Bond Lake Park
2571 Lower Mountain Rd., Ransomville, NY 14131 - MAP
The Niagara County Parks Department will soon be applying for NYS grant funding, to make improvements at Bond Lake Park. Please help us, by taking a few moments to complete this short survey. Thank you!
Niagara County Parks Policy 2008
Niagara county Parks will begin accepting shelter reservation for the 2010 Season on Monday, March 1, 2010. You may contact them at 439-7950.
Bond Lake Park is located on Lower Mountain Road in the Town of Lewiston, New York. The park is situated astride the Niagara Escarpment on over 531 acres of land encompassing five separate lakes, which lends itself to beautiful scenic views. Bond Lake Park is a nature-based facility but also offers a variety of different recreational activities for year round use.
Bond Lake Park provides the residents of Niagara County with a unique summer experience. The five lakes located throughout the park are perfect for a casual day of fishing. Two large shelters and picnic tables positioned about in various locations are provided for anyone wishing to have a picnic and relax around the main lake. These facilities are available on a first come-first serve basis. The 13 miles of cross-country trails are maintained by our staff and used during the summer months for hiking, bird watching, and biking. The Warming House located at the park is available for private rental from March 15th through November 15th for events such as weddings, family reunions, and retirement parties. Please call the Niagara County Parks Division at (716) 439-7950 for information on Warming House rental.
WARNING
Please be aware that in the summer of 2004, Giant Hogweed, a very dangerous
plant, was found growing in various areas of the County including Royalton
Ravine County Park. All sites located at that time have been destroyed,
but should you come across something you suspect may be Giant Hogweed,
do not touch the plant. Contact the Parks Department immediately
at (716) 439-7950. Giant Hogweed is a public health hazard. It
results in severe skin irritation and painful burning blisters that could
turn into purplish or brown pigmentation and scarring. It resembles
a very large Queen Anne’s Lace plant. Its stems are 9-14 feet
high and 2-4 inches in diameter. They are hollow and ridged with
purple blotches and coarse hairs. Flowering occurs from mid-June
to mid-July and flower clusters may reach 2 ½ feet across. Again,
do not touch the plant and contact the Niagara County Parks Department
at (716) 439-7950.
During the winter months the park offers a number of activities that are not available anywhere else in Niagara County. A well maintained and staffed Tubing Hill is open, weather permitting, every weekend and holidays. The park also provides a large ice skating rink for family oriented skating as well as a smaller rink used exclusively for hockey. There are 13 miles of cross-country skiing trails that are groomed and cared for by our staff. The Warming House at Bond Lake provides a warm break from the cold weather activities with its roaring fire, seating area and restroom facilities. Visitors are permitted to bring picnic style lunches. No equipment is provided for any on site activities. Tubing Hill conditions are recorded daily and can be accessed by calling (716) 731-3256.
The Bond Lake Nature Center is located in the Warming House and is staffed by members of the Bond Lake Environmental and Beautification Committee. The Center is open each Sunday, year round, from noon until 4 PM or by appointment. Please review the Warming House Rules before using. The Center offers numerous exhibits as well as information on the history of the park and surrounding area. The Bond Lake Environmental Committee consists of local residents and business members dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the ecosystem contained within the park. This Committee also sponsors several different events throughout the year including a Winterfest, fishing derbies and bird watching weekends. For more information please go to www.freewebs.com/bondlake
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Inside the warming house
HISTORY
Bond Lake Park is located on the site of a former quarrying operation owned by the Empire Limestone Division of the old Lackawanna Steel Mill. In 1912, the land was leased by Lackawanna Steel to quarry the high grade limestone found there. Empire Limestone actively quarried the site during the 1890’s on through 1925. The quarried limestone was transported by rail to supply the firm’s steel furnaces in Lackawanna.
In 1919, Frederick Bond, Sr. a native of Buffalo, became manager of the quarry. Escalating costs of hauling the limestone forced the closing of the quarry in 1925. It was after the closing of the quarry that the lakes and ponds within the quarry site were allowed to fill in naturally.
In 1927, Bond purchased the quarry property for $15,000. Over the
following years, most of the land was divided into 12 tracts and sold to
various landowners for farming. In the late depression years of the
1930’s, Bond offered the remaining 90 acres of land for sale to Niagara
County as a park for $30,000, but the offer was never accepted. Prior
to his death in 1949, Bond sold the remaining property to a private resident
of Niagara Falls for about $25,000.
In 1964, the county acquired the land through condemnation proceedings. All 13 parcels were purchased for a total of $800,000, which was financed through State and local funds. For the most part, the land remained undeveloped until 1976, when Legislator Richard Shanley suggested clearing park land for a ski slope, an idea that had failed to gain interest in the City of Lockport at the time. 15 acres were cleared by the Sheriff’s work program and within two years, Niagara County received a $1.162 million federal grant to develop a sports complex at the site. Niagara County added $350,000 to construct the Warming House.
