Erie Canal Forum

My wife and I are headed East to enjoy some Erie Canal trail biking, somewhere between Rochester and Syracuse in mid-late September. First timers to area. We favor paved trails that will display some history, scenery, local cafes, charm. 15-25 mile days preferred. Where would you send us?

Start at Pittsford and go east as far as you want.

Agree with Bill in Houston, ride east on the eastern portion of the trial. Consider starting in Spencerport or in downtown Rochester, the trails around the confluence of the canal and the Genesee River near the U of R Campus are very pleasant and shaded. It you start in Pittsford you will miss this. Downtown Rochester is making an effort at redevelopment and has bike trails and historical information kiosks but it was still a work in progress in 2020. The Amtrak station in downtown Rochester is near the downtown hotels which can be a morning starting off point. If you are only doing 25 mile days and don't plan to camp it will be difficult to find lodging in the rural sections between Rochester and Syracuse, but there are B&Bs that have recently opened/reopened so make sure you check several resources for lodging. From Rome east most of the trail is paved and is in excellent condition with more historic sites and lodging options. If you want a shorter ride consider starting there. If you have an interest in architecture consider staying in Syracuse so that you can see the art deco NIMO building at night.
The Italian restaurants near the trail in Amsterdam don't look like much from the outside but they are very good, and while you are there don't miss walking over the unusual Gateway pedestrian bridge with sculptures by Dimitar Lukanov.

Thank you Bill and John. Just the type of localized info I was looking for. Keep pedaling.
Jim

Syracuse To Utica is a nice area, that's the ground zero of the beginnings of the old Erie canal. Rome, NY The Erie canal village is in some but appears to be closed. Yet there is a covered shelter to get out of a storm if needed. As far as renting a bike, consider the miles and hours you will be seated on a bike. Your better off buying a quality used bike and having it fitted to your body and fitness. Youtube has several how-to's. Best Biking!

Will my 700-38 size tires be ok on the trail?

Absolutely. I rode on my 700x35s in July just fine.

Thanks

Wondering if anyone can recommend to me the prettiest section of the EC bike trail. Also are there any bike shops that will rent a suitable bike near this section.
Thanks. Wayne

Lots of pretty sections. I really enjoyed the Little Falls and Amsterdam sections and the Mohawk River section the most.

Stayed at Lock 20 8/21/21 doing a bike touring trip with our Scout Troop. We were told while planning this trip that water would be available at this location. This website also lists water as available. There is no potable water here. There is a faucet on the side of the lock house with a sign that says non-potable water, so plan ahead if you are going to stop here. We did find a convenience store around the corner that let us fill up our bottles.

Mosquitoes were horrendous, thousands of them biting through even Deep Woods Off. The only protection was to be covered from head to toe, even then they were biting through clothing.

Portable toilets were on the opposite side of the canal. You can cross the lower lock gate to get there.

John sorry to hear that your night at Lock 20 did not go so well, and sorry that we had the wrong info here about water availability. I have updated the listing to reflect lack of water at Lock 20.

Hope the rest of your trip went better!

Is there a mile marker "0" in Buffalo on erie canal trail from Albany ?? We are arriving tomorrow. Any help will be awesome !!!

I have read here there isn't.

At Canalside, there is supposedly a blue and yellow cast metal sign showing the western extent of the canal. We didn't know to look for it, and we didn't see it, so we brought chalk to draw our own on the ground in the style of the GAP/C&O mile 0.

I'm just trying to decide what kind of bike would be best suited to ride? My options riy ght now are a road bike, a mountain bike or a fat tire. My plan is to ride 40 to 50 miles a day. Thanks for any advice.

Vinnie

A lot of the trail around here is 'crushed stone' (gravel) so I ride my mountain bike with skinny (1.5) tires. Have a great ride!

Whichever one you like the most for 50 miles per day.

You're more likely to get a flat on the roadie, of course.

I'm not in a race, so I ride my MTB. Handles every surface, never got a flat.

Thanks for the help, I'll go with the mountain bike, should be a fun trip!

Vinnie, MTB is definitely the right bike for the Erie canal trail. I completed my through ride from Buffalo in early June on a road bike borrowed from my daughter. After the first day I realized it was the wrong bike for the trail: skinny tires (700×32), racing handle bar, no front or rear shock etc. I should have stayed with my trusty and reliable hybrid bike: beefier rides (26×2.10), front suspension, seat post suspension, flat bar with risers etc. As others had noted, most of the trail is composed of crushed stones. Fatter tires will not sink as easy especially when it rains. BTW, I have biked the GAP + C&O (one trip), as well as large chunks of the Moselle, Rhine and Danube using my hybrid bike and that worked out well.

Have fun with your upcoming ride.

Vinnie, MTB is definitely the right bike for the Erie canal trail. I completed my through ride from Buffalo in early June on a road bike borrowed from my daughter. After the first day I realized it was the wrong bike for the trail: skinny tires (700×32), racing handle bar, no front or rear shock etc. I should have stayed with my trusty and reliable hybrid bike: beefier rides (26×2.10), front suspension, seat post suspension, flat bar with risers etc. As others had noted, most of the trail is composed of crushed stones. Fatter tires will not sink as easy especially when it rains. BTW, I have biked the GAP + C&O (one trip), as well as large chunks of the Moselle, Rhine and Danube using my hybrid bike and that worked out well.

Have fun with your upcoming ride.

I used my old 80’s steel touring bike that I turned into my long distance camping machine. It is 27x1 1/4 (with schwalbe marathons) and I did just fine. I didn’t have anything as bad as it gets on the C&O. Don’t let this scare you off if you have skinnier tires.

Thank you again for all your input. I've decided to go with the mountain bike. I'm starting my trip on 9/11 and I plan on riding 40 to 50 miles per day. If all goes well I'll be looking into trying some other long distance rides. Thanks again for sharing your experiences, I'll let you know how it goes.

Good luck and best wishes! Come back if you have more questions!

I'm on the trail now and my bike has 700x25's and my brothers has 700x32's. We have both done fine. No flats so far and mine rolls faster than bike with 32's.

That's a shame. I mean we don't close roads because dunk drivers kill people. I guess they feel boaters bring more money in. I stayed there twicw also eating in resturnats for two meals and buy food from the store. The town folk and the police I met were very friendly. I think NYPT and the state as this is now [part of the Empire trail should lobby for it to be reoppened and for more campsites. This should look like the GAP and the C&O with hiker/biker camping. Maybe they could have you register and collect people infomation before allow you to stay. Maybe all of us who stayed there and others should write the mayor and share our pleasent experience in thier town?

Planning on starting at Niagara Falls instead of Buffalo. Would like sny information on the trail/road from Niagara Falls to Tonawanda, especially where we pick up the ECT.
Thanks

It's explained pretty well in the book

Erie Canal Bicyclist & Hiker Tour Guide
by Harvey Botzman

pages 56-58

Traveling soon? I might be able to email scanned pages.

We are planning on going right after Labor Day. That would be great if you can email me the scanned pages. Any information would be greatly appreciated as we are all newbies at this.
pawlikjrp@gmail.com

Check your email, I just sent the Botzman page but it's Niagara Falls Ontario... he mentioned NYS Bike Route 5. That might be more helpful.

Safe travels!

We've just discovered the Avenza Map app. Is there a map on Avenza that we can download for the Buffalo to Rochester segment?

Parked at the Exchange Street Amtrak station, they provided a parking pass and I left my car in their lot, no charge. Train to Albany stayed at the Hilton.

Day one - 48 miles to Amsterdam. The path from the starting point on the Mohawk-Hudson trail is paved off road for several miles and then it was on the street through Watervliet, but there were well marked bike lanes and there was not a lot of traffic. Thanks to the people who put down the direction arrow stickers on the trail, they were so much more noticeable than signs on posts. At the Alexander Street Trailhead the Mohawk-Hudson trail starts again and it is paved off road trail all the way to Amsterdam. Stayed at the Castle - it was clean, interesting and close to the trail.

Day two - 63 miles to Utica. Paved trails and then some gravel and single track dirt trails through Little Falls. The off road trail ends near Ilion and then it is road biking to Utica. Stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on Wells Ave and walked to Tavolo for dinner, both were great.

Day three - 62 miles to Syracuse. Picked up the (gravel) trail at Harbor Lock Road and within a mile got lost following another gravel trail which I rode for about 3 miles until it kept getting worse and ended near Sauquoit Creek. I think I should have kept right when the trail met Barnes Ave. Carried my bike across the Amtrak rails, down a ravine, across a creek until I got back to Main St in Whitesboro. Thanks to the interactive map, I found the trail again in Oriskany. The bike paths on the Eastside of Syracuse were great. Stayed at the Courtyard Marriott and walked to Apizza for really good pizza.

Day 4 - 57 miles to Newark. The Westside of Syracuse had none of the nice city bike paths, it was just road biking for the first 7 miles then back on the trail near Amboy. Nice trail riding for 20 miles until Port Byron when it was back on the road riding Route 31. The Empire State Trail route is all on Route 31, but I followed the interactive map and turned left on Route 89. The distance looked the same, but where Route 31 has wide shoulders and a good bit of higher speed traffic and trucks, the route 89 (Armitage Road to Tyre Road) had very little traffic (maybe saw 5 cars) and no trucks. Stayed at the Newark Garden Hotel. It looks like it needs to be torn down, but the room was clean and quiet. Walked to Craft 120 for dinner, great food, nice people.

Day 5 - 70 miles to Albion. Really great Erie Canal Trail riding. Crushed stone trail along the canal into Fairport, Pittsford, and Rochester. Stayed at the Dollinger Motel in Albion and walked to get a pizza at Avanti Pizza, both were ok.

Day 6 - 60 miles to Buffalo. More great Erie Canal Trail riding through Medina, Gasport, and Lockport. Stopped to watch a boat being lifted in the lock and had a lemonade at Steamworks Coffee shop. There was a detour in Tonawanda at Ellicott Creek that was not well marked. Then it was mostly really nice trails heading South along the Niagara River to Buffalo with a couple spots where you get put on Niagara Street for a short span as some of the trail was under construction. After getting to Buffalo, it was a little confusing trying to stay on the trail. Don’t be tempted to take the pedestrian bridge at LaSalle Park, keep working the trail along Lakefront Blvd until it reaches Canalside, then it is only a few blocks to the Amtrak station at Exchange Street.

It was a great trip, thanks to the forum for trip planning ideas and the interactive map and trip planner here was so helpful.

I'm riding your 'Day 6' section tomorrow - thank you for the detour information!

Thanks for the Trip Report. Sounds like a nicely planned trip with not too much wrong. Not sure what happened on Day 3, but I've always ridden West --] East and never had a problem. Then, in SYR, there is a new route and you shouldn't have been on city streets for 7 miles. Something went wrong there. The new route is great with a nice mix of center lane trail, a few downtown city blocks on well marked bike lanes, up and through a pretty city park and then out and around the NYS Fairgrounds.

Being from the Buffalo area and not minding any city street biking -- I'm really not sure how well marked the trail is coming into Buffalo. Not surprised that it was a bit sketchy, but it's easy enough to just plug in Amtrak Station into a GPS and get there. Glad you had a nice ride.

Great news about the parking at Exchange Street!

That spot at Barnes Ave is tricky for people going in either direction. We rode a hefty ways out into the swamp when we went through. Happens to lots of people.

Thanks for the report!

I got flummoxed with the trail at Barnes Avenue near the end of the day riding east and decided to stay in Utica. Found myself at the Utica Club Brewery a few blocks from the end of Barnes Ave, then stayed at the Rosemont Inn B&B only a few more blocks from the brewery which was bike friendly, and offered a much appreciated massage. Turned out to be a pleasant ending to the day.

I rode the canal trail late last June. I agree that the trail on the canal is great. My disappointment was that there was so much road riding. I guess I'm spoiled, I have ridden the GAP and CO tow path many times and thought the canalway would be similar. Also thought the signage could have been a lot better.

In the early planning stages of a trip from Central FL to bike the Erie Canal path. Have biked the C&O (many times) and bits & pieces of the GAP. 50-60 miles a day, both late 60's. We lived in MD/metro DC for years before retiring to FL (what a mistake). Nice, but flat bike trails that go on forever . . .

Best time in the summer 2022(to get the heck outta FL) or should we wait until Fall?

Thinking of starting in Syracuse as I want to make a side-trip to Seneca Falls then to Rochester, maybe a little further West.

Also in planning stage of hooking this trip up with working on an organic farm for 4-6 weeks in Canada. Thus, starting/ending in Syracuse to drive NE. I'm thinking Summer 2022 would be best to do all of this.

Comments, Advice please. TY in advance!

Totally agree that you have a good plan to start out with. I've biked the Canalway in June twice and really like the weather, but truthfully, July and August are certainly a lot milder than FLA weather. If you do 50- 60 miles a day you can cover a lot of territory on the Erie. No reason not to start in Syracuse -- other than you will be turning around and going back rather than the option: getting somewhere -- taking a train to the starting point and riding back one way to wherever "somewhere" is.

Hope this helps. Any other questions... ask.

Coming to ride some of the canal in the first week or so of Sept. Any opinions on the best 2 to 4 days along the trail?
Thanks much!

I like the western end (Bflo to Syracuse) the best. It gives you a chance to see the small towns along the canal as well as stops in Buffalo and Rochester. You are following the current Barge Canal that is full of boats and paddlers, etc. A lot of history, the flight of 5 in Lockport, etc. etc.

Any thought on where to park downtown in Buffalo?

We have left our car overnight at the Augspurger ramp. It was safe and inexpensive. There are several other city parking sites. https://bcarparking.com/

Thanks Yankee John - you da man - GO PATS!!

On Sunday, August 8, 2021 I got on the ERIE CANAL TRAIL at Schenectady County Community College and headed WEST. At Approximately 1/4 mile beyond the colleges track through an “S” curve there is a LARGE LIMB across the trail. You are able to go under the limb on the “river” side of the trail but NOT under the side of the trail away from the river.

This is just to inform who ever needs to know to get it cleared from the trail.

I know it’s a longshot, but I happened to lose my wallet somewhere along the trail between Chittenango and Rome on 8/6. It’s a little leather Thread wallet with ID and a couple of (canceled) credit cards. If anyone comes across it, please post here or send it to my home address. I’ll happily pick up the tab for your next refreshment break on your travels:)

Anyone know a way to get us and our bikes from Albany back to Buffalo?

Amtrak.
Rent a car.

Peddle.

Amtrak is really easy. Just need to book ahead to confirm bike spots. It’s easiest to call customer service, but if you book online, you just add the bike ticket at the end of the purchase. I think our tickets were $31 each plus $20/bike.

Looking to bike this trail in 2022. Is 50 miles per day fairly easy on the terrain? I biked the GAP trail and 50 was doable but general pace was 12mph. due to terrain. Also is it better to go from east to west or west to east. THX

Amy,

I did the GAP and C&O (Pitsburgh to DC) in one trip 3 years ago and averaged about 45 miles/day without exerting myself. I just finished the Erie canalway in early June from Buffalo to Albany (actually Colonie) and went 45-50/day, again without undue strain. My average speed was only about 9-10 mph. So, I believe that 50 miles/day at 12 mh is very doable for bikers in average or above average physical condition. BTW, I started the Erie canal trip the day after I turned 75. I assume you are younger than I therefore you have youth on your side.

Regarding the east-west-east question, I do not believe it makes much difference as the gradient change is very minimal (much less than the GAP!) While the prevailing wind is westerly, again it was not a significant factor in June. Therefore where you start should depends on the logistics of getting yourself and your bike to the starting and from the ending points.

I am a fellow Marylander around your neck of the woods. Feel free to shoot me additional questions: hnguyen@smcm.edu

When the trail surface is gravel, it's just like the GAP.

A good bit of it is paved trail or on-road, so the pace is a little faster on those stretches.

I'd go West to East. We went that way, and had a nice tailwind that made life quite pleasant.

It's more common to ride West to East - technically it's downhill. Doing so you will see the trail surface improve as you get closer to ALB as most of the trail from Mohawk --> east is all paved.

Does anyone know if we can leave our vehicle at the Pendleton Parking Lot for the week while we bike the trail? Thanks, Pam

Seeing that there is no answer yet, here would be my suggestion. If the lot is an official Canal Parking area, call the NYS Canal Corporation and ask. Another option that might easily work is to call the Pendleton United Methodist Church and ask them if you can leave your car in their parking lot.

I left my car, for a couple hours, at Christian Faith Chapel
5733 Tonawanda Creek Rd
Lockport, NY 14094
right next to the trail, and they were very nice about it.

Yes but there are limited spots available. I went from Rhinebeck to Buffalo on a train originating in NYC and there were only 4 bike lockers on the entire train. I had to go on a Thursday evening because all bike lockers were booked on all trains Friday. You need to purchase a separate bike ticket for $20 in addition to your ticket. The Amtrak website is a little confusing on this. You first begin booking your trip and then select the additional bike ticket on the next web page that comes up.
The bike racks will NOT handle a fat tire. I was running 1.75" wide tires and they barely fit.

Went from Albany to Buff. Depew Station. Removed front tire and hung bike. Panniers were carried on by had and stayed with me. Its not fun trying to hang bike while everyone else is getting on. Used Empire Service. $20 for bike. 4 spots on whole train. Book early

So yes, you purchase a ticket yourself and then an "Add On" bike rack ticket. When you are on the Amtrak website you have to do this for a specific day and train -- it can be tough having to re-enter your information each time, because the racks are limited in number and sell out. If you are not having luck finding something, it's better to call an Amtrak agent. They can see when racks are available in the future and help you find a spot.