Erie Canal Forum

Hopefully this is not too far off topic for this forum, but... I am planning to add the trip from Albany to NYC to my cross-state Canalway ride this June.

I will be bike-packing/touring. I'm quite comfortable with finding places to camp overnight on the Canalway, but I'm wondering what to expect as far as finding camping spots along the Empire State Trail heading south -- especially south of Kingston when I will be in more urban settings as I get closer and closer to the city.

Do any of you have any relevant beta or experience on the different pathways that the new EST utilizes? [Worse case I could utilize private campgrounds or warmshowers.com if it was necessary.] Thanks in advance.

I am riding from Buffalo to Long Island at the end of May and I am struggling with finding places to stay south of Albany. If anyone has suggestions it would be great or if anyone knows of an interactive web page similar to this page for the portion of the Empire State Trail from Albany to NYC

Look at Fahnstock State Park & Bear Mountain SP & Harriman SP
Also look into Warmshowers.org

Bktourer1: To use Warmshowers, would I need to list my own home as a place people could stay? Is that generally how it works and the minimum requirement? I don’t live right on a trail. Thanks.

Chris:
I've been looking around and have come up with some options -- I'll let you know how things progress. For my tour, I have friends in Kingston that I will stay with. The second overnight is where I am finding that nothing apparent is close-by. FWI, I noticed that one 20+ mile section runs along an abandoned (I believe) railway and appears quite isolated from everything -- woods on either side, underpasses so you are not at ground level at many intersections, etc. It's quite different. (BTW, I could see this on Goggle Satellite view.)

John:
Yes, warmshowers.com is a member community where you return favors of hosting. Quite frankly, it's not an issue of whether you are on a trail or not -- just that you will -- at some time (not always) -- offer a place to stay. Those who host most generally enjoy being able to meet people and engage in sharing stories. However, accepting a member as a guest is up to the host. He/she may/may not chose to offer you a place after you inquire, and you do not have to *always* be accepting guests. Also, as a host you can offer different options from camp in my yard and use my bathroom to stay in a bedroom, bathe, have dinner and breakfast and hang out together during your stay. It's up to the host. I'm a host with a great three bedroom lower area with private bath, family room, kitchenette and separate entrance but really not near any trail. Letchworth State Park is about 16 miles away -- conceivably a biking destination and about 3 miles (uphill) from State Bike Route 19.

Bktourer1:
I really couldn't find any good options as far as State Parks or state land. Fahnstock State Park is a good 12 miles from the Empire State Trail. For me, that is way too far off trail to be a consideration.

I too am a hoster on warmshowers, the state parks I mentioned were the only ones I had any info about as I used them for AT camping.c
PTNY at one time did a ride I believe from ALbany to NYC. Maybe they still have cues for that trip with info

Unfortunately I came up mostly empty on looking for camping between Albany and NYC.

I expected that some of the towns along the trail would be willing to let cyclists set up a tent in their local city parks - this is a common practice along other long-distance trails like the Katy Trail in MO and Cowboy Trail in NE where the trail towns welcome cyclists to overnight in city parks. However, after talking with the parks people and/or town hall people in about a dozen communities between Albany and NYC, every last one of them told me that cyclists are NOT allowed to set up a tent in the town parks.

There are two established campgrounds along this portion of the Empire State Trail, not on the trail but within a reasonable distance for cyclists - Sam Pryor Campground near New Paltz, and Sylvan Lake near Hopewell Junction. However, both sites require riding a few miles on county roads. The road to Pryor lacks a good shoulder about half the way.

I wrote up everything I could find on this web page: Camping Along the Empire State Trail

If anybody knows of, or discovers any other good camping options, please share the info. Lack of camping options will discourage many touring cyclists from using the Hudson Valley portion of the Empire State Trail.

Thanks to everyone on this thread for your feedback. It looks as if the majority of camping on this route, sadly, will be “credit card camping”. : ) Unless you go the stealth route or warm showers route.

John

I recently learned about one other camping option between Albany and NYC: Livingston State Forest allows PRIMITIVE camping. The park is along the Empire State Trail a little north of Linlithgo, between Hudson and Germantown.

Here's a page with a map and contact info:
https://bikeempirestate.com/livingston-state-forest.aspx

I suppose I should post an update here... I did finish the ECT and Empire State Trail a few weeks ago into NYC. First - I did not follow the EST out of Renesselaer, rather followed Rt 7J south along the Hudson and stopped at Schodack Island SP which was excellent and worked fine. Next morning I stayed on the State Route and planned to pick up the trail around Stuyvesant Falls, but had an issue and called for a ride into Kingston -- where I had plans to stay over at my friends home. From Kingston I elected to eliminate extra miles and time taking the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail to Poughkeepsie so I just stayed south on Rt. 9W right to the Pedestrian Bridge. It was easy with a wide apron.

From there I was on the EST. Bike Paths were great right into Manhattan -- except the South County Trail that is being worked on currently, but the trail is in pretty rough shape.

So where to stay for that next night before the day riding into Manhattan? I had called a LOT of places and only got one positive answer. It was Trinity Lutheran Church in Brewster -- spitting distance from the trail with delightful grounds to use. There is actually a small post that has a hot electrical box to use. A close-by shopping area with chain food, grocery store and an excellent Mexican restaurant among other options. For the Church -- find the phone online and call to ask permission. Peter, the person that I spoke with, was most cordial, accommodating and super at quickly communicating with me.

Heading south the next morning -- turn right off the trail when you cross the main drag in Mahopac. There is a great Deli just a block or two in a triangle between roads serving wonderful breakfast and a lunch sandwich for the road.

All 450+ miles were fun. EST needs to invest in a few more signs and a lot more Pointy Arrows --]

Just wanted to let everyone to know passing by us, we have had an increase in bikers camping with us and we are thrilled to be able to accommodate you.
We have hot showers, flushing toilets , fresh food to cook and camping spots.
You can get all the details on our website.
Maloufsmountian.com
let me know if you have questions about getting to us or reserving.
Happy Biking!
Deb

What are the four regions of the Canalway trail?

BUFO -> ROC
ROC -> SYR
SYR -> Little Falls
Little Falls -> ALB

Discover Niagara now offers a shuttle from Niagara to Lockport that includes bike racks, https://www.discoverniagarashuttle.com/. A ECT round trip from Niagara Falls to Albany using Amtrak is possible without street riding from Buffalo Depew to a hotel and riding streets from the hotel to North Buffalo where the bike trail starts. The ECT trip would start at Lockport. This trip could include a side trip ride on the bike trail on the Canadian side from the falls to Niagara on the Lake. Much of this path is along the Niagara River Gorge and is stunning. It is also exposed so it's hot on a sunny day, bring water and sunscreen. Bicycles can cross at the Rainbow Bridge but you have to cue up with the cars, so go early in the morning to avoid the congestion. Niagara-on-the-Lake is a pleasant but pricey place to overnight, have a good dinner, and maybe catch a play at the Shaw Theater.

I read about the shuttle from Lockport to Niagara. I am curious as to riding my bike on Rt. 62 from the Tonawanda area to Niagara Falls. Any suggestions from folks familiar with this part of the trail?

The Canadian border is still closed. You wouldn’t be able to go to Niagara - on - the -Lake.

Darn, had my hopes up for the border reopening June 21.

It will be opening on 7/21?

HaHa! Don't hold your breath!

Newbie rider preparing for my first overnight ride. Can someone tell me if overnight parking is allowed at the Old Erie Canal State Park? Is this a safe location to park? If not allowed/safe, any suggestions? Reading these posts is so encouraging, thanks.

Not sure exactly where you are referring to. If it is a State Park - you should be able to find a phone number online and ask them if you can. Generally you can find a safe place to park at a local "chain" hotel if you ask really nice and let them know what you are planning.

Planning on riding along the canal this summer. Are there shuttle services available so you can get back to your car?
Pretty flexible. I am originally from western NY so we thought we would do a good stretch there. also am interested in doing some of the trail east of Syracuse
Robinsonrm49@gmail.com

RMR - there really are not any shuttle services. You can search this site for previous info -- most suggest that you rent a car for return trip. Of course, Amtrak is an option, but takes forward planning to secure a "rack" for your bike to avoid selling out of the limited racks available.

Hi All,

Looking to do 4 days of roughly 40-50 miles/day. I'm looking for suggestions on the nicest, most interesting section to do.

Thanks.

S

I completed the Buffalo to Albany trip recently and enjoyed the section from Lockport to Syracuse the most (probably about a 150 mile section). There are many small towns along the way with the places to stop, rest, eat, drink, etc. We were riding 50 miles a day and I can say that I would have stopped at more places if I had been travelling with my wife instead of a buddy. However, I actually enjoyed the entire ride, each section seems to have its own personality, so I don't think I can suggest avoiding a section during your 4 days.

I agree, Lockport to Syracuse.

As far as avoiding sections, there isn't much of any particular interest from east of Syracuse to Rome, IMO.

Is it OK to pitch a tent at this park?

Contact the Village of Newark for permission well in advance of your planned trip for permission to camp at T. Spencer Knight Park. There is also a campground near the Port of Newark which offers tent camping for about $32.00/night: Whispering Winds https://www.whisperingwindsrv.com They are located at 2 Country Club Drive
Newark, NY 14513, about 0.6 miles from T. Spencer Knight Park--Travel east on Van Buren St., make a left on Murray St., right onto Country Club Drive
Contact Number:
TEL: (315)331-0786

5 of us finished the ride all the way yesterday. We found a closed bridge in Tonawanda with no detour sign. Many place we stopped to eat were either closed or opening later than we arrived. When we got to the tunnel near Watervliet yesterday we found construction and were routed onto Broadway and some other off main roads to where the trail was open. many new sections recently repaved. Some stone dust sections the dust was very deep

This is the best, shortest trip report ever. Perfectly matches our experience three days ahead of him.

Have been riding the Canalway Trail for 3 days . Sadly I'm finding many of the restaurants aren't on the maps on this sight. I think businesses should be more aware of this map service. It would surly bring them more business. And help the riders as well.

We usually use Google Maps in each town to identify businesses that aren't shown here. I agree that more businesses should make an effort to get listed here.

Anybody have any heads up I should know about? I am an experienced biker, but have never ridden the Erie Canal Trail. doing this one solo. Seems pretty straight forward from all my research and entries in this forum.

The cities are the challenge. Detours. Trail closures. Repairs. I’m on the trail now and got lost in Buffalo, Tonawanda, Rochester, palmyra, and Syracuse. It’s maddening. Trail sigh s where you don’t need them and no trail signs where you do! Keep the ptny.com site handy on your phone to consult their map. I also downloaded to my Garmin the entire trail, but there are changes and detours that will throw you off

I'm on this site now. Where on the site should I be looking to get the best information? I'm riding to Syracuse tomorrow.

I want to ride tomorrow but it is showing rain. if the rain stops, is the trail still safe to ride? I don't want to ride in mud all day.

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/