The Eternal Flame just outside of Buffalo, NY is one of the regions top hikes! It is a 1.2 mile out-and-back trail in Orchard Park, NY that is easy to add into a day of exploring the area. Historically, this was well-known as being a pretty difficult trail that even resulted in several deaths. However, in Summer 2023, they added in a brand new staircase down the gorge that makes the trail significantly safer and easier! Chubby and fit girls alike will find this trail to have the perfect amount of challenge. It will get your blood flowing but won’t completely destroy your day. Here’s a chubby girl’s guide to hiking Buffalo’s Eternal Flame!
Getting There & Parking
The Eternal Flame is located inside Chestnut Ridge Park. The park is large but only about a 20 minute drive south of the city of Buffalo. It’s a very easy and scenic drive as you exit the highway and cruise through the southern tier’s rolling hills.
If you plug “Eternal Flame Falls” into your GPS, it’s going to take you right past the main parking area. If you do this, you’ll have to do a U-turn and backtrack like me. Here is an exact pin to the parking lot that you can use in your GPS. Parking is free, but on nice summer and fall days, it gets crowded fast! Plan to arrive early in the morning (before 9 am) or later in the evening (a couple hours before sunset) for fewer crowds. There are a couple of porta potties at the parking lot, which are the only facilities you’ll see here. I’d recommend going before you arrive!
What to Wear
Before the installation of the staircase, sturdy hiking shoes were highly recommended, especially if the ground was wet from recent rainfall or dew. However, since the staircase was installed I was just fine in a pair of running sneakers. Toward the end of the trail, you are walking along and through parts of a shallow creek (more on that later) so bonus points if your shoes are waterproof. However, the soles of these basic running shoes were more than enough clearance to keep my feet dry.
With any hike, I always wear a pair of compression biking shorts so I don’t have to worry about the chub rub! It was a crisp summer morning so I also wore a sweatshirt, but was definitely warm on the hike back up! Highly recommend having layers to add/take off as you work your way into and out of the gorge. If you’re visiting later in the day, do not forget your bug spray!
The Start of the Trail
The start of the trail connects directly to the parking lot and is easy to spot with signs. The trail begins as stone, but quickly turns to the forest floor as you enter the woods. These two benches pictured above are only benches you will come across on the whole trail. However, there are a variety of impromptu places to rest along the trail in the form of tree stumps or logs. The trail is also wide enough throughout that if you needed to stop and rest, other people could pass without problem.
Along the Trail: Follow the Fire Signs
The trail to the eternal flame could not be easier to navigate! Signs like the above are marked with a fire emoji and arrows throughout the entire trail. You’ll also notice that they are numbered to help track your progress. There are a total of 20 signs along the route and are numbered going up on the way down, and count backwards on the way back out.
The New Staircase
Installed in Summer 2023, this new staircase has made navigation down into the gorge significantly safer and easier! Prior to its instillation, hikers would carefully step down, catching their feet on roots or rocks as they could. The staircase is wide, sturdy, and even has sections of handrails to make the hike much more enjoyable!
There are 135 stairs, which is roughly 12 stories. It’s no joke, but it’s certainly doable! The hike down is easy, of course, but I definitely needed to stop and take rests on the way back up. Take your time, stop when you need, and use the handrails to help. The staircase is wide enough for others to pass, or is easy to step off of if needed.
The Last Stretch!
Once you make it to the end of the staircase, you’re in the home stretch! At the end of the stairs it may be confusing which way to go, as it looks like the trail could continue straight or do a U-turn. Continue straight in the direction the staircase drops you at the creek. If you smell sulfur, you’re getting close and going in the right direction!
Signs #18-20 are the last few, and you’ll be walking along and across a shallow creek. It’s not daunting and actually very easy to navigate. There are plenty of easy ways to walk along the creek without getting wet, and was actually a fun obstacle course to navigate. The creek continues straight for a while and then will make a curve, which is when you know you’re almost there!
The Eternal Flame!
You made it, yay! Once you arrive at the eternal flame, there isn’t much to do other than to sit back, enjoy, and snap some pictures. I loved watching the water trickle over the falls (and after periods of rain, it would be even better!) while the flame stayed flickering safe in its cave. There are a few places to sit and rest here, but know that it would be on the ground or on tree roots or stumps. But it wouldn’t be a bad place to sit and have a small snack or picnic before the ascent back up!
Traveling soon? Check out my Travel Tips page to help you score good deals on flights, packing tips, tools to help you plan, and more!
No Comments