Facility Review - the Outer Harbor Trails

With summer coming, we're going to have lots of evenings coming up when it is just way too beautiful out to workout inside or at the gym. Those are nights when it's nice to just grab your bike, your skates, or you dog and head down by the lake.

On the evening in question, I grabbed my roller skates, my bike, and my boyfriend's daughter and headed to the parking area at Gallagher Beach in Lackawanna/Buffalo. Although this beach is not great for swimming yet, the city has definitely put some work into the area, with relatively-new paved walking and biking trails, green areas, a nice pier, and playground equipment a little ways down the path. 

This walking/biking trail is actually pretty nice, even on roller skates, although there are a few areas where the materials that they used for the trail are kind of questionable...

Normal pavement - yes, this is good for skates!

Wood plank - ok, it looks good, but it is NOT great for skating on. Very loud, hard on the knees.

...Some kind of granite tile with tons of gaps?? Why???

All told, a walk on this 3mi trail should take you about an hour (with normal walking pace being about... wait for it... 3 miles an hour). So if you park your car down by Gallagher beach, walk down to the Coast Guard Station and the lighthouse, and then walk back to your car, plan for about 2hrs (plus time for selfies by the water, of course).

The area down by the water is scenic and beautiful - sail boats and motor boats cruise by in the shipping channel, you have a perfect view of the lighthouse, and a partial view of the USS Little Rock docked at the Naval and Military Park. 

View of the city and the USS Little Rock

View of the point and the lighthouse

I would definitely recommend this ride - it's a great view of the waterfront in Buffalo, very bike-friendly and walking/dog-walking-friendly (be careful on skates), and it's the perfect trail length for an evening stroll. 

Bonus - I went before Memorial Day, but as of 5/30 the Queen City Bike Ferry will be open. At that point, the Coast Guard Path won't be the end of the road - for $1 you can cross the channel (with or without a bike) and head to Canalside in Buffalo - awesome!!

And, of course, on your way back to the car, you can stop at the new restaurant that took over the former Dug's Dive - the brand new Charlie's Boatyard (owned by the owner of Brick Oven Bistro and The Mess Hall). With a full bar, restaurant, and Nick Charlap's ice cream, it's sure to please. (we had clam chowder and sweet potato fries - pretty good!)

Enjoying an Oberon Ale at Charlie's - a very bright tasting, cloudy, summery beer!

All in all, I definitely would recommend heading out to the walking trails by the lake for a nice night out with the family or your best friend :)