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Glamour camping spreads out in WNY

Photo courtesy of The Woods at Bear Creek

It's called "glamping," or glamour camping, and its growing popularity has prompted one local businessman to make a major investment in a Cattaraugus County property.

John Hutchins appears to be committing major dollars to transform a former summer camp into The Woods at Bear Creek, a new "glamping" resort in the rugged hills near Franklinville. But Hutchins is betting on the success of another nearby community for his customer base.

"The Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce and business community has been open arms. They are so good to work with because we are a part of the Ellicottville business community. In fact, we even have an Ellicottville P.O. Box so we can use it in our address because all of the Canadians know where Ellicottville is,"explained Hutchins, who has enjoyed success with his renovation of the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls.

"There are six million people a year who come to Ellicottville."

While the summer camp contained cabins, tent platforms and other structures that remain a part of the resort, they have undergone a major upgrade to make for a comfortable "glamping" experience. Cabins have heat and air conditioning, showers and flat screen televisions.

The 750 acre property held its grand opening last weekend.

Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 10 a.m.

Jay joined Buffalo Toronto Public Media in 2008 and has been local host for NPR's "Morning Edition" ever since. In June, 2022, he was named one of the co-hosts of WBFO's "Buffalo, What's Next."

A graduate of St. Mary's of the Lake School, St. Francis High School and Buffalo State College, Jay has worked most of his professional career in Buffalo. Outside of public media, he continues in longstanding roles as the public address announcer for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League and as play-by-play voice of Canisius College basketball.