Welcome to the Enchanted Mountains!

The City Garage is located in the heart of the quaint Victorian village of Ellicottville, New York, within Cattaraugus County. The village sits within a distinct valley surrounded by foothills of the Alleghany Mountains, affectionately dubbed as “The Enchanted Mountains”. The geology of the southern portion of Cattaraugus County is unique within Western New York, as it was not covered by the last Ice Age glaciation. As a result, in addition to rolling hills and valleys, the area offers more rugged terrain ideal for all outdoor sporting pursuits. We want to make sure folks know how very much this area has to offer … and The City Garage is open year ‘round to help outfit you through all four seasons.

TWO Major Ski Areas Within a Mile (give or take) From the Heart of the Village

Ellicottville is home to two of New York State’s premier ski areas – Holiday Valley Resort – recently ranked by Ski Magazine’s readers as 3rd best among top resorts in the entire Eastern North America, and HoliMont – the largest private ski resort in all of North America! Be sure to check out Holiday Valley’s website for the many all-season offerings they provide – in addition to skiing there is tubing, a Mountain Coaster, the Sky High Adventure Park, and 18-hole “Double Black Diamond” golf course.

Premier Camping, Hiking, and Trail Networks in and Around the Area

Immediately surrounding Ellicottville is a wide network of trails for x-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, and quite frankly …world-class mountain biking. Rock City/McCarty Hill State Forest, located near the border of the towns of Ellicottville and Great Valley, provides over 6,000 acres open to the public. Fire roads throughout the New York State-owned forest provide easy access to premier hiking and mountain biking trails, to include what is locally referred to as The White Trail, part of the more widely known Finger Lakes and North Country Trails.

Just a short drive (or cycle) south of Ellicottville will take you to Allegany State Park, the largest State Park in New York State – approximately 65,000 acres total and over 35 miles of trails available for outdoor adventure! The famous North Country Trail, a 4000+ mile trail spanning NY, PA, OH, MI, WI, MN (and terminating in ND) passes through the Park as part of the trail system. The Park is home to the Art Roscoe Ski Touring Area, where trails are groomed in the winter months, to include tracks for Classic Nordic skiing.

Don’t Miss Ellicottville’s Distance Running Events!

A perfect venue for sporting events, with plenty of lodging, bars, and restaurants, Ellicottville is now the host village for two major area running races – The EVL Halloween Half/5K and The Happy Half. As several of The City Garage family members are avid distance runners, we also want to make sure you know about these events! This coming October will mark the 3rd anniversary of the EVL Halloween Half and it gets better every year. The race starts and finishes on Monroe Street right in front of The City Garage, so be sure to stop in and say hey before or after your run! The Happy Half is new in May 2016 and also features a 5K as well as the first-ever “Beer Mile” to be run in the area. Check out the race websites via the above links and register early because these races fill up fast!

Additional information on recreating in and around Ellicottville can be found via the below links:

Village of Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce
Cattaraugus County Tourism and Visitor Information
Allegany Nordic
Western New York Mountain Biking Association
Rock City/McCarty Hill State Forest Map
Allegany State Park Art Roscoe Trail Map