Artpark State Park Trails

WVisited June 2025

450 South 4th Street

Lewiston, NY 14092 

(For this walk, I used Google maps to bring us to: Lower Lot Parking - Artpark State Park.  We parked in Lot D.)

75 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny, approximately 4:00 - 6:00 PM

The restroom facilities by Lot B were open to the public. There were also porta potties available near Lots D and B. There were great views from the trails near Lot B.  

The lots were either paved or gravel.   There was room for 50+ vehicles in the Artpark lots.

Dogs on leash are welcome on the trails but not in the buildings. Dog owners should be prepared to pick up after their dogs.

Luke and I had a few hours between when Anna went in for her VIP experience and when we could go in with our "regular" tickets for my first visit to the Mainstage Theatre so we decided to check out the trail closest to Lot D before walking to dinner.  The trail was mostly natural with a few paved or bricked sections.  The first section that we chose to explore showed up as a red line on the Artpark Trail Map (https://www.artpark.net/park-map); the sign indicated that is was part of the Oak Hill Project and the Artpark website text refers to it as the Woods Trail. It was .06 miles but it had some art installations and had an information board at the entrance.  While on that trail, we saw a sign that read "TO UPPER TRAIL" so, of course, we had to explore and that led us to explore for approximately 2.09 more miles.  (My Garmin map is below.)  The wooded trail was comfortably warm but the unshaded parts of the trail felt so much warmer.

The trail we followed took us up through a variation of inclines and declines with one section that was very steep. We saw some stone walls and foundations, and we saw one person ahead of us on the trail that led us up to what we believe was Lot B.  At Lot B, we spied a Wildlife Habitat Area loop trail that included a variety of trees and plants.  On that trail we found many empty snail shells and enjoyed the birdsong of a red-winged blackbird.  We passed one person on this trail.  We followed the brick path below the Toilet facilities to explore a short section of the River Trail and passed two families. From this trail, we followed the brick path toward the amphitheater and discovered some neat features of Artpark including a pottery shed (no photo), a dirt mound for playing with toy trucks, a large chess set, and a concrete play area that may have been from the old bridge. 

We saw a historic marker for the ruins of the second Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.  Luke noticed that the bridge was serving as a lookout point for a number of turkey vultures.  We had varying views of a monument that was located on he other side of the river.  From the map, we believe it was Brock's Monument, a memorial to a Canadian hero of the War of 1812.  From there, we looped back to Lot D.

The trails were wide enough that Luke and I could walk side by side on the gravel, paved, or bricked sections of the trails, but the natural sections were single file.  

I would recommend long pants for where some of the foliage reaches into the trail.

There were a few mosquitos out today.

There was Virginia creeper and poison ivy.

No one was at the entrance gate to collect a parking fee when we arrived.

We enjoyed beautiful views of the Niagara River; it was a vivid shade of aquamarine.  While in the park, we saw a chipmunk, a robin, a blue jay, a red-winged blackbird, turkey vultures, and butterflies.  We saw milkweed, vetch, daisies, phlox, multiflora rose, English ivy, large oaks and maples.  There was a variety of tree types including staghorn sumac and honey locust that were letting go of their blossoms.

For more information about the park and for trail maps:

https://www.artpark.net/

https://parks.ny.gov/documents/parks/ArtparkTrailMap.pdf 

https://www.artpark.net/hiking-trails-and-picnic-areas 

Nearby:

2025:

Griffon Gastropub and Gastropub

115 S Water St., Lewiston, NY 14092  

A 15-minute walk from Lot D and located along the bank of the Niagara River, we were able to walk in and get a table for Friday dinner at 6:00 PM.  A band was out on the deck warming up and then beginning their set while we were there.  Their fish fry was generously-sized and very tasty.

https://www.griffongastropub.com/

In Lewiston's Hennepin Park is a sign stating that Lewiston was the first European settlement in western New York in 1720.

Also in Lewiston are a number of inviting eateries.  

2021: 

Brickyard Brewing Company

436 Center St., Lewiston, NY 14092 

According to Google maps, this would be a 14-minute walk from Lot D.  We parked in the lot behind the Brickyard and enjoyed the outdoor area at the Brickyard Pub and BBQ.  As a testament to their popularity, we had a twenty-minute wait for our table on a weekday around 3:00 PM!  Their Brickyard Brewing Company Lewiston Porter was fantastic, their Memphis Po' Boy (pulled pork topped with coleslaw on a baguette roll) was a delight, and their service was efficient and polite.  The fries on Melissa's plate looked amazing.

https://www.brickyardpub.com/