DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar takes a test ride after announcing Phase 2 is open and trail is ahead of schedule
By Phil Brown
The second — and longest — stretch of the Adirondack Rail Trail officially opened Monday morning when the state’s interim environmental conservation commissioner, Sean Mahar, hopped on a bike and pedaled three miles to Charlie’s Inn in Lake Clear for lunch, followed by an entourage of state employees and cycling enthusiasts.
Before the ride, Mahar noted that Rifenburg Construction finished this 15-mile segment of the rail trail more than a month early. He also announced that Kubricky Construction is beginning work on the third and final segment and may finish next year, again ahead of schedule. “We’ll open it as soon as possible after it’s finished,” he said.
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When completed, the 34-mile rail trail will run from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake. Phase 1, the 10-mile stretch between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake, opened last December. Phase 2 extends the trail to Floodwood Road. Phase 3 will extend it nine miles farther, terminating at the former Tupper Lake depot.
Most of the rail trail is (or will be) surfaced with packed stone dust suitable for all kinds of bikes. Only the two-mile stretch within the village of Saranac Lake is paved.
Among those taking part in Monday’s ride, which started near the St. Regis Canoe Area, was Joe Martens, who approved the rail trail when he served as the state’s environmental commissioner. Martens, who now lives in Lake Placid, has seen all kinds of people using the trail: hard-core cyclists, casual hikers, mothers pushing baby carriages, the elderly on e-bikes.
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“It’s exceeded everybody’s expectations, and it’s only going to get better,” he said.
State officials predict that the finished trail will attract tens of thousands of visitors a year and spur the economy. At least three businesses already have sprung up along the trail: Bike Lake Placid, which rents bikes; Mountain Chef Catering, a food truck in Saranac Lake; and Sara-Placid Sled and Spoke, which rents snowmobiles and bikes, also in Saranac Lake.
Other businesses also hope to capitalize on the rail trail, including the bike shops High Peaks Cyclery and Placid Planet in Lake Placid; Silver Birch Cycles in Saranac Lake; Charlie’s Inn, a restaurant and campground in Lake Clear; and the Floodwood Outpost, an outdoors store at the Floodwood crossing.
Kenny Boettger, owner of Placid Planet, said he has seen a jump in rentals, service and sales since Phase 1 opened. “No idea how much, and it’d be difficult to track, but a decent amount,” he said in an email. “It’s quite amazing, really. Knew it would be good, though.”
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Justin Oliver, owner of Silver Birch Cycles, said he has seen “a pretty dramatic uptick” in bike rentals and repairs. “People are dusting off their old bikes to ride the trail,” he said at Charlie’s Inn on Monday.
Even before Monday’s event, people had been biking and hiking on the Phase 2 segment. John Brockway, the owner of Charlie’s, said 30 cyclists rode to his restaurant for breakfast on Sunday. “We were so busy we ran out of everything,” he remarked.
Brockway said he plans to convert the former depot on his property into a shop that will rent and repair bikes. He also is thinking of opening a sandwich shop in the depot.
The newly opened Phase 2 includes some of the wildest and most scenic stretches of the rail trail. Leaving Saranac Lake, cyclists (or walkers) cross Lake Colby on a causeway that now offers wooden platforms and benches for resting, taking in the views, or fishing. Continuing to Charlie’s Inn (reached in 5.7 miles), cyclists ride by meadows, thick forests and McCauley Pond.
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Beyond Charlie’s, the trail parallels the south shore of Lake Clear and later the southern edge of the St. Regis Canoe Area, passing several ponds and wetlands en route to Floodwood Road (15.3 miles from Saranac Lake).
With Phase 2 open, it is now possible to ride 25 miles, from Lake Placid to Floodwood Road, entirely off-road except for crossings. However, parts of Phase 2 may close temporarily in October when workers return to plant vegetation. Now that Phase 3 is under construction, that section is closed to the public.
Other than snowmobiles, motorized vehicles are not allowed on the rail trail. Pedal-assist e-bikes whose motors cut out at 20 mph are permitted. E-bikes whose motors cut out at a higher speed or which can be operated with just a throttle are not allowed.
Mahar said forest rangers will work with law-enforcement officers to police the trail, but he also encouraged users to report illegal activity.
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That’s very exciting news. The only thing I miss about moving out of NY is the Adirondacks and our wilderness camp.
“It’s exceeded everybody’s expectations, and it’s only going to get better,” he said.
The obvious way to make this better is to connect it all the way to Remsen! Let’s learn from this success and take out the rails all the way to Big Moose Station!
The rail trail is Behind schedule and Over budget. It’s not too late to realize the state made a mistake making 1/2 of the trail great. Let’s make the whole thing great!
Please report on the rail section of the trail. Has the S section had success in attracting tourists/business?
Way to go Adirondacks!
Great job and an amazing asset to the area. I now live in NH and our bike trail in the Lakes Region has been stagnant for nearly 20 years and is now mostly inhabited by the homeless.
I plan to ride the bike trail when completed. Since I am traveling 400 miles, perhaps you can connect the rail trail to woods roads or old gravel roads to make it longer or even a circular ride. Maybe also list other bicycle trails available in the Adirondack region by signage?
Wishing everyone well…….but…still taking up the rails was a mistake. It does not seem to be bringing many folks around. So another sandwich shop and a bike shop….wow 5 whole jobs. With proper planning, the real train ride, alongside with railbikes would have been better. Railbikes are super popular and provide a well rounded experience……..thank you all……
Perhaps we should hold off on condemning the trail until it is at least open in its entirety. Remember, the rail traffic from the south is supposed to bring visitors to the trail. But the trail must be open for that to do any good.
Hard disagree. Rode the trail 3 weeks ago from LP to Colby causeway and gave up counting after 100 people biking, walking, and ebiking. Certainly more than the average trip on the railroad. Extrapolating beyond the 2 hours I was there…200-300 users in a day? Rail can’t pull those numbers. Also, my wife and I spent $200 in local businesses while we were there.
As someone who biked the GAP (Great Allegheny Passage) from Cumberland, Maryland to Pittsburgh, the trail will absolutely spurr on business and town traffic. Hotels and motels will see a bump in use the longer the trail gets. It’s a great idea and I am very excited to see its completion.
I agree we are from south central pa and love weekend trips on the rail trail also. No matter ifs a 100 mile ride from above Cumberland to dam 4 or a family ride from fort Frederick to Hancock. It’s always a good time
Our family visited Lake Placid a month ago and rode from LP to Saranac and back twice. Once on e-bikes and the second time on road bikes. Fantastic time. Highly recommend. Thank you to Greg and Kenny for getting us set up to ride. We look forward to riding to Tupper next year. Shuttle back?
Just rode the new phase 2 section and it was great. As a regular camper at Fish Creek Pond, I really hope phase 3 connects to the Rollins Pond/Fish Creek Campgrounds.
I have ridden the Erie Canal bike trail across NYS 5 times over the past 25 years. Over that time I have witnessed forgotten communities along the route now bustling with riders, bike shops, B&B’s and restaurants. I have been looking forward to the opening of the ADK Rail Trail for years now, and finally got to ride it to Floodwood this past week. It is the best bike trail I’ve ever ridden and I have toured many. I guarantee this is going to yield huge economic dividends for the Adirondacks when it is completed.