Erie Canal Forum

Hello, June 21, 2021

I am from Syracuse and still own a home and have family and friends there, I live in central Florida now.

My fiance and I want to rent bikes when we come up to Syracuse near the end of summer/beginning of fall to ride a segment of the Erie Canal Trail. Do you rent bikes and how much is the fee (s)

THankyou and look forward to your reply and advice.

David Weston, 1136 Rue De Dore, Tavares, Fl 32778
email - birddetect@yahoo.com

I was looking for a bike to rent in early May, and was not able to find any in Syracuse or Rochester. There are shops that normally rent, but they all said there is a post-pandemic bike shortage due to supply chain issues, and they were having a hard time getting bikes to sell, much less rent.

That was over a month ago; hopefully the situation has improved by now. Here are the places that I know of, that normally rent bikes between Syracuse and Rochester - try giving them a call:

Syracuse Bicycle 315-446-6816
Mello Velo Bike Shop, Syracuse 315-307-3104
Towpath Bike, Pittsford 585-381-2808
Tryon Bike, Rochester 585-413-4444
Bert's Bikes, Rochester 716-837-4882

And here is a list of all the bike shops I know of along the whole Empire State Trail (Erie Canal plus Albany-NYC and Albany-Canada). The web page has an indicator next to the ones that offer rentals:

https://bikeempirestate.com/bike-shops.aspx

Having said that, the bike shortage did not seem to be an issue further down state or in NYC. I ended up renting a bike from Leisure Ride in Poughkeepsie and riding it to NYC. I had also called a few shops in NYC, who all had rentals available.

Good luck - hopefully the bike shortage and lack of rentals is no longer an issue along the Erie Canalway.

Happy trails!

This map is NO HELP ! ! ! It is blank except for a line for Tonawanda Creek Road & The Canal No land marks or side roads to identify where it is located. DO you know how long Tonawanda Creek IS? And it looks as if park is off the road - any signage? We often drive this area and have NEVER EVER seen a Veterans Canal Park nor a sign for it. Complete waste of time. I could do better with an "Old-fashioned paper map" But oh yeah computers are SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH BETTER! (When I still worked I could run out to my car, grab a road map get back into office and locate the street we were discussing faster than office manager could find on her Smart ????? phone ! ! )

I used google maps when I didn’t see any signs.

Sorry, maybe even a few miles west of Camilllus, NY. Thanks.

Looking for overnight parking a few miles west of Syracuse. Riding to Newark and back the next day. Thanks.

It looks as though the trail between Lyons and Port Byron is largely on the road. (Roads). Is that true? If so, how are they?

I just finished the ride from Buffalo to Albany yesterday, and you are correct, much of the ride between Lyons and Port Byron is on the road. As I recall, most of the road had a nice shoulder and not too much traffic. Most passing cars/trucks provided a wide berth, so it didn't feel too dangerous to me. As a side note, we had planned to stop at Hejamada campground during this segment (in Montezuma), but the campground did not meet our basic requirements so we moved on. Ended up staying in a Days Inn in Weedsport.

Joe Z— hejamada is where we are headed. What basic requirements weren’t met? Thanks for the heads up re the route.

Patricia R: Out of respect to the Hejamada owners and long-term residents, I'd rather have this discussion through email. You can send me an email at josephzierer@gmail.com and I'll provide some feedback.

I like visiting cool stores like record and book stores. Are their any along the ride. I'm riding from Pittsford to Syracuse.

Kee Kee Run Cafe in Clyde is a great stop. Delicious food, good music and very bicycle friendly. We had sandwiches but they also have breakfast all day and lots of ice cream choices.

I wholeheartedly second Dan's recommendation. I've just completed the Erie canalway trail from Buffalo to Albany (Colonie.) Kee Kee Run Cafe in Clyde is a warm, friendly place with excellent service, good coffee and great breakfast. It's right on the trail. I also rate the restroom 1A! It was my top choice over all.

Hi, We are thinking of riding from Buffalo to Albany in September. I'm not super athletic but think I will be ok as long as the hills aren't awful. We only have 6 days. We would be taking Amtrak and starting from a hotel nearby the station and ending at the Albany Amtrak. Any helpful hints? Any hotel recommendations along the way. Is this doable? Tell me the good, bad and the ugly please!
If I had to cut out a section, which would you cut out? Which are the most scenic and least scenic parts?

We are starting our trip today - Buffalo to Syracuse. Will post how the train and hotel worked out in Buffalo.

Very interested in your followup re train & hotel. We are making this same trip in August. Am concerned about riding thru city to get to Depew.

Kim from Long Island: Most of your questions will be easily answered if you scroll through the pages of other threads on this forum. All of these questions have been asked and answered many times before, you just have dig through a few pages. I think once you understand the trail towns, elevations, hotels, train connections, food options, etc, you will be much better informed to decide if this ride is possible for you. That said, this trail is doable for anyone as long as you have a few days in the saddle behind you and the appropriate gear and planning so you’re not miserable. : )

John

I live in Amherst which is about 10 miles from Depew. There is no easy way by bike to get from Buffalo to the train station. The canalway trail which goes thru Lockport is about 25 miles north of the amtrak station.

I rode the ECT end to end 2 years ago and love it. My wife and I are driving to Lockport in 2 weeks and riding about 100 miles East and then back to Lockport (4-5 days)…. She does ride but not real long distances . I remember this being one of the more interesting sections…Am I right or perhaps a different section might be better…Any input is appreciated. Thanks…

We just got off the trail last week, Buffalo to Albany--great time (I am 61, female). Starting in Lockport is easy because that is where you will follow the canal in earnest--riding along side of it on crushed limestone for MANY miles--flat as can be & no shade. The canal is clean & pretty and there are some lovely homes with nice docks along the way.

No water or restrooms on trail--need to go into little towns and even then plan ahead. Some places we thought were still in business were boarded up.

Out of Medina, be sure and check out where the Canal runs over a road, down a steep hill but do-able--just go on foot.

We went to Albion for lunch (Village House Restaurant--great service, many food choices & pies). I could have explored Albion more, they had plenty of historical plaques around to read.

I also highly recommend in Fairport, The Village Inn Restaurant--met the owner and some regulars, very nice group of people.

One other tip is to avoid riding on Mondays, so many restaurants/bike shops are closed.

The canal runs over a road somewhere near Medina? Where?

Bill, the below article coincidentally just popped up in my newsfeed.

I went ahead and added this to the website as a "Point of Interest" - you can see it mapped on this page: https://bikeeriecanal.com/medina-culvert.aspx
----------------------
There’s Only One Place in New York You Can Drive Under the Erie Canal

The Medina Culvert, built in 1823, is the only spot along the entire historic waterway where traffic can drive under the Erie Canal. It's located in Ridgeway, New York in Orleans County if you want to take this scary trip.
...

FULL ARTICLE:
https://wibx950.com/theres-only-one-place-in-new-york-you-can-drive-under-the-erie-canal/

I'm hoping to do a short three day trip from Little Falls to Albany with my son, going 30-40 miles each day. It looks like there isn't really much official Canal Lock camping that could help us out but I'm wondering how easy it is to just pitch a tent near the trail. We can certainly ask permission and should be able to bring most of the food and other amenities with us. Hoping to stop in Auriesville and maybe Scotia/Schenectady

Should not really be a problem. I believe that you are welcome to use grassy areas for setting up tent without issue -- either unofficially or with some degree of permission. Before my recent trip, I spoke with Canal Corp personnel and decided that "Better to Ask for Forgiveness than Ask Permission" policy made more sense -- but I never had issues with finding an acceptable place to tent on my travels (whether on Canal Corp land or not). In any event... there are plenty of places along the trail or near intersections that are ideal for pitching camp. Suggestion I got and will pass along -- have a sign that states who you are and what you are doing and hang it on your tent or gear. (I put my cell number on my sign so if any one had any issue they could call me to talk it over.)

Lastly, there are so many easy places along the trail for food that it's almost unnecessary to carry anymore that a night's food -- and that just in case you decide to camp away from services.

When you get to into more planning detail, post a message and I'll try to give you some info about space and what's available, etc.

Not sure what your thinking is, but this is certainly doable:

Little Falls -> Lock 12 @ Fort Hunter/Tribes Hill is excellent. Deli just up the road (and up the hill) Left and next block.

Lock 7 -- Looks like there are perfect picnic grounds there good for setting up tent. (My ride took me from Lock 12 to Lock E2, so I didn't make a overnight in this area.) I use Google maps and go to Street View to scope out areas - that's what I just did here. Lock 7 Road.

Then Lock E2 for sure -- it has a nice area to set up tent. There is even an electrical outlet on the telephone pole in the corner (as well on the outside of the building), picnic tables, etc. Several food options just a couple blocks away - I hit Mr. Subb and it was good.

Then it's a fun ride into the Capital. Just 10 miles.

That sounds like great advice, wnybubba. I will definitely check out your suggestions and try to post before we take off in a few weeks. Looking forward to it!

Finally getting around to doing this trip with my son this weekend. We hope to make it from Little Falls to Lock 12 (about 40 miles) and hope to camp there, and then get into Waterford the next day. I stopped at the Waterford visitor center and chatted with the nice guys stationed in the office. Looks like a great place to spend the night and then a quick jaunt south into Albany.

Anyone else have experience camping at Lock 12 in Tribes Hill?

As I stated in my original post above, Tribes Hill (Lock 12) is an ideal spot -- highly recommend. It's quite scenic and the waterway sound will lull you to sleep. The Lock is also fun to explore up close and see the hydraulic system that is easily visible. The only downfall (compared to some other Locks) is that there are not any close-by facilities. I mentioned that there is a deli up the hill with restrooms.

Save this great resource for the morning: Evolve Eatery in S. Amsterdam. The food is healthy and delicious and will start your day off with a smile and full stomach. They are recently listed as some kind of affiliation with the Canal (not sure exactly what). They are located literally a few hundred feet off the Canalway bikepath (look right as you come into town at Bridge Street). It's a fairly short ride form Lock 12.

Lastly - for your comfort in staying at Lock 12, call them and ask them for confirmation. Last year when I stayed the Canalway was not open, so no-one was around upon my arrival. I thanked them in the morning. Here is the Lock 12 phone: (518) 829-7331

Waterford, BTW, is another great place to camp. There is a live outlet on the telephone pole in the far corner (and an out-building next to the grass area had a live plug as well.) You are also only a few block to Main Street business with convenient store, pizza places and others. Enjoy your ride!

thanks very much for the information. i will definitely call ahead to the Lock 12 staff to make sure we're good to go.

Just a quick ride report. Nice camping at Lock 12. Trains until 11 pm on Saturday night but otherwise very peaceful. The trail just east of Little Falls was some pretty deep stone dust. I’m not sure if they are laying it on heavier so it spreads and dissipates but it was a little slippery fully loaded. It was only for about 3-4 miles. Deli in Tribes Hill makes a nice sub but not open on Sunday morning and the Evolve eatery in South Amsterdam was also closed Sunday. I need to plan food options better! Made it from Tribes Hill home to South Albany County today but it was hot!

Well, glad you had a good trip, Eric. Sorry you missed out on Evolve Eatery -- it is very special and quite hip. Lock 12 - yep, pretty good stuff. Did you get in touch with the Lock operator prior?

Called the Lock 12 operator on Thursday and asked about camping on Saturday night. He said "How many?" I said, "Just two people, one tent." He said, "Oh sure, no problem!"

I think he initially thought me and my entire biker gang were coming. ;0)

When we arrived and introduced ourselves, they were more than friendly and even offered us the chance to refill our water from their bottle water cooler, which was very cold and very welcome on a 90 degree day.

It's a wonderful life! Glad it all went well.

I did the Lockport to Pittsford ride this past Saturday. I'm planning to now ride the Pittsford to Syracuse section the last Saturday of the month.

Any tips or suggestions on riding the trail and sight seeing.

I'm looking for the best way to get back to Pittsford. That's where my car will be.

I plan on biking from Lockport to Pittsford in June. Are their any closures or detours I should be aware of? I plan on leaving at 6:00AM.
Also, are their any certain supplies I should bring with me?

It's a piece of cake! You'll enjoy the ride.

No closures that I am aware of, however, I will admit that I find following the trail through Genesee Valley Park in Rochester to be a bit confusing. I don't think I've done it right (or the same) yet! LOL

Best part is getting to Pittsford and enjoying a treat at Pittsford Dairy -- just off the trail. Yum!

[Obviously take some water and your cell phone. There are plenty of places to re-fill along the way. I generally have sun protection and a small spray bottle of insect repellant -- just in case.]

I made the ride this past Saturday. Great ride except when I arrived in Rochester. Not very good signage. FYI, I ran out of water has I entered Greece. I had one water bottle and two 20oz bottles. I would have been nice to have two more of the 20 oz. I might ride it again sometime in August. Who knows, I might do it next Saturday 6/12. Took some good pics on the ride has well.

There's a water fountain at Spencerport near the gazebo on the east side. There may be one between the two lift bridges at Brockport. Not certain on this.

There's a gas station, store on Long Pond Rd, where you cross the canal by bridge. Just a few tenths of a mile north on Long Pond.

The interesting people you meet on the trail....

I joined my son a couple weeks ago for the last 100 miles of his Niagara Falls - Albany - NYC oddyssey. Along the way, we crosssed paths with Ken Burke of Buffalo, who was following the Empire State Trail route to RUN from NYC to Buffalo. 565 miles. On foot. With a target of 50 miles per day. And self-supported. Really!

If that's not incredible enough... he is a kidney donor from last year, and he shattered his leg 3 years ago and was told he would never run again.

Ken succeeded, arriving in Buffalo on May 31 after 11 days of running.

I was so impressed by Ken's story that I put together a web page with some photos, links, and additional details:
https://bikeempirestate.com/ken-burke-nyc-to-buffalo.aspx

WoW! That's crazy, incredible and heartwarming! Thanks for sharing and creating the interesting page, Ray. I can't imagine pushing a jogging cart all that way.

Wow! This is an amazing feat! It's like running 2 marathons a day for 12 days in a row! I can't wrap my head around it. I respectfully take my hat (ok, my bike helmet!) off to Ken! He's not only an excellent athlete but a wonderful human being. My wife is also a kidney donor (46+ year ago) but can't run even 1 mile. I'm a polio survivor but cannot hike 25 miles a day let alone run! Ken will be my inspiration when I start my Bflo-Albany ride next Monday. Ray, thanks for the forum and the story.

The map here on this site and the map over at Parks and Trails New York are pretty dramatically different in some places.

An example would be east of Clyde, or west of Syracuse.

Any reason to pick one over the other?

I can’t speak for this sites map (Ray the Webmaster would have way more insight on it than me anyways) but the PTNY map is geared towards the annual “Cycle the Erie Canal” ride.

That ride has to get cyclists and volunteers to different schools and park grounds to tent between 600-700 people at each overnight town. So that route will stray a bit

John

If you see differences in routes, it's because the map on this website is the original Erie Canalway route from a couple years ago. The route has varied in a couple places. But as John pointed out, the PTNY map is not necessarily the current route either; it is their best route for moving hundreds of people in the big annual ride.

For the most current Erie Canalway trail route, see the interactive map in our sister website BikeEmpireState.com. https://bikeempirestate.com/empire-state-trail-map.aspx The BikeEmpireState.com map shows the route of the Empire State Trail, which includes the Erie Canalway but also adds Albany to NYC and Albany to Canada.

I believe the best features of our interactive maps are:

- the ability to put mile markers on the map, originating from any of the towns along the trail (BikeErieCanal.com and BikeEmpireState.com)

- more complete business and service listings (BikeErieCanal.com)

- ability to see a list of businesses and services under the map (BikeErieCanal.com)

- our maps are actual Google maps with the features added on. This allows you to easily use Google features like Street View and Satellite view, on top of the features we have added

- our maps remember your settings (if you have cookies enabled). So for example, you might set up your map to show mile markers every 5 miles starting at Pittsford, with "pin" markers to show hotels and campsites. When you return to the map at a later time, it automatically remembers these customizations so you see the same map as before.

One advantage that the PTNY map does have over our maps, is that it shows the surface type of the different sections (i.e. paved or not). This is a feature that I hope to eventually add here.

There is one other interactive map that I know of, on the "official" Empire State Trail website: https://empiretrail.ny.gov/map It also shows surface types, but limited info on businesses and services. Our BikeEmpireState.com map matches the route on this map.

I don't know if this helps, but that's my perspective. The answer may be to check them all out and go with whatever you feel most comfortable using. Or use a combination, for example use PTNY to see the trail surfaces, and use BikeErieCanal.com to see distances from your starting point and business listings.

Good luck and happy trails!

Awesome Ray. I figured that you would chime in. I agree that using an assortment of maps available is the best solution to planning a successful trip/tour. I have mentioned before how much I believe using Google Maps Street and Satellite mode help in understanding the trail and surrounding areas, so kudos to you Ray (and Google Maps) for having that resource available.

So just to muddy the water a little more... there is an additional map available and it may be the more "official" of any, it's the map from the Canalway Corporation (https://www.canals.ny.gov/maps/index.html?layer=trail).

Don't get too excited though... it really only shows the Canalway trail with "existing" and "proposed" trails marked. So where there are on-road sections, they are all marked as "proposed" trail. Interestingly, it also shows sections of the trail as proposed that are branch trails that connect to areas away from the canal -- example being a proposed trail to Seneca Lake.

Regardless, I had understood that the trail had been re-routed coming out of Clyde heading south using Tyre Road (CR 372) and continuing onto Armitage Road that connects back to Route 31. What this does is eliminate a section of Route 31 that is fairly busy before and after Savannah, NY. None of the Maps (including Empire or Corp) show this to be the case, but on next weeks ride you will find me on Tyre Road!

Thanks Ray for your good work. Much appreciated.

Ahh, thank you all for explaining. I really do like the interactive map on this site, so I am glad to hear it's preferred.

I'll go look at the newer map on the bikeempirestate site to make sure that I am not missing any big recent improvements.

Thanks again for the help, and thanks especially to Ray for maintaining this resource.

I'll be riding from Buffalo to Syracuse for the first time in about a week. Would it be safe to say that the Tyre Rd. route has much less traffic and easier riding for someone that doesn't do much road riding? How busy is 31 and are the shoulders fairly wide? Is it safe to say the distance is comparable with either route?

Maggie,

I think that the distance it about the same. I thought coming out of Savannah was a pain -- I followed EST signs that I thought were routing me across the road and onto a gravel truck route -- turns out I was wrong and learned not to pay any attention to EST signs as they are typically not directional, rather just marking the trail's existence. As you leave town you also go over a somewhat steep overpass on Rt 31, and, Rt 31 is a fairly busy highway (not crazy busy, but well used and cars/trucks at speed between Savannah and Montezuma). There is a moderate shoulder for most of the stretch, but there are a couple places where there are guardrails quite close leaving minimal (if any) shoulder/apron.

The Tyre Road section looks like a nicely paved secondary road. No shoulders, but it's a typical country road. Looks pretty flat and you should not have issue being seen and/or seeing traffic approaching.

Lastly, I'm pretty sure this is going to be the case -- that even taking the Tyre Road alternative, you will still hit the section where the guardrails are encroaching on the apron. But. hey... I made it through last year unscaved! I'm opting for Tyre Road next week.

Wnybubba,

Thanks for the info. I’m leaning toward Tyre Rd. route.

Hello. Just completed the ride with a group of friends.

I'm wondering if there is anywhere to buy the trail signs? Either replicas OR used ones that have been taken down.

Mark,

For Erie Canalway signs, try The Canal Corporation.

https://www.canals.ny.gov/

Phone for Canal Trail Information: 518-449-6038

I have found the Canal Corp very open to discussion, information.

If you want an Empire State Trail sign -- not sure about that. I'd try I Love NY [800 CALL NYS · info@iloveny.com] as a starting place.

So, Mark, post a trip report about your ride here! Let us know how it went.

Hi, We've rode from west Syracuse to Niagara, this year we are doing east Syrause to Albany (and back). The west side of canal had many villages and locks where you could camp on the village greens or near locks for free (limit 4 tents). Does anyone have camping info for East side of canal path?

Nancy, you might want to start by using the Trip Planner feature on this website. It will show campsites (and anything else you choose) from the starting and ending points that you choose. After you have reviewed that, possibly you will have some more specific questions to ask.