WARREN COUNTY BIKEWAY:
LAKE GEORGE-GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Letterbox Planted:
June 29, 2004
Last Updated: December 21, 2023
Length:
Lake George to Feeder Canal; 10 ½ miles
LakeWalk; 1 mile
Difficulty:
Moderate. Paved trail with some on-road sections and hilly in spots.
Directions:
To start from Lake
George [Northern End];
Take exit 21 off of I-87 to Route 9N. Turn left at light up Route
9. Travel less than a mile, then turn right along W Brook Rd. The trail begins
at the end of the road on your right next to a sign board just before Beach Rd.
Parking is available around town, however, most of it is Metered
Parking. You can also park at Lake
George Beach SP where you’ll pay an All Day Fee.
You May also park on Amherst St (Metered Parking) and follow the LakeWalk to the start of the Warren County Bikeway.
To start from the Leonard Street parking
lot in Glen Falls [Southern
End]; From I-87
take exit 18 to Main St and head east. Main St becomes Broad St. Head left on
South St merging onto Bay St. Take your first right onto Maple St and a left
onto Leonard St. Parking lot is on your left after 0.2 miles.
The Warren County Bikeway
travels south from Lake George
to Glens Falls.
It was created from an old trolley line and railroad bed. In 1882, the
Delaware & Hudson Railroad expanded a rail line from Fort Edward up to
Lake George. In 1885, a narrow gauge railroad between the tri-village
communities of Fort Edward and Sandy Hill in Washington County and Glens Falls
in Warren County was completed. The street railway consisted initially of
horse-drawn cars transporting passengers over narrow gauge tracks. By the 1890's
the line was sold, extended to Lake George & Warrensburg, electrified and
renamed. At its height the Hudson Valley Railway operation included over
100 cars and 130 miles of track. The line was eventually abandoned with
trolleys being replaced by buses in 1928. In Glens Falls
you can connect to
the Feeder Canal Trail which connects to the South Glens Falls Bike
Trail in South Glens Falls and the Champlain Canalway
Trail; Fort Edward-Forth Ann in Hudson
Falls.
LakeWalk:
Starting from Amherst Street in Lake
George [Northern End]; The LakeWalk starts at the end of this street next to a marina. Follow the wide
sidewalk South alongside the shore of Lake
George. Pass by Shepard Park and a
small beach. Past some boat slips is a nice garden where the trail not follows
Beach Rd. Pass by the Lake George
Steamship Company after 0.5 miles. Across the street is the Fort
William Henry Museum. Come to W Brook Rd on your right at 0.6 miles where a
crosswalk will take you to the start of the Warren
County Bikeway. If you continue along the LakeWalk
you’ll pass by Lake George Million
Dollar Beach and cross a boat launch where you can turn left to an
overlook of Lake George at 1
mile.
Warren County Bikeway:
Starting from W Brook Road in Lake George [Northern End]; The Warren County Bikeway has informational signs posted along the route and Mileage Markers painted in yellow on the pavement.
Note; If you travel West along W Brook Rd you'll come to a stone-dust trail on your left after 0.2 miles. This 0.3 mile trail Loops around an open meadow and small pond. A cross-walk through the tree lined medium of W Brook Rd brings you to Charles R Wood Park where a wide cement path Loops 0.3 miles around the park. Restrooms and Skate Park.
Note; Future plans envision extending the trail North to Warrensburg.
Traveling South the paved Warren
County Bikeway passes by the entrance to Lake George
Battlefield Park and head up a moderate grade away from the lake into the
woods. You cross a bridge over Route 9L at about ¾ miles and come to a
very short on-road section along Old Military Rd at just over a mile. The trail picks up again on the
right. Just shy of 2 miles you come alongside Route 9 and the entrance to Magic
Forest Park, where the trail crests. Less then a ¼ mile later you head back
into the woods. You come to picnic area and Map Board at 2 ¾ miles. The trail
starts downhill, passing through a rocky, mossy area with a brook running
alongside the trail. The power lines that run next to the right side of the
trail follow the former path of the Hudson Valley Railway, an electric
trolley Line that ran up to Lake George. You pass by a trail on your
right at 3 ¼ miles that brings you up to the Col. Williams Monument. At
3 ¾ miles you divert away from the old rail line to a new bridge that takes you
over Route 149. You cross over Ash St at 4 ¾ miles and the trail takes you
through a marsh, which is actually the western tip of Glen Lake.
You are traveling on the old trolley line now and if you look to your left
you'll see an old railroad trestle crossing the marsh along the old railroad
line. At 5 miles you head up and over a short hill which brings you to a barrier
and the start of the on-road section. This is Birdsall Road. To the right
of the barrier are 3 large boulders. Go to the far right boulder near the woods
and then take 5 paces (2 steps = 1 pace) into the woods to a large two-trunked Oak
tree. You'll see a pile of rocks at its base. Remove ONLY the top 2 rocks to
reveal the Warren County Bikeway Letterbox.
Note;
If you head left along Birdsall Rd you'll see where the old railroad bed cut
through the rock.
Turn right up Birdsall Rd for an on-road
detour of about 1 ½ miles. The on-road section is hilly in spots and uses one
fairly busy road. Come to Round Pond Rd (wide shoulders) and head left, East,
passing
through a golf course. Do not mistake the golf cart trail that crosses over the
road for the bike path. At 6 ¼ miles you take a right, South,
down Country Club Rd
(wide shoulders). Straight will take you to Adirondack Community
College. The paved trail picks up again on your right at 6 ¾ miles. The
trail is flat from here on out. You pass by a parking
lot at 7 ½ miles next to Country
Club Road. You cross a long bridge over Route 254 at 7 ¾ miles and travel a
more urban trail. Cross light over Route 7 at 8 ¼ miles. You then cross into
Glens Falls where you’ll encounter multiple road crossings and at 9 ¼ miles
come to an ice cream stand with picnic tables at Dix Ave. You come to the Leonard
Street parking lot at just over 9 ½ miles. Turn right for a short on-road
section along this residential street and the trail picks up again to your left.
You'll see some remains of the old railroad tracks and buildings to your right.
The trail ends after 10 miles at Platt St. You can see more of the old rail line
and tracks straight ahead.
Note;
A ½ mile on-road
detour will bring you to the Feeder
Canal Trail. Turn right down Platt St, then left along Warren St to
Geer St. Cross over Warren St to Shermantown Rd which will bring you down to the
Feeder
Canal Trail .
LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
AUGUST 8, 2015
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
bikeitorhikeitcontact@gmail.com
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT