Erie Canal Forum

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.

Hi...I have searched this forum and have googled with no luck. Does anyone know of a place to stay (hotel, airbnb, or b&b) that is located near the trail in either Lyons or Clyde. The Old Duck Inn is still closed in Clyde...anyone know if it will be opened by June? There is a motel in Lyons, but the reviews are beyond scary. Suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Had the same problem last year. Ended up staying at the Quality Inn at Newport, and then riding to Syracuse the next day, staying at the Jefferson Clinton Hotel downtown. Both were bike friendly, letting me store my bike in unused meeting rooms on the first floor.

It's unfortunate that the Old Duck Inn has not reopened, I rode by it last year and it looks very nice. I corresponded with the owners of the Erie Mansion in Clyde, Eriemansion@yahoo.com, who thought they would open again this year. It might be worth contacting them.

On a prior trip several years ago stayed at the Best Western in Weedsport. Although it was close to the interstate and very basic, it was clean and the staff was helpful.

Thank You, Yankee John...I'll reach out to the Erie Mansion. We may have to rearrange our stops and go all the way to Weedsport...plenty of places to stay there. But thank you so much!!

Check out the Peppermint Cottage Air B&B. we have res, for June

BKtourer - thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, they are not available the night we are passing through. Do you know how far off the trail they are located? It looks pretty far according to the map...but there isn't an exact address, so it's hard to judge. Thanks, though!!

If You're going NOBO then lock 30 is a great camping option.

Hi, We are planning to through bike the canal trail and are trying to plan where to stay the first night. Can anyone tell me what the exact distance it is from MP 0 in Buffalo to the Rosewood B&B in Holley? I keep seeing different distances and don't want to make the first day too long. I have seen anywhere from 62 - 69 miles. Thanks for your help!

Sara - I would have to believe that it is every bit of that! Not sure where you are considering MP-0, but using Google Maps (Bike Mode) and Canalside in Buffalo as the start, touring on the Canal trail shows 70 miles.

Depending on your need to start in Buffalo (and Buffalo is a fun place), the first part of the tour rides along the Niagara River on the Seaway Trail up to the Tonawanda's (City of and North Tonawanda). This is where the Erie Canal actually begins. Starting here saves you 16 miles... but you have to figure logistics with how you are traveling into Buffalo to get out there.

The route from Buffalo is flat and riding to Holley shouldn't be too bad for the first day. We have ridden to the Hampton Inn at Brockport for the first day. It is a long day but do-able.
The Hampton Inn was fine and had bike racks in the back. It is next to a large intersection and doesn't have any charm but it was clean and the rooms were fairly large. The staff were clueless about storing bicycles and didn't even know that there was a bike rack in the back of the hotel. Not sure what we would have done if it was raining. It's too far to walk to the downtown and the water, so we had to ride. Waterside at Brockport was geared for tourists and a nice place to have dinner with good restaurants.

Thank you for your help!!

It's only 4 and a half miles from Holly. Watch that first lift bridge you have to cross in Brockport. Difficult to see oncoming traffic from the south. Don't trust the drivers to stop for the crosswalks, many don't.

Another is at Adams Basin. A few miles farther east. Hard to see oncoming traffic from the south because of the bridge.

Does anyone know why the pedestrian paths are closed to enter Unity Island? The signs say it opens April 1st.

Our trip starts in just a few days. Wondering about a bike friendly accommodations in downtown Buffalo where we can roll our tandem bike in or those that have elevators long enough to fit a tandem bike.

Thanks.

We stayed at canalside Marriot. Literally could see the start of the trail from the hotel. Our tandem fit in the elevatir just fine. Amazing showers in this hotel!

We have stayed twice at the Hotel Henry, which is at the beginning of the continuous trail at the north end of Buffalo. The downtown section of the trail starts on roads. There are ample spaces to leave your bike at this unique hotel. Unfortunately it looks like it may be a casualty of COVID and may not reopen.

Unfortunately, the Hotel Henry has closed -- due to the pandemic. Here's the news article:

https://www.wivb.com/news/top-stories/hotel-henry-ending-operations/

Previous poster suggested the Marriott which is quite nice, but to enjoy some Buffalo flair, try The Curtiss Hotel, a 5 Star Boutique Hotel in Downtown Buffalo, NY or

So now that you have heard where you can spend the big bucks... know that there is a nice selection of business class motels including a nice Hampton Inn, a fine Embassy Suites (on Elmwood) and a recently remodeled Best Western (on Delaware Avenue). The Buffalo Grand Hotel is also right downtown near the waterfront -- re-opened a few years ago this was a long time Hyatt property and more recently an Adam's Mark. Hilton also has a Garden Inn downtown on Main. And one last chance to spend the bucks... try the Weston-Buffalo.

wnybubba:

How sad that the Henry is closed for good, thank you for forwarding the link. It was a beautiful place, and not anything like a hotel.

We stayed at the Curtiss 3 years ago for the Buffalo YMCA Turkey Trot. It did not strike me as bike friendly, although we didn't have bikes. There wasn't anywhere outside the hotel for bikes. Would recommend asking specific questions about storing the bikes and parking. As I recall there isn't any parking at the Curtiss, but there is a large parking garage across the street that was not expensive and worked out fine.

Is primitive camping along the erie canal bike trail permitted anywhere you want to stop?

No! To the best of my understanding, camping really isn't "permitted" anywhere on Canalway property. There may be a few locks which have some form of dedicated space for camping, but in talks with the Canal Corp. they are not being promoted.

However, you may ask for permission to stay at locks along the canal -- and it is typically suggested that you do this in advance (and most riders should feel comfortable that a place can be found at most locks). Additionally, it is my personal opinion that there are many places along the canal that would make great bivouac sites -- places that are wide, level and mowed grass and could easily accommodate a tent. There is no signage prohibiting camping, so this is a grey area. Obviously these areas would be located a fair distance from homes or roadways -- somewhat set away from things.

A bigger concern is that you do not trespass on private property off the trail without permission. When in doubt, ask.

You can write directly to some of the towns along the way to see if you can get permission to camp on town parks. I did this when I was initially going to camp this year and several town admins. said I should call town hall prior to or arriving in the town. I no longer have the list of towns that were ok to camp prior to arrival.

Checkout Peppermint Air B&B in Lyons

I am an older bicyclist who has had recent hip surgery. My biking ability is not what it used to be so I am inteested in the new generation of electric assist bicycles and tricycles. Are these types of bikes permitted on trails that list no motorized vehicles allowed.

Electric assist are allowed on the trail. Enjoy your trip!

We are on the trail right now, day 3…currently in Geddes. We saw ebikes on the trail every day

For the past few years I have come to enjoy walking on the Bike Trail around Lock 8. There is not only the beautiful scenery but you see different types of people: young, old, walkers, runners, bike riders, roller skaters and others, all enjoying the Trail. On a very few occasions I have seen people smoking but it is rare. I have never seen a sign banning smoking. On April 29, 2021 I read an article in The Daily Gazette (page A4)about the Town of Glenville in which it was stated "...the law allows adults to smoke pot anywhere in public that smoking tobacco is allowed..." Assuming that the quote is a correct statement of the law, I believe it would be a very serious mistake to even leave open the the question of whether marijuana can be smoked on the Trail. It should be loudly and clearly publicized that as to the Bike Trail "MARIJUANA USE STRICTLY PROHIBITED". My question is "Who is in charge to protect the the "Trail" on this issue. New York State? NYS agencies? Towns? All of the above? I would appreciate any information, such as emails, websites. addresses that might help me find out what is being done to ban the use of marijuana on the Bike Trail.

People driving a car by themselves smoke pot. Let’s take care of those individuals first.

New York just legalized recreational marijuana, and the Canal system is owned and operated by the state. I suppose you could contact your state representatives, but the cows seem to be out of the barn.

We need the dues. Taxes

I see from the alerts (https://www.canals.ny.gov/trails/projects.html) that the trail is closed from Utica to Rome due to flooding. Any idea how bad it is? And is there an easy detour?
We're planning a mid-May trip, so it's still a few weeks away.

Exactly where in Albany does the canal begin?

It is a bit confusing. Are you following the bike trail, or the new/current canal? The bike trail does not follow the canal east of the twin bridges of the I-87 overpass at Fort Ferry Road. The bike trail east then follows the path of the old/original Erie Canal into Cohoes and then through Watervliet into Albany. The Erie canal starts in Waterford and the first lock is lock 2. Lock 1 is on the Hudson River at Green Island just north of Albany and isn't part of the canal. The bike trail west of Cohoes has been repaved and is in excellent condition. The trail through Watervliet is on roads but it has been remarked for bike lanes.

For trail purposes, is it Jennings Landing?

There have been other posts regarding the absence of a 'Mile zero' marker at Jennings Landing. Until NY Sate officially marks the beginning of the trail, I believe Jennings Landing would be regarded as the unofficial eastern terminus of the trail.