Erie Canal Forum

Hello,

Can someone point me to forums for the C&O Canal Trail and GAP Trail?

Art

That was fun! I hadn't done any research on the C&O or Great Allegheny Trail. Just got my "feet wet" and learned a bunch. It's on my Bucket List. Interesting that the GAT is nicely groomed and only 150 miles. The C&O appears is a bit less groomed with typical dirt/gravel lanes with grass strips in middle.

A bit disappointed in the NPS website. Haroers Feery trial Bridge damaged due to derailment -- lots of info but nothing about what the re-route is! Hmmm...

Anyway -- I found what you were looking for! Here it us:

https://bikecando.com/

That previous post was from me! Sorry it posted as Anonymous.

Thanks, wnybubba. Just what I was looking for.
Art

Glad to help. Looks like a good ride. What are your plans?

To: wnybubba

We live in Gaithersburg, MD, and have done the C&O Trail from DC to Cumberland and the Gap from Cumberland to the Continental Divide.

We are planning to do day trips on the GAP in 15mi sections (30mi RT). We are thinking of Meyersdale, PA, and Ohiopyle as possible starting points. What are the trails like in these areas? And we are open to other suggestions as well as places to stay.

Art

Art - I wish I could help, but I'm just starting to look into both the C&O and GAP as rides myself. Possibly post something on the other forum for good answers! I enjoyed the 360 mile ride on the Canalway Trail and figured I was already outfitted so a quick 150 mile ride on the GAP is attractive. Problem I see is that PGH is a 4-hour drove from my place, but I'm looking into parking in PGH and taking the train back from Cumberland so I don't have to depend on rides. (Make my wife happy!)

To: wnybubba. Thanks anyway. Posted same to GAP forum, no response yet.

I am planning a multiple day bike ride along the trail. Does this parking allow for overnight parking?

Lisa, I don't think you will have any problem leaving a vehicle at Lock 12 (Tribes Hill). I camped out there and there are several places that can accommodate a vehicle. Also, the Lock attendant who I dealt with in the morning was very accommodating to me. NOTE: You posed the question about Boat Launch area and I'm answering about the Lock Area -- they may not be the same. The difference may be one side of the river and the other.

I am a HUGE planner. My husband and I plan on riding the entire trail next year, and we have never been on any portion of the trail. I'd love any tips about riding the trail, as well as feedback on our itinerary below.

We are very fit. We don't stop to explore towns on our ride; we just like to bike through as fast as we can. We don't plan on stopping for lunch during our rides, but we hope to enjoy good burger/bbq/pizza for dinner each night. We biked The GAP and C&O in 4 days last year. We routinely bike 100+ gravel miles on a Saturday, and we consider a "short ride" to be 50 or 60 gravel miles.

We do not like AirBNBs or independent bed and breakfasts, so we will be sleeping in chain hotels every night on our trip (we prefer Hampton Inn). Therefore, our daily mileage is dictated mostly by where chain hotels are located. During our trip, I want to ride no more than about 85 miles each day.


Day 1. Travel and Prep Day
Drive from home to Buffalo, pick up rental car, spend the night in Buffalo

Day 2. Albany to Schenectady (30 miles)
Drive 4 hours to Albany, drop off rental car. Bike 30 miles to Schenectady

Day 3. Schenectady to Utica (81 miles)

Day 4. Utica to Weesport (85 miles)

Day 5. Weesport to Rochester (71 miles)

Day 6. Rochester to Lockport (61 miles)

Day 7. Lockport to Buffalo, then to Niagara on the Lake to Niagara Falls (80 miles)
Bike 31 miles to Buffalo, then 35 paved miles to Fort George, Niagara on the Lake. Turn around and bike 14 paved miles back down to Niagara falls.

Day 8 Bike and Travel Day (22 miles)
Bike back to Buffalo. Drive home.

Thank you!

I think if the hotels match up then the itinerary looks pretty good.

Love the Erie Canal but Day 7, wow what a great addition to your trip. Niagara Falls to Niagara-on-the Lake might be one of the best cycling sections I’ve ever ridden. Outstanding beauty. Niagara wine country.

Agree with John, you should be fine being comfortable in that kind of mileage. I'm a bit confused on your back-and-forth in Bflo/Niagara after Lockport (actually after Buffalo). From Bflo, Niagara-On-The-Lake is further past Niagara Falls. So I believe you are staying over in NF... leave Bflo -> go through Niagara Falls and ride to NotL and back to NF for the night -- Hmmmm... still not sure I understand your route and schedule on Day 7.

OP here. I went back and read through the forums and someone commented on the westward wind. In light of this, we've decided to bike from Buffalo to Albany, then rent a minivan one-way in Albany and drive back to Buffalo. After dropping off the minivan in Buffalo, we plan to eventually bike to Niagara-on-the-Lake before turning around, and biking back to our car in Buffalo and heading home.

Our revised itinerary below allows us to hit chain hotels with relatively consistent daily mileage, so our trip will now be 7 days long instead of 8 days:

Day 1. Drive from home to Buffalo. Stay at Hampton Inn & Suites Buffalo Downtown.

Day 2. Bike 87 miles to Rochester. Stay in Hampton Inn Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester/Henrietta.

Day 3. Bike 93 miles to Syracuse. Stay in Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse Dewitt.

Day 4. Bike 84 miles to Little Falls. Stay in Travelodge by Wyndham Little Falls.

Day 5. Bike 89 miles to Albany. Stay in Hampton Inn & Suites Albany-Downtown.

Day 6. Rent car at Enterprise in Albany. Drive 4 hours to Buffalo. Drop off Rental at Enterprise in Buffalo. Bike 22 paved miles to Niagara Falls. Stay in Embassy Suites Niagara Falls.

Day 7. Bike 14 paved miles to Niagara on the Lake, turn around, bike 37 paved miles to Buffalo. Drive home.


Thank you!

I'm doing it soon (but in 6 days, not 4) but everything seems very reasonable from what I can see.

Yep - looks smarter., I read about the wind as well, but on my recent trip I can't say I felt that it was an advantage. It all depends on the weather. However, it is downhill from Buffalo to Albany. Enjoy.

@John from Cobleskill -- When is your ride? If you need any help in the Bflo area, give me a shout.

OP here. John from Pittsburgh, I just went back and read through the forums AGAIN, and saw your comment about the Greater Niagara Circle Route. That looks really wonderful, so instead of turning around at Niagara on the Lake on Day 7, we will ride the Greater Niagara Circle Route and head over back to Buffalo via the Peace Bridge. This would add only 10 miles to our original itinerary, but would add variety to our trip. Thanks for letting me know!

Oh man, you’re gonna love it!

The only hill of note is up and down the Niagara Escarpment but it’s not that bad to be honest. Otherwise all of it is flat.

At Niagara Falls (Horseshoe Falls) the sidewalk where the trail is will likely be packed with tourists. You can walk your bike there or just take the street.

I hope some freighters are passing through the Canal, they are so huge up close (I had to wait for one to pass a bridge I needed to get over). There’s also a few public access beaches on Lake Erie around Buffalo.

Be sure to share some of your trip with us!

John

OP here, we have decided to cancel our scheduled ride in Virginia in September in favor of doing the Erie Canal. My understanding is that Canada is currently closed to me (since I don't meet any of the exceptions). Is there a good bike route we can take from Buffalo along Niagara Falls, NY on the last day? Plan A will be to ride along the Canada side, but if that option is not available, then Plan B is to see the falls from the US side.

I am super excited about our Erie Canal adventure!

Thank you!

The ban to going into Canada is reviewed often and maybe changed at some point. The next review is at the end of the month. Let's hope something is worked out soon.

There is a decent route from Buffalo to NF (US Side). You'll be doubling back on the Erie Canal Route to the Grand Island Bridge, walk the bike across the bridge, and take the bike route on the other side around the island, and then over the second bridge.

Once across, there is a bike route to Goat Island State Park.

Alternative to taking the Grand Island Route, you can follow 265 (It's not a bad road to ride via bike) to 384, and follow 384 to the bike route in Niagara Falls.

Its 26 miles via Grand Island, and 27 miles via 265. The 265 route is probably faster, because you do, in fact, have to walk your bike over the GI bridges (It's too narrow to safely ride).

OP - Fun! Hey, both John and cr gave you good advised above. If you need any help in the Bflo area give me a shout.

I am starting my ride on July 6th and doing exactly the same daily rides to Albany in the 4 days and then taking a train back to Buffalo on the 10th. If you are starting at a similar date it would be great to try and connect

Nichter@dickinson.ede
717-385-5316

Happy Riding

I am starting my ride on July 6th and doing exactly the same daily rides to Albany in the 4 days and then taking a train back to Buffalo on the 10th. If you are starting at a similar date it would be great to try and connect

Nichter@dickinson.ede
717-385-5316

Happy Riding

I am starting my ride on July 6th and doing exactly the same daily rides to Albany in the 4 days and then taking a train back to Buffalo on the 10th. If you are starting at a similar date it would be great to try and connect

Nichter@dickinson.ede
717-385-5316

Happy Riding

Cr from Buffalo, and John from Cobleskill, thanks for the awesome input. Now I need to work on making Plan B.

Wnybubba - so generous of you to offer! I may take you up on it :)

Don N - so sweet! Thank you! But we are not going until September. I am so TICKLED that you are doing the same schedule as us. We've never been on any portion of The Erie Canal, and I hope you share a field report. Are you going by yourself? Have a safe and wonderful trip! I will be thinking about you!

OP - During my recent ride I posted daily on a facebook fundraiser that I created. I've also got more pics on the route. If you are interested, send me an email and I'll share some pics. Email: my username here @gmail.com

Also you'll be in contact if you need a Bflo connection.

Cr from Buffalo, and John from Cobleskill, thanks for the awesome input. Now I need to work on making Plan B.

Wnybubba - so generous of you to offer! I may take you up on it :)

Don N - so sweet! Thank you! But we are not going until September. I am so TICKLED that you are doing the same schedule as us. We've never been on any portion of The Erie Canal, and I hope you share a field report. Are you going by yourself? Have a safe and wonderful trip! I will be thinking about you!

Don N ~ how did the first day of your ride go?

Don N ~ how did the first day of your ride go?

I am planning my trip and this site and the PTNY site differ regarding this route/area. This site says the trail goes south out of Clyde and takes 372 to Rt 31. The PTNY map shows the route as going east out of Clyde following Rt 31 and turning south in Savannah

Who is correct?
Which is the better route?

John -- both I and another couple that I met along the trail shared that we got off the "trail" in this area. Here's what I remember...
The trail coming out of the Clyde is marked and takes you into Savanah and then out on Rt. 31. Just when you get going out of town there is a considerable up over a railroad (steep for the the Canalway anyway and one of the first you encounter heading east). On the other side as you are heading down - there is a new large "Hi-Vis Green" Crosswalk sign (with arrows) as well as an "Empire State Trail" Logo sign. It looks like you should take the crosswalk and go down on the other side of the Bridge to a cinder road. **DON'T DO IT!** The EST sign is merely telling you that you are on the trail (Rt 31).

If the above is the PTNY map -- it's prbly more current. Rt 31 isn't too bad to ride here, but both this route and the map here on this site end up on Rt 31 heading over to Montezuma (where Rt 89 shows heading west). This is quite close for bike/road travel. There is limited shoulder and a guard-rail for a fairly long distance -- your're pretty much riding the white fog line. Rather high-use road, but most vehicles gave clearance space.

I'd give consideration to taking the back-road route listed here. I hadn't noticed the mapping difference and was just following routing signs while riding. Savanah didn't' really offer anything special.

FYI - pretty current info here as I just rode the first of the month (June). Also, I hadn't read the maps too closely as I had been on parts of the Canalway Trail before and followed signage without issue. So, if I was ever in doubt about anything - I'd take out my phone and use Google Maps (Bike Route mode) and get decent routing info, so don't stress too much about routing issues -- for the most part it's pretty easy and straight forward. Canalway Signs are more informative than the Empire State Trail signs (which I believe are merely "Here it is" signs -- not directive).

Hope this helps. -bubba

Thank you! It helps a lot.

I hate being out on the road and wondering "Where am I?"

A self guided tour starts in Newark, goes to Fairport, then Brockport and ends in Lockport
4 days riding plus 3 nites in the road

Is this a good itinerary? We’d like to bike 20 to 30 miles a day
We know nothing about Newark
How is the Canal thru Rochester?

Thank you!

As I've posted before, locals have told me riders have been mugged going through the Rochester area. Ride with others

KD from Redding:
Frankly, the itinerary is not aggressive at all. It beckons the question "What is the point of your tour?" If you are planning to enjoy each destination town then it's fine. However, if your goal is to bike the Canalway, you are going to have a lot of extra time everyday. At 10 miles per hour riding (not very aggressive) you are only looking at three hours of riding. What are you going to do with the other hours in the day?

Newark is a typical small town along the Canal -- an easy Google will fill you in on anything there of interest. I'm not sure from your post if you are planning to camp or seek lodging during your "3 nites on the road" so it is difficult to provide helpful info.

The Canalway through Rochester is great. It follows along the Canal and is paved. What's nice is that there are many places to detour into the city if you want a closer look (if you don't mind some city-street cycling), but Rochester is a small city that doesn't take long to get around in. (For the most part ignore BobtheBuilder's negative comment here - simply be safe and smart in your travels.) I bike all around Rochester.

Maybe provide a bit more information here about your intent and we can give you better, more informative responses.

Thank you for ur response
We do plan to do some touring of interesting places
Plus it’s hot and we don’t plan to be too aggressive doing
mileage but it sounds like we’re doing not enough!

We can start anywhere East of Rochester (Palmyr) or in
Rochester. Just need to be in Lockport on the 5th day

Thanks again

While in Rochester, I highly recommend a side trip up the Genessee River Trail to see High Falls. It's about 5 or 6 miles from the canal trail to the falls, well worth the ride.

https://bikeeriecanal.com/genesee-riverway-trail.aspx

Right by the falls, there's a trendy entertainment district on one side of the river and the old Genessee Brewery on the other side.

If you have more time and ambition, follow that trail for 13 miles to see Lake Ontario.

KD - You are probably fine. If you bike 30 miles (~3 hours) a day you'll have plenty of time to see things on your itinerary. Ride early and you'll miss the heat plus much of the canalway trail is under some tree canopy. Again, not knowing your intent for overnight accommodations, do plan on at least 1-1.5 hours to break camp, pack and get on the road... if you are camping (I was surprised that it took me this long each day).

I agree with psychlist -- lots of good things to see in Rochester if you haven't been there. His suggestions are spot on and there is a lot more. Tony D's restaurant is one of the best Italian places I have ever eaten, you can take a tour of Mt. Hope Cemetery (however guided tours have been cancelled for the year), George Eastman Museum depending on reopening phase of NYS Pause.

I'd work my way back from Lockport and figure a good starting spot. Taking a closer look at the map, if you want to hit Fairport, Brockport and another night out before Lockport... then Lyons to Lockport is 100 miles. So that's 25 miles a day -- easy ride for doing some sightseeing. No need to go further than Lyons because after it you'll be on highways and back roads pretty much all the way to Weedsport. In Lyons either Lock 27E (at Leach Street) or Abbey Park out on the outskirts of town would be great to start.

Sounds like a fun and trip with plenty of time to find interesting places to visit with easy, little stress on the bike ride aspect. Enjoy.

Hi KD!
I am originally from Bethel and wondering if you ride with any of the local clubs in the Redding/Ridgefield area. Also when are you planning your trip?
We are trying to plan a trip departing at the end of July for 5-6 days.

We plan on riding the entire Erie Canal in 4 days and Katy Trail in 3 days in 2021. From what I understand, mid-October would be a good time to ride the Katy Trail. Therefore, we were thinking about riding the Erie Canal at the end of August so that we would have about 6 weeks of recovery time in between the two rides. Is the end of August a good time to ride the Erie Canal, or is too humid/hot? When is a good time to ride the Erie Canal? Another option is to split the two rides and bike the Erie Canal this fall and Katy trail next fall. Thank you!

Not sure there is really a bad time to bike the Canalway Trail!
You do not state where you are from, so I'll assume that you are not familiar with upstate NY weather, but IMHO... June and July are the best weather months as far as warm, sunny weather. By the time the 2nd week of August comes 'round, the weather has already stated to get a bit chillier. THe end of August OR the beginning of September would probably be a perfect time to ride the Canalway. Typically you shouldn't have to worry about hot/humid in late August, however the weather can certainly do it's own thing at any time. No controlling Mother Nature!

PS - 6 weeks recovery from a rider who is comfortable planning 90 miles a day seems excessive.

Thanks for the input! I am not familiar with upstate NY weather. I was also thinking earlier today that 6 weeks is excessive, so it's good to have affirmation.

If you're doing the whole Erie Canal in 4 days, that means that you are going through the cities and towns at an amazing pace, not much stopping or sightseeing on your calendar (which is fine).

So with "speed" your main goal, I'd suggest late July until the end of August because that's is when there is the least amount of rain. Because rain means soft ground and soft ground means slowing you down. And wherever there is stone dust (which there is a lot of), mud is right below the surface in rainy conditions.

John from Cobleskill, thank you for the insight! We are both in our 40s and I just started biking serious miles 3 years ago after I discovered how fun it was. My husband, on the other hand, has been riding ever since he was a kid. There are so many great gravel trails to ride all over the US, and we want to zip right through them while we still physically can. I guess in a way, it is me trying to make up for lost time in my 20s and 30s. Once we retire, we will do some sightseeing during our rides, as everyday will be a biking day, which will be so fantastic! But for now, our focus during our rides is just speed.

John from Cobleskill, thank you for the insight! We are both in our 40s and I just started biking serious miles 3 years ago after I discovered how fun it was. My husband, on the other hand, has been riding ever since he was a kid. There are so many great gravel trails to ride all over the US, and we want to zip right through them while we still physically can. I guess in a way, it is me trying to make up for lost time in my 20s and 30s. Once we retire, we will do some sightseeing during our rides, as everyday will be a biking day, which will be so fantastic! But for now, our focus during our rides is just speed.

I'd concur with John from Cobleskill regarding dates from a rain standpoint. Late August & Sept might bring on some rain -- but that's always a crap shoot anyway. Also... don't be too hard on us "older" guys. I just completed the trail living off my bike in 7 days with no stress or concerns. I was also out with a 40 yo friend this past weekend for a 25 mile hilly ride and was up some hills faster than him.

If you're in your 40's, you still have many wonderful years of biking in front of you. I am turning 60 in a few days and I am still at it and will be doing 60 mile days when I do the Erie Canal trip soon.

But on the flip side, I'm retired so I can afford to take 6 days "off" where you might be pressed for time due to your work schedule so I understand the need for speed.

@John from Cobleskill -- Spot on.