Niagara County High Point Trip Report
1 area 1.75 miles SE of Royalton Center (675+ ft)
Date: October 27, 2000
Author: Dan Case
The lowest upstate NY CHP can be best reached by following NY 5 to NY 93 south of Akron (not too far
west of Exit 48A on the Thruway). Head north and continue through the village. Be careful and pay
attention to the signs as the state route quickly scoots off to the left up Ontario Street just as it hits
downtown, then makes a right at the end then a quick left again on Walnut Street. This finally leads out
of the village to where you can open up the engine, and gradually crosses Ellicott Creek into Niagara
County. Stay with it for a couple of miles more, past several bends, to a sort of forking Y intersection
shortly after the second power line crossing where you want to bear right and then turn right onto Bunker
Hill Road. You are now, it should be obvious, entering Niagara County's High Peaks Region.
Staying with it for about two miles or so will bring you to 8855, at an obvious crest in the road just before
it turns north to intersect with Wolcott Road. This is the Miller farmhouse, inside the 670' contour. The
highest ground is visibly in the back.
Asking permission from the Millers is an interesting exercise, as they are both octogenarians with severe
hearing deficiencies. Once you succeed, if they're home, or when you've given up, don't go into the
backyard. You're best off following the driveway to the left past the smaller sheds to the big red barn
where Spotty the cow, as per Fallesen, will greet you with a moo.
To get behind the barn, it is necessary to step over the three-foot high electric fence that pens her.
Although she's quite benevolent, I found this easiest to do again on the west side of the barn, away from
her, near the rear, where the fence is lowest.
Once you do, walk up to the high ground, about a hundred feet behind the barn near some old logs and
rusted plows. Views are expansive but rather limited by the generally flat topography of the area to the
few miles around.