Biking along the Central Adirondack Trail Scenic Byway

The spectacular 153-mile Central Adirondack Trail can be traveled by bike, car or canoe. Beginning above the Hudson River in Glens Falls, the Central Adirondack Trail travels north to the shore of Lake George where a mountain-rimmed view takes in the southern portion of the lake’s 32-mile length.  Along the Hudson River up into the Adirondack Mountains, the route reaches its northern arc as it passes through Indian Lake and Blue Mountain Lake.

History and culture are on display at the world-famous Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. Adirondack Great Camps of the Gilded Age are open for tours, while glimpses of moose, bear and deer are not uncommon. Beginning its southward arc, the route passes by the Fulton Chain of Lakes, connecting Raquette Lake, Inlet and Old Forge.

Heading south and out of the Adirondack Park, the Central Adirondack Trail reaches the historic city of Rome, where the National Park Service tells the important revolutionary war role of a now-restored Fort Stanwix. Nearby is Erie Canal Village’s horse-drawn ride on an original section of the Erie Canal, recalling another exciting time in our nation’s history. Less-visited Oriskany Battlefield State Historic Site is east of Rome.

Road touring is pleasant and scenic along the Central Adirondack Trail with a number of side loops that provide spectacular scenery, as well as opportunities to visit historic sites and natural resource points of interest. Along the route there is a variety of mountain biking opportunities both in and out of the Adirondack Park. The Warren County Bikeway offers one of the region’s longest paved bike paths, linking Glens Falls and Lake George, while there are a number of unpaved canal towpaths that offer great family mountain biking opportunities, including the Glens Falls Feeder Canal Trail, the Boonville-Pixley Falls Black River Canal Trail, and the Black River Feeder Canal Trail between Forestport and Boonville.