Erie Canal Forum

I'm planning on heading out that way in a couple weeks with plans to park a car in Buffalo, rent a car to haul the bikes to Rochester, then make our way back over a couple days while camping along the way. I'm noticing there's not much marked for campsites between Buffalo and Rochester, so any advice is welcome. Also, any suggestions on possibly better sections of trail, routes, etc. are always welcome. We are looking at spending 3-4 days on the trail biking 30-40 miles per day hauling all of our gear. Ideally we wanted to end our biking at the falls, but we are open to suggestions. Thanks in advance!

Looks like I'll start off the response! As my brother asked me when I said I was thinking of biking 30-40 miles a day... he responded: "What are you going to do the rest of the day?" Seriously, for most, Rochester to Buffalo is a 2 day jaunt. Biking at a 10 mph pace is fairly easy biking and you'll have lots of daylight -- that means only 3 or 4 hours on the trail and 6 or more hours of daylight left. Camping is usually fine at any of the canal locks (you can call ahead if you like) and there is a Town Park with camping at Lock 30 that is quite nice (camping at the Lock itself is also decent). If you haven't used the Trip Planner resource on this site -- it is a great tool. It has campgrounds listed, but camping at Locks and quite frankly many places along the trail can work well for an over-night stay.

Going to the Falls is a fine idea. You will be much closer when you reach Tonawanda, so weigh the option of going directly into Buffalo. Frankly, if you camp around Tonawanda it's a nice ride into NF or Bflo. Don't plan on going into Canada as the border is not open due to the pandemic. Leaving the NF tourist area and going further north to Whirlpool State Park and climbing into the gorge at Devil's Hole is way fun.

Let me know if you would like any more info.

As more casual riders, I'll say that 30 miles is a nice day, but 50 is a beatdown. At least it is on the gravel of Katy and GAP. Hoping more of the Erie is paved.

Trail between ROC and Bflo is paved and/or really well packed fine stone.

@Bill in Houston:
Still at 10 mph 30 miles is only three hours out of the day. Daylight charts shows 12:45 daylight hours on April 1, 14:08 on May 1 and 15:10 on June 1 in the Rochester area. So my point remains that you are only pedaling 3 hours and have 12 more hours of daylight available.

There aren't many locks after Lockport between Buffalo and Rochester, so you're probably looking at private campgrounds. The Trip Planner shows a few, and I'd recommend calling ahead to check on availability.

The others are right that it's only 3 hours of riding, but there's enjoying the morning before heading out, taking breaks along the way, seeing the sights, stopping to read interpretive signs, having lunch, and checking out attractions along the way. You could easily spend 5 hours a day or more going 30 miles, and that's without doing major stops for attractions.

This is related to our plan. But we are unsure where to safely leave a car somewhere near Rochester. We'll be driving up from Watkins Glen and don't care which side of Rochester we start on. We'll ride west and end up (somehow) in Niagara Falls.
Hints on where to leave a car would be grand.

This came up before and I suggested a few places. The cyclist chose the Monroe Community Hospital option. Report was that it worked out really well. REI has a store right across the street and there is a Costco right there as well if you needed any supplies. Oh... and REI is right on the Canalway. Placement in Rochester is just about central south.

Here is contact info if you need it. You might also ask REI, the the previous cyclist chose the hospital b/c they felt it was safer and patrolled. Not sure if there is any cost. It is also about a block off the I-390 Expressway.

Monroe Community Hospital
435 East Henrietta Road
Rochester, NY 14620
info@monroehosp.org
Phone: (585) 760-6500

BTW, regarding above post... I was also suggesting that you might ask REI if you can leave a car at their store parking lot.

Monroe County Community College is down the street on the other side of the expressway -- lots of lots there you could leave a car in.

Hotels: Usually are really receptive to leaving cars for a few days in parking lots -- be sure to ask Guest Services really nicely for permission (a phone call ahead works well for planning and you get a feel for their attitude about the topic). The following are all close-by just down the street on the other side of the expressway:

Holiday Inn Express - University
Courtyard by Marriott - Rochester Brighton
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson - Rochester

I started in Buffalo on Wednesday May 26 and six days later finished in Albany. Most of the trail is well signed and easy to travel but there is still work to be done to make it less complicated to navigate, especially Rome and Utica. I lost my way about eight times but easily recovered. Be prepared to use the "Cycle the Erie Canal" route maps and "Google Maps".
Someday this will be a great, less adventurous trail, but right now bring your thinking cap along.
Get on your bike and ride!
Heidyho!

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…

Looking to run a chunk of the trail this summer. I'm thinking one or more portions between Weedsport and Syracuse. What restaurants are located on the trail along that stretch? Ideally someplace that won't mind a couple sweaty people in shorts!

Lunkenheimer Brewery in Weedsport - in town and right on the trail!

I'm not familiar with places in Camillus, but there are a lot of places not too far from the trail.

I'll also let people knowledgeable on SYR chime in -- I'm not sure where the new trail goes though town.

My feeling is if I have dollars to spend - deal with my sweaty looks!

Arrived home yesterday after cycling from Albany to Rochester (I'd done the Rochester to Buffalo segment before a few times). A few notes:
* The eastern end has much better/newer signage than you'll find as you go further west.
* The newer sections of paved trail are generally terrific!
* There's a Trail Closed sign in Ilion, but it was fully passable. There could be actual closure if they are actively working on wrapping up the grading and seeding, but it was clear for us.
* The Closed sign in Utica, however, is for real. You will want to test out the new trail after riding roads for a bunch of miles, but take the detour.
* We missed a turn in Utica at Barnes Ave, right after the railroad tracks. There was no sign, so we rode about 2 miles through an industrial wasteland before we came to a bunch of rocks blocking the trail. Going east, it probably wouldn't be hard to navigate, but going west, there's no sign, and it's not obvious. Be aware.
* Signage in Rome through the city isn't great, so prepare for it with some turn-by-turn directions. Again, going east might be better.
* Just west of Fort Plain there is a newly resurfaced section of trail, but it's topped with about 2 inches of fine gravel. I had trouble on 38mm tires. Anything less, and you're probably walking for about 2 miles.
* If you get the chance to see a boat go through Lock 17, do it. Very cool.
* Lock 20 has no potable water. If you plan on camping there, be prepared.
* Lock 21 has no potable water or restroom/portapotty. And the nearest town isn't that near. We had planned to camp there, but we opted for a hotel in Canastota instead.
* The new bike paths through Syracuse are amazing! Great signage and easy to navigate. It was the best of the trip.
* If you plan to camp at the Lyons Fire Department, know that the bathrooms are not open to bikers due to covid. There's a convenience store about a quarter-mile away.
* The Newark Garden Inn (an old Quality Inn) is run down, but OK, and right on the trail. The first room they offered us hadn't been cleaned properly, but they made it right quickly. The online reviews make it sound like a horror story, but it worked for us.

Overall, our trip was a good one. We had beastly heat for the first few days, but starting early in the day made it easier.

Pack light, be flexible, and enjoy the ride!

Awesome review Biker Girl! Thanks for sharing.

Love the industrial wasteland detour -- how Utica! LOL Hard to believe that the new trail routing in SYR is that spectacular... but now looking forward to it! Lastly, that may be good news about the poor trail condition near Fort Plain -- I had read that it was nearly 4 miles. Ya just gotta wonder who was in charge of that gravel dump!

Happy trails for more miles.

Had the same experience at the Newark Garden Inn last year; not as bad as the reviews, friendly staff, right on the trail, bike friendly.

Is the bridge over the railroad tracks in Syracuse that connects the New York State Fairgrounds with downtown completed?

Yes the trail east of the Herkimer momument is dreadful for 2-3 miles. My friend who is a very experienced biker -fell off. Does anyone know who to contact about this bad/dangerous situation to get it rectified?

No, the bridge from the Fairgrounds isn't done quite yet. You detour over Bridge Street for less than a mile, so it's not bad. Sadly, it isn't marked, so we bugged a guy in the entrance station for where to go. He seemed mildly annoyed, but gave us the beta.

Some of the signage has been posted before the completion of the bridge, leading bikers to a dead end at the swamp! When completed that we will be a beautiful ride from downtown, over the bridge, along the lake, past the fairgrounds, to the Old Erie Canal towpath.

I rode that section today and paid attention to location in order to give others more specific info. The fine gravel section starts at about mile 4.2 east of Little Falls, headed towards Albany. It lasts about 3.2 miles. You will then be on a paved trail most of the way, except for a little road riding. I rode through it on 28” tires around 7:30 am. Clipped out of my pedals and rode about 6 mph. Slow going and not fun, but there is good trail on either end of that section to look forward to.

Much appreciated, Lynn, as much as it is contrary to a previous post. Does this look like it is underlayment for being paved? I'm thinking with nicely paved sections on either end that this may just be one of stages of preparation for final topping.

Perhaps. Beyond my level of expertise! When I first heard about the gravel I envisioned pea gravel that had been put on a new trail near my home. That was unrideable. Fortunately the contractor removed it and replaced it with correct stuff.

Lynn is correct. I'm in Schenectady and rode through there today in the rain. Don't let this bad section deter you. It just slows you to half speed. The trail is well maintained east from there with good signage. Go ride your bike. Heidyho!

Perhaps. Beyond my level of expertise! When I first heard about the gravel I envisioned pea gravel that had been put on a new trail near my home. That was unrideable. Fortunately the contractor removed it and replaced it with correct stuff.

Yep -- that is what I was envisioning as well... pea gravel!

Anyhow, just makes one wonder. I'm heading out eastwardly on the 9th. They have time to put down some nice blacktop before then! HaHa!

Planning to ride from Buffalo to Albany at the end of May, staying in motels/hotels. Mileage-wise, it works best to stay in Canastota on day 4. Any opinions on the Days Inn or Sharway Motel? Reviews not the best but not many options.

You should be fine at the Days Inn.

Consider adjusting your trip and staying overnight in downtown Syracuse. Stayed there last summer with my bike, plenty of hotel options.

I have stayed at the Days Inn previously. It's a decent enough place for bike riders looking for an overnight.

Stop in Chittenango, there is a B&B it’s a sweet little village and they have a small
zoo. More to do.

I did end up staying at the Days Inn. It was fine - clean, safe and fresh fruit for breakfast. I’d recommend it.

Windsor Village is a Bike Friendly Certified Business. We can assist you with repair, snacks, beverages and knowledge of all the must see or do activities and businesses in Lockport. We also ship all purchases for you so you do not have to carry them. Stop in and say Hi!

My son just rode Buffalo-Albany-NYC on the Empire State Trail, and I joined him for Poughkeepsie-NYC. Here are a few of his notes and mine on what to look out for:

Clyde to Port Byron: the on-road section is a high-speed highway, but the shoulders are mostly nice and wide.

Inadequate trail signage in Utica and Rome - have a map or cue sheet handy. If you lose the trail, remember the interactive map on this website has a "Center map at my current location" feature (click "Edit Settings").

East of Utica: trail closure for construction; the on-road detour (maybe 5 miles) was not fun.

After the detour part, at Dyke Road, the trail still follows an on-road route with uncomfortably narrow shoulders to Frankfort.

Around Ilion there were "Trail Closed" signs, but no problem actually using the trail.

East of Little Falls, they used the wrong kind of gravel for about 4 miles, resulting in a miserably soft surface. Be prepared to work hard here, for maybe 4 miles. A local rider said the state has no intention to fix this - but maybe if they get enough complaints....

After the relative flatness of the Erie Canal, be ready to climb some hills coming out of Albany/Rensslear. Likewise hilly (but very scenic) on the on-road portion from Hudson to Kingston.

Kudos to Leisure Ride Bike Rental on the south end of Poughkeepsie for setting me up with a nice ride so I could join my son for the last 100 miles of the trail. They are friendly and helpful and have a great selection, and located right on the trail.

We missed a turn in Brewster where the trail transitions to on-road. If your trail ends at a staircase, you've also missed the turn.

Southbound through Brewster, the on-road section was not well signed. Be sure to have a map or directions.

The Westchester County portion (Elmsford to Yonkers and beyond) goes through suburbia, but you will go miles without access to the local streets and services.

The on-road section just south of the Harlem River is well-signed, but you have to watch very closely for the Empire State Trail signs, as there are lots of turns and lots of signs everywhere.

For the love of God, do not try to use the portable restroom on the Hudson River section south of the George Washington Bridge.

The southern end of the Empire State Trail ("official" signs and markers) is about 1/10 mile before you actually get to Battery Park.

Bikes ARE allowed on the Staten Island Ferry (just past Battery), which is free and affords great views of the Statue of Liberty. Bikes ride in the lowest deck - workers will direct you.

Happy trails!

Traveling from Albany to Rochester. Here are our observations to date.
Great signage from Albany to Canajoharie.
Most of the surface was delightful to bikepack tour..
The 4 miles of thick pea gravel just west of Fort Plain is not conducive to biking. Pushed fully loaded bikes for 40 minutes, not fun to say the least.
The Trail closure in Ilion is misleading. The trail is open but could see
it being closed when trail work reseeding and grading is being done.
The trail signage from Frankfort to Utica is horribly lacking leading to missed turns
and lots of on road biking on poorly paved roads.
The trail in this area also sorely needs attention.
Lock 20 is lacking potable water and restrooms on trail side. It is dangerous to expect campers
to walk over the lock in the dark to go across the park to find a port-a-potty.
More observations to come as our adventure continues.

Thanks! Looks like you & son had a wonderful time out on the trail. Too bad we can't just fix trail things here! LOL

Especially regarding the Buffalo to Rochester segment. Thanks.

If you searched posts on this site, you would see that most who tour travel east out of Buffalo. Technically it is downhill and winds would normally be in your favor. Your specific concern about Bflo to Rochester is probably because of some elevation change, but this is primarily due to Niagara escarpment. Truly, any concern about changes in elevation should be discarded on the Canalway -- it is mostly a pretty flat ride.

And just to add to wnybubba’s comments, by going Buffalo to Albany, you get to go down the drops at the locks , not up. That said, other than at Lockport, I don’t think many of these would be considered high on the thrill-ride meter, most are just tiny drops and you don’t get much speed out of them. There may be a handful of others but that’s the only one that I recall.

But I also concur with him about elevation changes. Nothing to worry about.

Have a great ride!

John

Anyone have any additional info. on this?
The Erie Canalway Trail from Utica to Rome is closed due to flood damage. The trail is barricaded while Canal Corporation crews assess the condition of the trail. Further updates will be provided.

I have not seen any updates

Thanks

Hello!

Have you consulted NYS Canals (website). There are frequent notices for boaters and trail users. Good luck!

that's where I got what I posted. hoping someone who lived nearby would have some info

Look ask here.

Brambor from Windham, Maine on 05/11/2021 09:36 AM
I posted a trip report on the touring page of bikeforums. You can read and see the photos here https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1230213-empire-state-trail-completed-report.html

I think it was between Deerfield and Mohawk and it was fine for us. It rained all the way too ??

I distinctly remember biking through Frankfort

If You are on Strava then here is the day

https://strava.app.link/xbL2XTbjigb

As of May 2021 the detour has been remarked to use Route 31 to the south, a higher speed road with much more traffic but proper shoulder markings/bike lanes (wide enough for decent traffic separation) and an overall better alternative, BUT, the asphalt bike lane surface apparently isn't swept regularly and is loaded with typical winter road debris, including broken glass. Hoping it will get cleaned up before the summer biking season.

There has been further major erosion of the trail banking around the aqueduct this spring, so it doesn't look like there will be a quick fix and trail section reopening any time soon.

I'm sure that the answer to this is simple, and I've just overlooked something.

On the Mileage Chart, it says that Lockport is 26.7 miles from Buffalo.

But when I look at the Lockport info page, on the map, it seems to say that Lockport is at trail mile 32.

So if I want to travel by bike from Buffalo to Rockport, how far should I expect to ride?

That really is confusing, I'm sorry about that.

The mileage chart is based on a location in the middle of the Buffalo area - near Unity Island - which is about 5 miles from the actual start of the trail.

And the 32 "Mile Marker" is based on distance from the actual start of the trail, at the southern end of the Buffalo section. So 26.7 miles from Lockport puts you in the central part of the Buffalo part of the trail; 32 miles puts you at trails end.

This would make a lot more sense if both values were based on the start of the trail. I will put that on my to-do list!

Thank you for pointing this out, and happy trails!

I knew there was a simple explanation! Thank you, Ray!

How do I convert the Trip planner to PDF so I can share
Bob

You could save it as html in your browser or highlight and copy and then paste it into microsoft word.

There you can do Save As pdf

Thank you Brambor, that is definitely the best way to get your Trip Planner in a printable and savable format.

Bob, I'll also point out that if you want to share your Trip Planner, there is a link at the bottom of the planner web page that you can share, right under "Use the following web address to come back to your trip planner with these same settings"

This link includes all your settings that you have selected (towns, types of services, etc) so anyone who clicks the link will see the planner with the same results that you are seeing.

Hi! Planning a ride on the Erie Canal trail this summer. We have a tandem. How Tandem friendly is Amtrak, and how easy is it to get in and out of the stations with a bike?

You need to hit the Amtrak site. They have their info on bikes and it would depend on what station you were leaving from an going to

We also have a tandem and AFAIK there is no provision for tandem on Amtrak ... not officially when you look into their rules for length of the bike. Some cars even make You to take the front wheel off on a single bike in order to hang it.

In theory, if You find a benevolent operator in a good mood I see no reason why one could not just lean the bike in a bike car with roll on service - those cars are for bikes and cargo only and do not have people in it. But, I digress... do not count on it.

If Your tandem has couplers You can just split it in two and treat each piece as 1 bike, buy 2 bike passes and hang it separately as if it was a single bike.

FWIW we have just completed the Erie Canal and Empire State Trail and in our case we rented an SUV one way, folded the back seats and put our cargo in there.

Brambor;

How was your trip? What are your feelings about the trail?

I posted a trip report on the touring page of bikeforums. You can read and see the photos here https://www.bikeforums.net/touring/1230213-empire-state-trail-completed-report.html

in summary - We got to Albany on day 6 in the morning (we slept in Troy)

From Buffalo to Tonawanda - my friend had 3 flat tires and the signage along the Lake Erie shore is sometimes lacking as the repairs to eroded trails route the trail away from the shore to the next available street.

We camped at Lock 30 and Lock 20 and it was awesome. No problems, just pitch your tent and that is it. You could call the number ... we did and left a message there. When we saw the lock operator we asked him and he said we are all set. The bathrooms were not open on either of the locks - maybe they will be as the season progresses.

The signage through Rome could have been a little better but we found our way nevertheless.

The signage around Utica also could use a few improvements ... there is a detour on one portion of the trail there where they are rebuilding some sewer facilities.

There is a section of the trail, I think before lock 15, somewhere between Canajoharie and Amsterdam that is a slow soft gravel, pretty annoying...for 2 miles I think.

The bikelanes and signage through Syracuse was spectacular

The pictures are great, you are intrepid cyclists undaunted by rain and cool spring weather! The canal for boaters and towpath for cyclists have been an unappreciated resource for so many years it's wonderful that they are getting some attention.