ADIRONDACK RAIL TRAIL:
LAKE PLACID TO TUPPER LAKE, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: October 31, 2024
Length: Adirondack Rail Trail; 25 of 33.5 miles complete
Adirondack Rail Trail; Lake Placid to Saranac Lake; 9.9 miles.
Adirondack Rail Trail; Saranac Lake to Floodwood; 15.2 miles.
Difficulty: Adirondack Rail Trail; Easy. Mostly flat, stone-dust & paved rail trail. Saranac Lake Section is paved.
Adirondack Rail Trail; Lake Placid to Saranac Lake; Mostly flat, stone-dust rail trail. Saranac Lake Section is paved for 2.7 miles.
Adirondack Rail Trail; Saranac Lake to Floodwood; Mostly flat, stone-dust rail trail. Some slight grades.
Directions:
To Start from the Station Street parking lot in Lake Placid [Eastern End]; From the junction of Route 9N & 73 in Keene, follow Route 73 west to Lake Placid. Just before the Chubb River, turn left on Station St. You'll pass by the old Lake Placid RR Station, before coming to the gravel parking lot on your left.
To Start from the Union Depot/Depot Street parking lot in Saranac Lake [Eastern Section]; From the junction of Routes 73 & 86 in Lake Placid follow Route 86 west to the junction of Routes 3 & 86 in Saranac Lake. Bare right along Routes 3 & 86, then continue left along Route 86, quickly turning right on Depot St. Pass by the old Saranac Lake Union Depot and cross the trail to the parking lot.
The Adirondack Rail Trail follows the old New York Central RR line. William Seward Webb constructed the Mohawk & Malone RR, with service beginning in 1892. The original line ran from Herkimer to Malone, a distance of 191 miles. In 1893, the New York Central Railroad leased this line from the Mohawk & Malone RR. The New York Central RR changed the southern terminus to Utica and added a spur from Lake Clear Junction, to Saranac Lake, with service to Lake Placid via the existing Delaware & Hudson RR tracks. NY purchased the old rail corridor and added passenger service, via the Adirondack Railway, to Lake Placid for the 1980 Winter Olympics The Adirondack Rail Trail will travel from Lake Placid, Northwest, through Saranac Lake to Lake Clear, where the trail turns West, to Floodwood, then South, to Tupper Lake. For more information visit; ADIRONDACK RAIL TRAIL & BIKE ADIRONDACK RAIL TRAIL (Bike shuttle available).
Starting from the Station Street parking lot in Lake Placid [Eastern End]; The old 1904 Lake Placid RR Station now houses the LAKE PLACID-NORTH ELBA HISTORICAL SOCIETY . Cross Station St to the start of the wide, stone-dust Adirondack Rail Trail. The trail travels West, alongside the Chubb River. Cross a bridge over the river, before crossing Route 35 and passing by the BIKE LAKE PLACID bike rental at 0.5 miles. Here, the open corridor follows the power lines out of town. Pass by Mile Marker 1. Mile Markers every mile. Isolated. Cross a bridge and travel alongside Ray Brook, before crossing a 2nd bridge at 2 miles. Travel through a long causeway, before passing by the Saranac Lake Golf Club and crossing the dirt road at 3.6 miles. Past here you lose the power lines along this partially shaded section. Travel past a marsh and cross a culvert. Look left to spot an old cement RR Mileage Marker on your left at 4.6 miles. These old RR Mileage Marker were located every mile along the railroad. Cross a bridge over Little Ray Brook and continue alongside Ray Brook Pond. Pass by an old cement RR Whistle Post on your right, + See; RR Whistle Post Below, before passing by the Ray Brook Road parking lot at 5.25 miles. Porto-Potty. Pass by what appears to be an old RR Depot, before crossing a service road. Spot the small dam on your left. Pass another old cement RR RR Whistle Post on your right, before crossing a road at 5.8 miles. This road leads to the Federal Correctional Institute. Cross Pendergast Rd, where the trail briefly follows alongside Oseetah Lake Rd, before turning North. Travel past a large marsh before coming to the Route 86 S parking lot at 7.2 miles. Cross this busy road past the Route 86 N parking lot. Porto-Potties at both parking lots. The trail is now paved as you enter the outskirts of Saranac Lake. Pass by another old cement RR Mileage Marker on your left at 7.6 miles, followed by the large McKenzie Brook marsh.
Note; A paved Spur Trail on your left leads up to Will Rodgers Drive.
Cross a bridge over McKenzie Brook, which drains into Lake Flower, before passing by the Sparks Athletic Center. You then pass by an informational sign and Porto-Potty at 8.3 miles. Residential corridor. Pass another old cement RR RR Whistle Post on your right, before crossing Brandy Brook Ave. Pass by scenic Pine Ridge Cemetery, with its gravestone located along a hill, before crossing Pine St. You then travel underneath the wood beam, Forest Hill Ave bridge. Just past this bridge, spot the tall iron pole. This was an old RR Brakeman's Warning Pole. This consists of a rail in the shape of an upside down L, hanging over the center of the trail. The chains hanging down over the trail would hit the Railroad Brakeman, who was on top of the train and warn him of an upcoming bridge or tunnel. You then cross Pine Ave, as the trail turns West, past a small parking area at 9.1 miles. Cross a bridge over the Saranac River and follow a high berm to another bridge, over Woodruff St. Cross Route 3 & Margaret St and pass behind the Adirondack Carousel, located in William Morris Park (playground), before passing by the old 1904 D&H RR Union Depot. This brings you to the Union Depot/Depot Street parking lot in Saranac Lake after 9.5 miles. Porto-Potty and informational signs. The paved trail then continues Northwest, passing by some old RR tracks, before crossing Cedar St and busy Route 86 at 9.9 miles. Past here, the trail reverts to stone-dust. I forgot my odometer, so mileage may be slightly off. Also this section didn't have Mile Markers installed yet, as of Sept 2024. You leave the town behind and come to the start of a long boardwalk, along a causeway at 10.5 miles, between Lake Colby on your right and Little Colby Pond & marsh on your left. Several overlooks with benches along the boardwalk. Enter the woods, where the trail has a few slight inclines and declines, as you'll pass by several marshes, including McCauley Pond, before crossing McMaster Rd (Route 50) at 14.1 miles. Porto-Potty. Here the trail turns North, up a slight incline, all the way to Route 186 in Lake Clear at 15.4 miles. Caution; busy road. The mostly flat trail then turns Southwest, passing by the old 1891 Lake Clear Junction RR Depot before crossing Route 30. Trail then parallels Lavair Rd, before traveling alongside Lake Clear. Camps & houses along this section. Pass by another old cement RR Mileage Marker on your left that reads H 130 [Herkimer 130 miles I believe] before crossing a bridge over Lake Clear Outlet at 17.3 miles. Cross Conley Rd and pass by another old cement RR Mileage Marker on your left that reads H 129 [Herkimer 129 miles I believe] before crossing a high berm over a culvert, with a partial view of Lake Clear Pond. You'll then pass by the Station Road parking lot at 18.7 miles. Porto-Potty. The partially shaded trail continues West and is more isolated, as it passes by marshes and ponds. Very scenic section. Pass by Rat Pond at 19.8 miles, before a causeway travels through Little Rainbow Pond. You then travel alongside Hoel Pond at 21.1 miles. At 22.3 miles you travel between Turtle Pond on your right and Hoel Pond on your left. Pass by more marshes and small ponds and the trail soon turns Southwest, down a slight grade. Pass by more small ponds and marshes before coming to Floodwood Road after 25.1 miles. Parking area on your right, across which is the FLOODWOOD OUTPOST , a camp store. where you can get supplies and food.
Note; The last section, South, 8.5 miles to Tupper Lake, is currently under construction, as of Oct 2024. It is mostly flat, with the last half, having a slightly downhill grade.
Old Railroad Equipment:
+
RR Whistle Post:
The Whistle Post,
was a post with a large "W" engraved or painted on it. This
meant the railroad engineers were to start sounding the trains Whistle.
The Whistle posts
were usually placed 0.25 miles
in advance of a road crossing,
bridges, tunnels and other points. Usually, there would be a post placed on both
sides of the crossing, covering both directions.
HH
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BIKE IT OR HIKE IT