5+ things to do in Buffalo NY for VIEWS along Lake Erie Outer Harbor waterfront ⚓ Western New York travel blog

Hi there!

 

Buffalo NY is in Western New York, and Lake Erie is one of the “Great Lakes” in North America.

And Buffalo NY is the big city in New York that is along Lake Erie!

All of the Great Lakes are beautiful, and that includes Lake Erie!

And so, it’s possible to have one GREAT day in Buffalo along the waterfront that is the Buffalo Outer Harbor of Lake Erie!

I went to Buffalo as a part of a Western New York road trip, and here’s what you need to know about the amazing waterfront views of Buffalo!

 

 

Aside from driving the Buffalo Skyway, the list below will take you along a 3 mile stretch of the Buffalo waterfront. (map)

 

 

1. Buffalo Skyway

 

Drive with views of Lake Erie off in the distance!

Once you’re off the Buffalo Skyway, you can follow signs to the Buffalo Outer Harbor.

 

 

2. Buffalo Lighthouse

👆 Buffalo Lighthouse, as seen from Wilkeson Pointe.

 

You can navigate to the Buffalo Lighthouse using google maps (map) and it will take you to a dead end road where you’ll find a Coast Guard Station.

 

 

At the dead end is also where you will find the path to the Buffalo lighthouse.

In summer 2021, the Buffalo Lighthouse was closed because of structural issues to the Buffalo lighthouse pier.

 

 

 

3. Wilkeson Pointe

 

The Wilkeson Pointe trail is a walk along the Buffalo waterfront that comes with views of Lake Erie.

 

 

When I went, there was also a bike rental shop set up at Wilkeson Pointe along Outer Harbor Drive. See the Pedal Co bike rental prices. (And it can also be good to give them a call to confirm that they will be there when you go: ​716-998-0949.)

 

 

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4. Greenway Nature Trail

 

The Greenway Nature Trail is another walk (or bike ride!) with views of Lake Erie.

 

 

 

5. Buffalo Harbor State Park

 

For a New York State Park along Lake Erie in Buffalo, there is the Buffalo Harbor State Park.

 

 

Once again, the Buffalo Harbor State Park has a trail for a walk or bike ride with views of Lake Erie.

 

 

There are also picnic tables so you can eat with lake views.

 

 

 

6. Gallagher Pier 

 

For the final stop along this Buffalo Outer Harbor tour, you can make it a stop at the Gallagher Pier.

This can be a starting point to walk the trail along the waterfront.

 

 

Or you can make it a simple walk out onto the pier.

 

 

There are also picnic tables so you can eat with lake views here too.

 

 

 

Kayaking in Buffalo… or SUP in Buffalo!

Plus, if you want to make it a few hours out on Lake Erie in Buffalo, you can also rent a kayak or rent a stand-up paddleboard too!

 

👆 Make it a few hours out on Lake Erie in Buffalo. You can rent watercraft from Longboards Paddle Co: kayak rentals, stand-up paddleboard rentals (SUP), hydro-bike rentals. See current prices.

 

 

Parking near Buffalo Outer Harbor

In summer 2021, it was possible to find free parking near Buffalo waterfront spots listed above.

There is street parking along Outer Harbor Drive and Fuhrmann Boulevard, which are the main roads that are off of the spots on the list.

There are also some places that have a dedicated parking lot, also free.

 

 

One day in Buffalo NY: Lake Erie Outer Harbor and the Buffalo waterfront

With one day in Buffalo, you can make your time in Buffalo all about the Buffalo waterfront!

It’s possible to go to all the places on the Buffalo list above in one day… or even half a day, if you want to make time to do more things along Lake Erie outside of Buffalo!

But of course, that also depends on how long you want to spend in each location!

 

 

 

Day trip to Buffalo NY

You can make it a day trip to Buffalo if you’re staying in places like Niagara Falls, Letchworth State Park, or Canandaigua Lake or near one of the other western Finger Lakes.

 

 

More of Lake Erie beyond Buffalo

You can continue your drive along Lake Erie by making it a Lake Erie Road trip!

See more about driving along Lake Erie from Buffalo: Day trip to Lake Erie

 

Plan more of your Western New York road trip beyond Buffalo!

• Things to do near Lake Erie
• Lake Ontario lighthouses
• Lake Ontario camping trip
• Things to do in Niagara Falls NY
• Things to do in the Finger Lakes
• Things to do near Canandaigua Lake
• Things to do in Letchworth State Park (waterfalls!)

 

More of the Great Lakes beyond New York:

• National lakeshores along the Great Lakes
• Lake Michigan beaches
• Lake Superior beaches
• Lake Superior lighthouses

 

HAPPY DAY TRIP TO BUFFALO!