Erie Canal Forum

I rode the Erie Canal trail last week from Buffalo to Albany. I used my rode bike without any issues although the trail has a lot of varied conditions. The trail is a resource with a ton of potential. But present day conditions in many areas leave a lot to be desired. It amazed me that some areas are paved, others crushed cinder and others packed dirt. I was happy not to have to repair any flats. Also was amazed how little those who live near the canal know about it including where the trail start is in their town. At one point I was down to an 18 inch wide strip of a trail - fortunately not for a very long distance. I expected these varied conditions but could imagine how exceptional the experience will be once the trail has consistently good pavement for riding. What disappointed me was how poor the directional signs are along the trail. Some are so faded you had to get really close to them to see which way the arrow was pointing. And in other instances you’d follow that arrow only to not find another sign that would tell you where to turn next. Once I found myself dumped off the trail into a large course stone lot where I had to carry my bike. Fortunately someone came along who pointed me where to head on the other side of the lot. I had several instance where the trail was closed for construction with no detour signs. The Erie Canal Trail interactive map really isn’t interactive to a large degree. A huge opportunity to improve this. There is an icon on the site for GPS that didn’t work for me. The website was helpful though in identifying places along the trail for an easy off hotel room. As for the canal some areas are wonderful areas of recreation with working locks. Other areas are abandoned algae covered stagnant waterways long ago abandoned. The green algae rivals the green landscapes in Ireland! I loved it when local pride took some ownership of the trail. Even with that don’t plan on any restrooms along the way with limited exceptions. Porta potties would have been welcomed. Also mile markers along the route would have been nice. I know that there are plans to spend millions of taxpayer money to improve the trail. In the near-term take a few thousands of dollars to do some intermediate things that would make immediate and simple improvements.

MJ: Great recap and I liked with your opinion that it has a lot of potential but also leaves a lot to be desired. I agree with the need for some simple improvements to make it easier to navigate.

The signage, both mile markers and directional signs, are severely lacking or poor overall. This is one thing they could easily and cheaply fix first and foremost. I did the organized PTNY Cycle the Erie Canal tour and they have some painted markers at turns and some of us still got lost a few times! They need accurate mile markers from Buffalo to Albany. How has this never been done yet?

In addition, where does the trail end and begin? They need some medallion or sign to lets people know you've reached Mile 0 or the end to celebrate their accomplishment. In Buffalo, I think the end/beginning is the Commercial Slip at Canalside. In Albany, I think the end/beginning is that Jennings Landing. That's my guess but neither contain a sign saying so. Is this really going to break their budget by adding these? Some informational signs as you approach towns would be helpful as it could list the miles to the next 2-3 towns plus all logos for food, water, lodging. This helps both cyclists and businesses.

I accept that there are different surfaces. I actually don't mind a mix of some dirt mule paths, crushed limestone, or paved asphalt as long as it's smooth. It gives the trail some character. I will say some of the crushed limestone gets soupy when it rains and doesn't drain as good as a rail-trail does (due to the ballast left underneath). As long as they keep on top of the bumpy tree roots under the asphalt, any really bad washouts of the limestone, and potholes/cracks, I'm fine with it. I don't expect them to ever pave the entire thing.

Bathrooms are severely lacking. Parks and Trails New York (PTNY) manages the trail and I'd like to see them devote some cash to some more port a johns and water faucets spaced along the trail.

In addition, perhaps later in the future, how about some campsites? It would be great to be able to stay the night and camp along the trail.

As for locals not really knowing about the trail, I think they may know about it as a waterway but not as a recreational trail. Seems odd to me as people from all over use the Erie Canal not just to cross the state but for some, its just one state while crossing the entire country, some from overseas. I know the GAP trail (Pittsburgh to Cumberland) has a had a very visible "Trail Towns" business marketing push and this has led to great things for cyclists in these pass through towns. Restaurants, bike repair shops, lodging, etc. marketed and targeted to cyclists and it's been very successful. Maybe when this becomes part of the greater Empire State Trail, they will make better push with these towns for them to realize what a gem they have on their hands.

Yeah, that interactive map is poor and needs updated. On top of that, I'd like to see them create some real PDF map like the GAP or C&O Canal. These show all of the water fountains, towns with restaurants, camping sites, bike repair shops, picnic areas, and mile markers.

John

John covered the situation pretty well, but here's a couple of my comments for balance. Signage is certainly not up to par and, as John mentioned, shouldn't take much to improve. The "Empire State Trial" signs are a waste in that they are not directional but rather simply markers (and mostly right along a Canalway sign). Personally, I could care less about mileage markers, but that's just a personal opinion. However, I did have success with following Google Maps in "Bike" route mode. It lead me onto the Canalway and, if I was confused, got me to the right place. I found that any detours were marked fine. Regarding services like water and potty stops -- I never had an issue with using local convenient stores or restaurants, etc. and... I traveled in June at the height of COVID-19 situation. I would like to see cyclist campsites identified or developed. Bikepacking is becoming ever more popular -- I think I traveled as a modified bikepacker -- not minimalist, but certainly light and efficient. Lastly, trail surfaces -- I agree with John about variety making it interesting. I disliked the pavement with tree roots greatly. On a recent ride (I believe in the Boston area) I saw that they had scrapped away the bulging surfaces -- somewhat like they do to reclaim roadway surfaces. Not the best, but it took away the bumpy ride. Bike on -- it's all a great adventure!

Good comments from John and Bubba.

I didn’t venture off trail much except after a long day of riding to find a place to stay for the night. Most convenience stores, etc are not visible from the trail so you would need to stop and use your smart phone to try to figure out where you are and how to find them. That’s why I think their website could be made more useful, that trail signs letting know where you are could be more frequent, and directional signs improved. Your GPS comment was helpful. Porta potties seems like a low cost item for the Parks to consider. I frankly am miffed why they aren’t present anywhere. John, I agree that knowing where the trail begins and ends would be nice! And, while you hit mud on the cinder parts I went during a dry spell that kicked up a lot of stone dust. I’m fine too with the variable types of trail surfaces but I think pavement is way to go for the future. I also got jarred more than once by tree roots bulging the pavement. I was surprised my road bike tires tolerated them. Some areas did have then scraped down like Bubba suggests but it was inconsistent which is why I think the Parks awareness, oversight and ownership of the entire trail could be improved with some pretty simple, low soft measures.

As mentioned the Trail is a great resource and has great potential to be spectacular. I definitely could see riding it again. It has much to offer in the current context and could be so much greater in the future.

Nice MJ. I think we are all on the same page with what the trail currently offers, the improvements that could easily be made and the enhancements that could make it, as you suggested, spectacular. I'm hoping that the Canalway Corp does some monitoring on this site to see our suggestions.

Glad I could be of some help. The only thing I think I may have done that might be worth mentioning here is that I did ask a bunch of questions of residents, other riders, canal personnel or store/business owners fairly often and found that any advise that I was given was spot on. Possibly I got more direction on what was around for food, supplies and repairs that I needed and didn't have to consult my smart phone as much. Regardless, internet availability seemed ever-present, so answers were only a tap or two away.

Glad your road bike made it without issues and happy that you had an enjoyable ride. I think I'm up for another tour next year, but know that the C&O (and possibly with the GAP) are in the plans. :-)

I grew up in and around Syracuse so I know it well. But riding the Erie Canal this summer through Syracuse was a very tough. The signage is the worst. How hard would it be to put up a bunch of signs that gave you some clue that you are on the right path?

I only know the canal from Palmyra west. Looking at the site map, I'm surprised by the numbers of roads one must ride father east. It looks to be all roads going through Syracuse. Or I'm reading the map wrong?

Bop - no, you're reading it correctly. The trail (or route) goes on city street right through SYR. I thought it was okay - but I did manage to bust a spoke -- probably from the crappy road surface.

IAs I was entering the SYR looked at the Guide map and then brought up Google maps and used BIKE mode -- the map routed me the same way! So, I just followed the map directions from my phone. No issue at all. However, I'm comfortable with city riding and sorta enjoy the change.

According to the official website, that section of the EST will not open until 2021: https://empiretrail.ny.gov/syracuse-utica/syracuse-dewitt

Bktourer1 - Interesting how they are routing the path. No doubt a pathway running in the center of Erie Blvd should be reminiscent of the GAP Trail coming out of PGH along the interstate. Thanks for the link.

I plan to bike the Erie canal trail later this year. The discussion on unclear signage is a bit concerning. However, between google, map.me and asking the locals and fellow riders, I hope it will work out. Since 2013 (when I turned 67) I've hiked 2 different caminos in Spain, France and Portugal on 4 different occasions (yes,it's wonderful and addicting!) The signage there, simple yellow arrows, is excellent. Starting in 2016 I've also biked the GAP/C&O, most of the Moselle river, most of the Rhine river and the Danube river (Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary.) The signage on all of these bike routes are excellent. Proof of the pudding: I never failed to reach my daily destination. Hopefully this will be the case soon on the EST.

Ho Nguyen,
The signage in some places is limited, but it is certainly not an issue to find your way. As mentioned elsewhere, the EST signage tends to be markers as opposed to directional... and I can't imagine that that has changed in the last 8 months. You have already picked up on the Google Maps suggestion so you'll be fine. [Frankly, I'm not sure it wouldn't be pretty easy to load in Google Maps using Bike Mode and set your destination as Albany (or Buffalo) and find yourself on the Canalway most to the time.]

When we cycled the Katy Trail, we ( 3 couples) flew into St Louis, rented bikes at the terminus, arranged a shuttle to the start (4 hrs) and cycled the 260 miles or so eastward. Stayed at airBnbs, BnBs & quaint hotels. Did the ghost tour of the Missouri State Prison; tasted wine in Hermann; ate some fine food, and some basic grub!

In charming St Charles, dropped the bikes, stayed the night, ubered to the Airport. Easy planning. (I'd be happy to share my detailed itinerary !) I can also share a great itinerary, for the C&O/ GAP trail !

My question: Has anyone done something similar on the Erie Canal ?
We are thinking Buffalo to Albany(averaging 45 miles per day)

My wife and I have biked Katy Trail, GAP/C and O and Erie Canal with different logistics.

Erie Canal - We rented an SUV (one way rental) in Connecticut, placed our bikes in the SUV and drove to Buffalo. Drove next day up to Niagara Falls and then dropped off the car in Buffalo. Then biked Buffalo to Albany, rented a car in Albany, placed bikes in car and drove home returning the car in Connecticut.

GAP/C and O - Flew into Pittsburgh Airport, took cab into Pittsburgh where we rented bikes and then biked to Washington. The bike rental shop in Pittsburgh had an arrangement with a bike shop in Washington so for an extra $50.00 rental fee, you could drop the rental bikes off in Washington and every two weeks or so the Pittsburgh bike shop would go to pick them up. We then took the train home from Washington.

Katy Trail - we had our own bikes packed up here at the local bike shop and shipped to the lawn mower repair place in Clinton, Missouri. I believe we used BikeFlights.com for the shipping, obtaining the labels ourselves. The lawn mower shop reassembled the bikes. We flew from New York to Kansas City, rented a car in Kansas City and drove to Clinton where we dropped off the car and then picked up the bikes. The car rental place drove us back to the lawn mower shop!

We biked to St. Charles, dropped off the bikes at a bike shop in St.Louis which packed them up and shipped them back to us in Connecticut using bikeflights.com again and we reassembled them ourselves. We flew home from St. Louis.

All these ways worked fine and were probably the cheapest and quickest logistically. Seems to me your best bet would be shipping your bikes to Buffalo - either your hotel (reassemble the bikes yourselves) or to a bike shop - rent a car in Buffalo - go to Niagara falls, bike the Erie canal and find a bike shop in Albany to ship your bikes back and then fly home.

We used hybrid bikes for all the trips.

All were great trips.

Enjoy.

Thanks for the input. We would prefer to rent/ not to ship our bikes. We always have rented, and bring our saddles/clip ins/ panniers. The Katy and CO/GAP are well set up for this.
I have read that the Amtrak is not the best option for transfer, so a one way van or car may be our best bet.

Sounds like you had the same experience in Missouri with the friendly and kind folks !! Loved that trip !

May I suggest the Loire River when (and if) travel opens up again ? You can rent your bikes at one end, drop them off at the other end, or towns in between.... and take the train back to Paris to fly home. Planning is very easy using their website. (Europe is much further ahead with cycle tourism than we are... )

Would like to do this Erie ! My next step is to see if there is a bike rental shop in Buffalo or Albany. Stay Well !

I'm interested in the trip on the Loire Valley.

What did you do with your suitcases while you rode? Or did you fly only with the gear you would use while you were riding?

Yankee John, We were lucky. Met friends from Guernsey (UK) who brought their Land Rover, on the ferry. We put our suitcases in their car. However, you could either leave the suitcases in your first hotel, most properties of very supportive of this idea.
Or, pay for a luggage transfer service.

Cycled this in 2011. It is amazing! and I would do it again.

Here's helpful links...

https://detoursdeloire.com/

https://www.loirebybike.co.uk/

Thank you for the links. Our 4 week retirement celebration trip to France was cancelled by COVID, hoping for fall of 2021.

Please note that it takes a bit of planning and flexibility in the more rural sections of the Erie Canal Bike Trail if you plan to stay in lodging. Hopefully some of the B&Bs will re-open post COVID.

Welcome.
I get it ! We had to cancel two 2020 retirement trips. May-Cycling Japan. Italy in September: Trekking Dolomites & Cycling Tuscany.

Italy is rescheduled..... we hope !

ThoseDaltons

Sounds like we have had similar experiences. We were scheduled to bike the Dolomites this past spring but cancelled due to COVID. We have biked with a large group in Tuscany. We have had two self guided rides in Europe - Danube River - Passau to Vienna, and then biked around Lake Constance. The Dolomites trip, Danube and Lake Constance all arranged through biketours.com who subcontract with the European bike companies. They make all the hotel reservations, provide the routes, provide the bicycles and move your luggage and will help out with transfers if necessary.

We will look into the Loire Valley. Plan on skiing in Park City next month but COVID dependent.

I am thinking about riding the Erie Canal Trail sometime in May 2021. I have the flexibility to go either direction. Not sure if it makes a big difference so I was wondering if anyone wanted to comment on the Pros and Cons of riding from Albany to Buffalo and Pros and Cons of riding from Buffalo to Albany. Thanks!

Prevalent winds are West to East. That's why Mt. Washington has the weather it has

I plan a solo ride on the Erie canal trail sometime between May and October this year (after Pfizer shots.) My wife will drive me and my bike to the starting point, Buffalo, from my son's home in Corning, NY. Upon reaching Albany I will rent a car, one-way, to drive back to Corning.

For my GAP/C&O canal ride in 2018 my friend and I left my truck in Georgetown (DC) and transported ourselves and our bikes (using a bike rack) to Pittsburgh in a rental car. Upon reaching Pittsburgh we left the bikes at the hotel then immediately went to a local UPS store to ship the bike rack home (too bulky to fit anywhere on the bike.) We then returned the car and got a ride back to the hotel.

For my rides along the Moselle, Rhine and Danube rivers in Europe in 2017, 18 & 19 I used FlixBus to get my bike to/from starting/ending cities/countries. The bus was less expensive and easier to load and unload bikes than the train system. You can download the FlixBus app, available in English, onto iPhone or Android. Make sure the bus/route you book is equipped with a bike rack (the app will tell you!)

I should mention that I have family in Germany with whom I can store my bike when not riding. The bike is inexpensive (329 Euro), "designed in Germany & made in China", but it has served me well without any issue, not even a flat!

So sad, I camped here during the canal anniversary in 2017. I found Holly so friendly with 3 people directing me to the campsite. I had planned to return here in 2022 after covid.

I had called Holley and was told some there were some people caused problems ad damaged the area.

Are there especially interesting tourist places to stop along the Erie Canal? Thanks.

This might be of interest.
https://bikeeriecanal.com/our-lady-of-martyrs-shrine-fultonville.aspx

Sorry if this has been asked before. I scrolled thru several pages, and could not find. Unfortunately this forum does not have a search option.
Is anyone aware of a shop that will rent us bikes ? Preferable in Albany, where we would like to end our ride.

I have looked at the websites of the two bike shops under services, but they do not advertise rentals.

Thanks.

Unfortunately I'm not aware of a bike shop that provides rentals. There was a shop in Schenectady the rented but it closed last year. You might want to contact the shops personally. Freeman's Bridge Sports in Scotia has become an excellent shop, and they might be able to provide bikes, although they aren't at the start of the trail.

Diane at Great American Bike Tours organizes bike tours on the canal and is a great resource and might have some ideas. She used to run a bike shuttle service on the canal.

Thanks ! I check those out !

If we cant find rentals, we might just do the C&)/ GAP again.......

There is a search button on the main page to the far right after the
mileage chart button

Campus Wheelworks in Buffalo offers bike rentals - https://www.campuswheelworks.com/repair-rental/bike-rental/

They also rent racks if you need them.

I'd give them a call - if they can't help you they may know someone who can. Very helpful staff there.

Thanks all, for the help.

I'll call Campus Wheelworks :).

From Today's Schenectady Gazette:

For decades, two sets of railroad tracks in Rotterdam Junction impeded people looking to take a long off-road bike ride between Schenectady and Amsterdam on the Erie Canalway Trail, which runs all the way to Buffalo.
“It was one of the worst gaps in the entire system,” said Ray Gillen, chairman of the Schenectady County Metroplex Development Authority.
But the obstacles for riders are no more.
As part of developing the statewide Empire State Trail, the state has built a bike-pedestrian tunnel under the PanAm Rail tracks at the end of Scrafford Lane, rehabbed a century-old maintenance tunnel under the CSX tracks two miles west, and built three miles of new trail. Total cost: $8 million.
“Both of the new tunnels are open and there is now a continous off-road trail from Schenectady west all the way to Frankfort,” said Andy Beers, executive director of the Empire State Trail. “The (Scrafford Lane) tunnel is complete, and it is an amazing piece of engineering.”
Construction on the Rotterdam Junction trail wrapped up last month — one of the last pieces in the state’s three-year effort to construct the Empire State Trail, which runs continuously 750 miles, from Buffalo to Albany and from the tip of Manhattan to the Canadian border.
“The state spent $8 million in Rotterdam Junction. It’s a major achievement, and we’re grateful to the state for doing it,” Gillen said.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who unveiled the plan in 2017, announced last week that the Empire State Trail is completed. That means the entire system — some 75 percent of which is off-road — is open to cyclists, hikers, runners, cross-country skiers and snow-shoers. It meets the deadline Cuomo set four years ago to finish work by the end of 2020.

Developing the trail system has cost $293 million, with an initial $200 million state appropriation being used to leverage an additional $93 million in federal, state and local money, Beers said.
Completion is expected to raise the profile of the state’s bicycle and pedestrian trail system, and draw millions of new visitors, from around the state, other states, and internationally. That’s expected to lead to many millions in new visitor spending.
“I’ve already been contacted, this fall, by a company that organizes supported rides,” Beers said, speaking of companies that provide ride support, meals and accommodations for traveling cycling groups. “This is going to be a world-class destination.”
Along the Erie Canalway Trail, which runs 360 miles from Buffalo to Albany, the project has increased the amount of off-road trail from 80 percent of the ride to about 95 percent.
“I’d seen the condition of the trail and the need to close the gaps,” said Brian Stratton, the former Schenectady mayor who has headed the state Canal Corp. for the last decade. “The governor likes to do things bold, and when he decided to close the gaps he did it in a way that nobody could have imagined.”

AWESOME ! Thanks for the post !

I’d like to ride the trail starting in Albany and ending in Amherst (my family lives there). For anyone who has ridden the trail solo, would you say it’s safe for a woman riding by herself?

Yes, provided you are comfortable with solo adventure. You would get better advise if you informed us of how you were planning to overnight. Are you staying on the trail, B&B, motels, warmshowers?

Rent a SPOT LOCATER. you can let family know where you are and its got a 911 button for emergencies

I’ve done a few solo trips before so that’s not a problem. I’m assuming that B&Bs or motels are not far off the trail? I prefer a bed after riding all day and don’t want to lug around camping gear. I like the spot locator idea!

You will be fine then. Yes, there are all kinds of accommodations within easy reach of the trail. Last year there was a post here concerning wanting to complete the trail staying at Marriott properties (IIRC) along the way. The poster succeeded in working it out. If that can happen... merely looking for a nice bed should be pretty easy. [I was self-supported - worked out fine as well].

Have a fun planning and making it happen!

I rode the trail solo in early October and I felt good as a woman riding by herself. I mostly camped but stayed at a B&B one night and with a friend another. I'm sure it is different during warmer, busier times, but given that there are so many towns / parks / populated residential areas along the way, I never felt concerned for my safety. I also rode Albany to Amherst to visit family at the end, and I will say that the winds can be brutal but I'm glad I went that direction. I would recommend budgeting a little extra time though. The upside is you really get the gorgeous canal views in the second half. Have you done a solo trip before? This was my first and it was a great one.

Go for it Nina! As others have commented, you be fine as a solo female rider.

Good luck,
John

Recently remodeled temporarily closed due to covid guidelines. When reopened come visit and try Jake's 1/3 cheeseburger yummy!!

Recently remodeled temporarily closed due to covid guidelines. When reopened come visit and try Jake's 1/3 cheeseburger yummy!!

After riding Cincinnati to Cleveland next spring I’m thinking of taking the train to Depew and the riding east on the Erie Canal trail.

Is the road (Transit Ave) north to the trail super busy? Is there a decent shoulder? Any suggestions on alternate routes?

THX. Howard

I would not recommend Transit Road - between the train station and the trail to the north, a good chunk is a high-speed 6-8 lane suburban highway that would be extremely dangerous to walk or ride on, sidewalk included.

An alternate route, suburban traffic but manageable, would be Dick Road -] over to Union Road -] north to North Forest -] Elicott Creek Trailway -] trail at Tonawanda Creek.

However if you haven't been to Buffalo and don't mind a little extra time, I would ride down to Canalside in downtown Buffalo. It's a park centered around the former terminus of the Erie canal into Lake Erie. There is also a bit more to see downtown with some historic architecture, and just north of downtown in Allentown will be some non-chain places to eat and a bike shop if you need anything.

https://goo.gl/maps/GU6nJHB6r3P3rcwX8

From the Depew station, head down Dick Road -] west on Broadway -] south on Union to the Lehigh Valley Rail Trail heading east. You will find it on Google Maps.

From there, ride the trail down to the other end on William Street. William Street is a low traffic industrial street for the most part that will take you downtown. Once you are in the core there are several streets that will take you south of downtown to Canalside. From there you can start the official trail.

We took Amtrak to Buffalo Depew 2 years ago and opted to ride to the official train head. It added a lot of miles to the first day but worth it. A word of caution, not a lot of water on a hot day so be prepared. We passed a lot of nice trailside parks but none of the had water.

Agree with Joe about heading into Bflo. Transit Road is a rather busy N-S route without much of a riding shoulder. When you start out from Buffalo you follow the river up to Tonawanda and then follow the Erie Canal eastward. Regarding water... you are always a short distance from convenient stores or restaurants along the way.

Joe: Not aware of the Lehigh Valley Rail Trail in Buffalo -- didn't show up on Google maps as an option in BIKE mode either. I've ridden on it over in the Rochester area, but that's a linear trail over there.

wnybubba - I had never known the name of the trail until looking at it on Google Maps but it looks like it's also called "Cheektowaga Rails to Trails".

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/new-york/cheektowaga-historic-rail-to-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-view-full-map

Sorry, looks like my first post lost formatting.

William Street from downtown to this trail is a good low-traffic connector from downtown to the eastern suburbs and country side.

Just a little south heading east is Como Park Boulevard which is a nice on-road ride into Lancaster. From Lancaster the "Lancaster Heritage Trail" takes you into into Alden, where the is very little traffic on the side roads.

Thanks Joe. All of your suggestions offer good advise. I live southeast of Bflo and haven't traveled too many trails in the city. However, on Friday when I was in town I crossed over the Heritage Trail -- one that I was unfamiliar with as well.

Drop me a line sometime if you want to get out and bike together. My email is my user-name here @gmail.com

Thanks guys. All very helpful

The last eastern segment that we have to ride is Rotterdam to Albany. We will use two cars. What is the address of the end of the trail and where can we leave a car for approx 3 hours Can find any published info. On the trails end/ start place

If you want to go a little further, when you end in Albany, take the Ped/bike overpass into Rennselaer and park at Riverfront Park on Broadway. Park has toilets and right across from Dunkin. The park is under the Dunn Memorial Bridge. I part there for the day when I take my club riding. Look for Signs for NY 5 & 9 Bike routes

Experienced 3 or 4 different employees at this store none of which ever had a mask on ,disturbing