagara Gorge Trail Map (pdf)

Highlights of DeVeaux Woods State Park:

• At DeVeaux Woods State Park, one can "step back in time" to see what much of Western New York was like prior to European settlement. The old-growth forest is dominated by white, red and black oak trees and supports a fair diversity of shrub, moss, lichen, and mushroom species.

• One of the only old growth forests in an urban setting in the United States is at DeVeaux Woods State Park.

• The oldest tree at DeVeaux Woods State Park is around 315 years old.

• Deeded by Samuel DeVeaux in 1853, the property was home to the DeVeaux College for Orphans and Destitute Children, and later became the DeVeaux School.

• DeVeaux Woods is located within the Niagara River Corridor, which is a recognized National Audubon Important Bird Area (IBA), and the first international (both Canadian and American) IBA site adopted in the world.

What will you see? Plan your visit today!

Look and listen for these birds at our Park:

• American Goldfinch
• American Robin
• Chipping Sparrow
• Cooper's Hawk
• Great Crested Flycatcher
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Turkey Vulture

Everyone is a Steward: Be a DeVeaux Woods State Park Hero!

• Know the rules and concerns for the area you'll be visiting.
• Preserve the past: examine, but do not touch, cultural or historic structures and artifacts.
• Let nature's sounds prevail. Avoid loud voices and noises.
• Respect other visitors and protect the quality of their experience. Be courteous. Yield to other users on the trail.
• Observe wildlife from a distance. Do not follow or approach them. Never feed animals. Feeding wildlife damages their health, alters natural behaviors, and exposes them to predators and other dangers.
• Avoid using trails when they are excessively muddy.
• Don't litter.

For more information, please read our Trail Tips!

Ask a Naturalist!

Q: What is an Old Growth Forest?

A: An old-growth forest (also termed primary forest, virgin forest, primeval forest, or ancient woodland) is a forest that has reached a great age without significant disturbance, so it exhibits unique ecological features and in some cases may be classified as a climax community. Old-growth features include a diversity of tree-related structures that serve as wildlife habitat, which leads to higher biodiversity of the forested ecosystem. Diversified tree structure includes multi-layered canopies and canopy gaps, high variance of tree heights and diameters, diversity of decaying classes and sizes of woody debris, and diversity of tree species.

Q: How can I identify Poison Ivy?

A: "Leaves of three? Let them be!" or "One, two, three? Don't touch me." These plants have a cluster of three leaves at the end of a long stem. More identifying indicators of leaves include three leaflets sitting on a long steam and alternating leaves. The leaflets are broad and the two lateral (side) leaflets are smaller than the terminal (center) leaf. The center leaf usually (almost always) has a small steam, whereas the two side leaves grow directly from the vine and do not have small stems. The leaves tend to be a bright to dark, waxy green when viewed from above. When viewed from underneath, they appear lighter and fuzzier. In spring, the leaves are usually a bright green, while in fall, they turn red.

Q: I saw an animal that looked sick, who should I contact?

A: If an animal appears to be acting strangely it may be sick. Do not go near it!! Find an employee of the park and notify them, or contact a local authority.

Did You Know?

- DID YOU KNOW? An American Goldfinch nest can be so tightly woven as to hold water.

- DID YOU KNOW? The process of vegetation change is called forest succession. "Disturbances," notably fire, insects, disease, climate and human activity, influence the direction and rate of change.

- CHECK IT OUT! In a good year, an oak tree produces between 70,000-150,000 acorns per tree.