Tupper Lake-Indian Lake Bicycling along the Adirondack Trail


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bike map symbolsBicycling the Tupper Lake-Indian Lake area of the Adirondack Trail is lakeside bicycling at its best. Around every bend is a pond or lake and most of the larger lakes have public beaches. There are not too many alternate routes through this area and Route 30 is the only road connecting Tupper Lake and Indian Lake. Lakeshore communities along the way include Long Lake and Blue Mountain Lake.

Road Biking Opportunities

A ride along the Adirondack Trail, Route 30, offers very wide shoulders – 6 feet in most places, as well as good surface quality. There is moderate to heavy traffic depending on the time of day. Along the route are Long Lake and Blue Mountain Lake as well as a number of NYSDEC campgrounds. It is 60 miles from Tupper Lake to Indian Lake and the lakeshore communities along the way offer opportunities for food, shopping and other relaxation. While Blue Mountain Lake has fewer services, it is home to the Adirondack Museum, a world-class history museum set high on a bluff overlooking Blue Mountain Lake.

Buttermilk Falls near Long Lake

Buttermilk Falls near Long Lake

Other on-road or path rides and loops in the area include:

Family Ride – Whitney Recreation Area, 7 miles of lightly-traveled paved roads. With fat tires the ride could be extended onto 10 miles of dirt road to Lake Lila.

Moderate Ride – Tupper Lake to Long Lake, 22 miles one-way.

Training Ride – Teddy’s Trail – An 80-mile road bike loop through Indian Lake, Long Lake, Newcomb and North Creek, as described in Bill McKibben’s book, 25 Bicycle Tours in the Adirondacks

Mountain Bike Opportunities

The Sagamore, Uncas Road and Raquette Lake Ride is mainly on dirt roads, although some single track can be worked in and a 13 to 20-mile loop can be ridden that incorporates a portion of Route 28. Highlights of this tour include the village of Raquette Lake and Great Camp Sagamore, a National Historic Landmark in the heart of the Adirondacks. The basic loop is 13 miles and the ride can be extended by 6 miles with a section on the Uncas Road with single track trails over gently rolling to hilly terrain. Can be broken down into several shorter rides. see also BikeAdirondacks.org

There are miles of mountain biking in the Moose River Plains between Indian Lake and Inlet. Design your own out-and-back mountain bike ride using 40 miles of dirt roads and 27 miles of marked trails, or explore short sections with the family. The through road is open seasonally so you can explore the area first by car. Most of the roads are hard-packed abandoned logging roads, with double and singletrack marked trails and unmaintained old woods roads. Most of the riding is easy to moderate, so not very technical but challenging if covering long distances. Some of the pitches are steep, but the area is fairly flat by Adirondack standards. Caution advised when on the Moose River Plains road – especially on the hills and turns – vehicles could approach at anytime. The annual Black Fly Challenge Mountain Bike race between Indian Lake and Inlet occurs the 2nd Saturday in June. see also Bike Kinetix-Adirondacks, BikeAdirondacks

Not to Miss

Bike Events in the Area

Bike Shops Nearby

Visitor Information

Check in with Chamber offices, bike shops and other sports shops in the area to get the latest information and review your route with someone knowledgeable of the area. When biking, dress for the weather and carry water, snacks, map, repair kit and cell phone. When biking in rural areas, services could be few and far between, and cell phone service may not always be available. See the Before You Ride notices in the bottom section of this website, as well as the Disclaimer notice.

Below are some of the sights along the way – scroll over an image to see its title, or click an image to enlarge it and then move through the entire gallery (click on one of the large images to return here).