Erie Canal Forum

So I'm having a bit of difficulty understanding camping policies at the various locks. I understand that there are appx. 5 that allow camping and some of those have drinking water and restrooms, and maybe a shower. I called the Marina at Lock 21 Illion and was told $20 fee. I thought from reading these posts that camping at the locks was free.
I'm looking for clear, concise info regarding camping options I'd rather not hear smart remarks or "I stealth camped and thumbed my nose at authority." I prefer to do the right thing as some places are now off limits to trail riders because of behavior. Would like to hear from those who have done the ride, camped, and have useful info. I know I sound like a pain in the butt. Don't mean to but don't want to weed through a bunch of useless chatter. Thanks to all that can help.

I rode west-bound in May, and camped half the time.

You are correct that there are several locks with some level of facilities. I don't believe any have showers, but many have portable toilets, and some have potable water.

Lock 15 is great - water, facilities, and even electricity.

Lock 20 is good - no potable water, yes on facilities.

Lock 21 is lovely, but without any water or facilities. It's also pretty remote, so you can't just pop into town.

Lock 30 had water, but no facilities in May. Might be different now, since two years ago they had them.

Lock 21 allows free camping at the lock. I'm guessing if you called the Marina, that wasn't the Canal system lock; hence the $20 fee.

You are allowed to camp any any lock, pending approval from the lock master, but there will not be any services.

We added a couple of hotel stops so we could have a shower twice on the ride.

Enjoy your ride!

Biker Girl, Thank you. I called 2 numbers at Illion. One only rand. The 2nd answered and that was the Marina.

Yes, thank you Biker Girl.

Thank you for that info Biker Girl. I have updated the website listings to reflect these details.

Rick -- the Illion Lock has a Town RV park. In COVID frantic June 2020, I stopped there and called the number posted at the building. The park manager allowed me to camp one night, but told me that the Town didn't allow tent camping, just RVs. It does make sense as there is just a back row of paved RV parking. I stayed on a grassy area on the far side near a pavillion.

In general... camping at Locks is allowed -- ideally with advance permission/notification (and same day is fine). On the eastern section you are not always right on the Canalway, so a Lock option may take planning to getbthere. I stayed at a public Marina in Little Falls that was great (pretty much legal), Lock 8 near Rotterdam was one of the best and not even mentioned above, as was the Lock at Fort Hunter. The Canalway is close enough to towns and facilities (convenient stores, restaurants, etc.) that finding camping support is easy. My advise is get out a map and do some planning to support the amount of miles you want to cover in a day and see where it puts you -- then see what's close and what options you have. Lighten up, have fun... it's an adventure after all!

Can you park for several days here?
What is the cost per day?
Is it safe to leave your vehicle for several days?

I wouldn't leave my car there.

JTBiker -- pretty much Unity Island isn't car accessable, but more of a walking Pier and any parking would be short-term. Looking for a place to leave your car? Right there is Rich Products who have a big parking area for both their offices and an event venue. Further north off Niagara Street there is a Marina (Harbor Place Marine) & West Marine store. Large parking lot there -- right on the bikepath. For either of these call and ask kindly ask permission.

The trail eastbound after Herkimer Monument is like biking through the beach, the desert, the snow, oatmeal, pennies, nickels, quarters, really any denomination of wasted money. What an awful experience. My poor mother had to walk her bike for the 2-3 miles of mashed potatoes. Why bother to put down THAT MUCH rock dust if you aren’t going to harden it in any way?... idk. Worse part of our bike pack. Even worse than whatever Rome is right now.

Isn't it just crazy? You have to wonder who was in charge, what authorization was given and why the Canal Corporation does not have set standards to follow for preparation and final trail surfacing. That's a rather common item in any Trail Maintenance Crew documentation.

I'm on the trail now in Canstota and will be on the "Sugar Sand" tomorrow. I'm thinking of staying on the road through this section. Smart idea?

I haven't looked at any options available, but if it looks like it isn't too bad of an option (length, busy) I can't imagine that missing a 2-3 mile grungy walk is not a great idea!

Keep us posted and what your route idea is (and how it turns out)! Have a good night.

PS - Just looked. Not sure exactly where the crappy surface starts/ends, but if are you thinking River Road -- Looks like something I'd do!

I'm in Little Falls now. I rode the Herkimer section. There is new asphalt a great riding conditions. The biker who reported the sugar sand must have come through between the exact time the put down the sand and then asphalt. One more day till Albany. If anyone knows a way back to Buffalo on sunday night or Monday please let me know. Thanks Mike

WOW! That is great news. Maybe that was the plan all along.

Mike -- Sweet planning on your part! LOL
I checked that Amtrak Train for you.

There is a bike rack available on SUNDAY on both the 1:23 PM and 4:23 PM Empire Service Train out of Schenectady. Couch & Rack $52 and $20.

Also: MONDAY on the 7:33 PM Lake Shore Limited Train out of Schenectady. $52 and $20. There is also seat and rack on the 4:23 PM Empire Service. $74 and $20.

I don't know of anyone making the drive from Albany in the next couple days. An option, of course is to turn around and peddle!

You have a lot of options for train, but the racks do sell out, so make a reservation soon if you are going to travel by train.

Thanks Bubba for the research. I already have a rack booked for Tuesday. I was not able to get a spot for Monday. I will just ride around Albany. Thanks again

Gotcha. Ask Amtrak if they will let you use your ticket early. Who knows? John Boyd Thacher State Park, it's a really nice place to spend some time exploring. It's a 16 mile bike ride and not great roads to get there, but an Uber might be an option if you are tired of biking around. Glad your tour was a good one. Be sure to write a trip report for us to review. It's been fun hearing from you and helping you out.
-bubba
wnybubba@gmail.com

Mike:
If you want to ride on your extra day consider the Albany County Rail Trail. It's paved and a gentle uphill to Voorheesville. The trailhead is on Pearl St. just south of Albany. If you want to be off your bike the New York State Museum on Madison is worth a few hours of your time. I don't know what the COVID restrictions for the museum.

Gotcha. Ask Amtrak if they will let you use your ticket early. Who knows? John Boyd Thacher State Park, it's a really nice place to spend some time exploring. It's a 16 mile bike ride and not great roads to get there, but an Uber might be an option if you are tired of biking around. Glad your tour was a good one. Be sure to write a trip report for us to review. It's been fun hearing from you and helping you out.
-bubba
wnybubba@gmail.com

I'm sitting here on the Amtrak enjoying my unexpected day early ride back to Buffalo. I

GREAT! Not that spending time in ALB isn't decent. So Amtrak allowed you to use an earlier train?

We rode the east-of-Herkimer section on June 2, 2021 and it was still terrible, so I’m not sure about the May 29 comment that it had been paved. It really isn’t sand, it’s just gravel that was way too deep. Does anyone have an update on this?

Supposedly there are Trail Closed signs and a marked road detour.

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?