Rail Trail Logistics
Section 1: Lake Placid to Saranac Lake
Section 2: Saranac Lake to Floodwood Crossing
Section 2: Saranac Lake to Floodwood Crossing
This section of the trail (10 miles) begins in Lake Placid and ends on the north side of Saranac Lake Village at the Aubochon Crossing. This section, which opened in December 2023, is surfaced with rock dust. The 2.5 mile section through Saranac Lake Village is paved.
Section 2: Saranac Lake to Floodwood Crossing
Section 2: Saranac Lake to Floodwood Crossing
Section 2: Saranac Lake to Floodwood Crossing
From the Aubochon Crossing in Saranac Lake to the Floodwood Crossing is now open. This 15 mile section is a beautiful trail with lakes and ponds. For cycling there are good parallel secondary roads adjacent to this section, including Forest Home Road, Saranac Inn Road, and Floodwood Road (dirt).
Section 3: Floodwood Crossing to Tupper Lake
Section 2: Saranac Lake to Floodwood Crossing
Section 3: Floodwood Crossing to Tupper Lake
The construction on the section from Floodwood Crossing to Tupper Lake is scheduled to be completed by fall 2025. Note that they have completed the parking lot off Washington Street in Tupper Lake. The western terminus of the Rail Trail connects to the existing Junction Pass Trail--a 1.5 mile trail into downtown Tupper Lake.
Convenient to know
Connections to Towns
Mile posts /points are still a ‘work in progress’ and actual posts will only be at the full mile mark when finished. All other references are estimates.
Lake Placid
The Eastern terminus of the trail is at the lowest elevation within Lake Placid, so all services are uphill, but Mill Pd Rd & West Valley Rd make the easiest and quietest route to the western side of town.
Raybrook
Meadowbrook campground can be accessed directly from the Trail at MP 4.7
From Raybrook Rd access at MP 5.2 (parking and restroom) turn Right, go ½ mi to Route 86 and all the services will be to the right.
Saranac Lake
Best connector to Saranac Lake services along Route 86 is the Aldi’s Connector (aka Will Rogers Connector) at MP 7.7. For downtown Saranac Lake, Main St or Bloomingdale Ave is the best connector.
Tupper Lake
The Village is stretched out along US Route 3 with “Tupper Junction” at the Western Terminus of the Rail Trail and “Downtown” about 1.5 miles East on Route 3. There are services along this whole stretch, but they tend to be clustered at each end. Fortunately, a great bike path, the Junction Pass Trail, parallels Route 3 here. To reach downtown by bicycle, it is best to take the Junction Pass Trail south from the Tupper Lake RR Station, connecting to Route 3 near McDonalds. Across from Mc Donald’s is a large town park with bathrooms, parking and a picnic area, which will be a good alternate starting point once the Western nine miles of the trail is completed, later this season.
Weather/Wind
The trail elevation averages about 1600 feet above the Champlain Valley so it will be cooler on average. It is not uncommon for ice to linger into the end of April and we often see snow that accumulates by mid October. So it’s best to inquire locally. The prevailing wind in summer is from the W and SW. Cold fronts usually pass with a strong wind from the North. The trail runs mainly E-W and can be done in either direction. Although the trail follows an old rail bed, cyclists find that it slopes down slightly to Saranac Lake from Lake Placid and from Lake Clear.