Activities
There are great outdoor activities to experience in all seasons.
Summer
We can experience nature by hiking through the trails, photographing the animal kingdom or bird watching.
Winter
We can snowshoe through the nature trails.
Park Facilities
On, October 31, 2019, we experienced a Lake Erie seiche event spurring a seven-foot jump in water levels along the Buffalo Metro shoreline. Times Beach Nature Preserve was specifically impacted by this high water event seeing significant damage to the boardwalk and trail system while depositing more than 3,000 cubic yards of debris, which lead to an official Disaster Declaration by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in December 2019.
Since then, Erie County has been working with our partners at FEMA on a plan to return the site to its pre-disaster condition. However, the emergence of the COVID-19 Global Pandemic has led to significant delays in the funding and project approval process administered by FEMA and it is unlikely that any work will commence until at least spring 2021. And, as such, we regret to inform you that Times Beach Nature Preserve will remained closed to the public indefinitely.
We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work towards restoring Times Beach so that we can safely enjoy all that this natural habitat area has to offer.
History
It is believed that Times Beach Nature Preserve was once a shantytown which eventually faded to become a confined disposal facility (CDF) used by the US Army Corps of Engineers starting in 1972 for dredged materials from the Buffalo River and Harbor. The site was abandoned from dredging in 1976 when a new CDF was installed adjacent to the turbines along Lake Erie. Now Times Beach is owned by the City of Buffalo and is maintained by both the City and the County of Erie. The park has naturally blossomed into a wildlife sanctuary after being left to natural succession to become the wildlife haven that we enjoy today. Check out what The US Army Corps of Engineers has to say about Times Beach here Times Beach.
