Erie Outdoor Activities

A Golden Griffin emblem presides over Canisius College Athletics’ 17 sports teams, which traverse grass, water, and hard court in search of victory. As part of the NCAA Division I’s Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), Canisius’s athletes face off against other East Coast schools including Marist College, Niagara University, and Loyola University Maryland. From the stands, a sea of blue and gold cheers on the men’s basketball, hockey, and lacrosse teams, the women’s soccer, softball, and volleyball teams, and the adjunct professors’ annual soapbox derby.

After spending hours on the faces of outdoor boulders and overhangs, the crew at Niagara Climbing Center brings back inspiration as a souvenir. With toughened fingers and memories of these natural rock formations, they return to their indoor facility to lay climbing routes on 6,000 square feet of vertical terrain. The gym's walls reach up to 20 feet above the ground and their features include bulges and slopes to help climbers prepare for real rocks or real trophy rooms of big-game rock hunters.

With two decades of racecar driving under his belt, Mr. Uli Bieri sought a means to safely share motorsports with other enthusiasts. In 1997, he found it in the form of Cayuga Dragway Park, a former airstrip built in 1955. He purchased the land, and over the years added a 3-kilometre road course that could be reconfigured for drivers of different skill levels and extensive noise-reduction berms. He constructed the tracks with a strong focus on safety, keeping the ground flat and providing ample runoff area. In 2001, he rechristened the two tracks Toronto Motorsports Park, providing a venue for amateur racers to compete, practice, and engage in instructional programs.

Today the dual stretches of pavement serve both education and entertainment for the motorsports community, regularly holding massive events featuring professionally modified vehicles and legendary drivers. Amateurs still get plenty of track time to try out new vehicles with the Test & Tune Program and race custom rides in the Bracket Series.

A fleet of segways ferries tour takers to scenic outposts in downtown Houston and along the historic bayou during four tours, seven days per week. Guides lead groups of up to eight riders in snapping sunset pictures during the Twilight Bayou tour and spout off historic anecdotes during the Houston History tour. In addition to tours of the city and scenery, friendly guides can travel with a brigade of segways to a client's home or office to teach friends, families, and coworkers how to navigate the two-wheeled steeds more effectively than a renowned segway whisperer.

Surrounded by roaring crowds of hoops fanatics, the Erie BayHawks shoot for glory during thrilling basketball matches as the official minor-league team of the New York Knicks in the NBA Development League. Head coach Gene Cross manages a roster of young and veteran talent that recently included overnight sensation Jeremy Lin. Buzzers announce the beginning of four quarters' worth of dazzling slam dunks, three-point shots, and Final Jeopardy lightning rounds as players hone their talents in preparation for upcoming games and potential rise to the NBA ranks.

Between rugged cliffs stretching hundreds of feet toward the sky, a foaming river surges toward waterfalls and gentle tributaries. Upon its arching rapids tumble buoyant rafts, ferrying animated passengers who scream with delight at each bump along the way or sudden bald eagle sighting. For the experienced guides at Zoar Valley Canoe and Rafting Company, this is an everyday experience.