Adirondack Rail Trail phase 2: Loop rides for all levels

By Phil Brown

Now that Phase 2 of the Adirondack Rail Trail is open to the public, you can bike 25 miles one way from Lake Placid to Floodwood Road, passing through wild forests and soaking up views of lakes, ponds and wetlands. As great as the rail trail is, some cyclists may prefer riding in a loop rather than doing a round trip on the trail.

I’ve scouted several loop rides that incorporate the rail trail and quiet roads (see one of them here). The two main circuits are the Fish Hatchery Loop and the Floodwood Loop. The other rides are shorter or longer variations. The distances range from 11.4 miles to 51.6 miles. 

Three of the rides depart from Union Depot on Depot Street in Saranac Lake. If you want to see more of the village, though, start at the Fowler’s Crossing parking lots on NY 86 on the eastern edge of the community. This will add about 3½ miles round trip. 

The other starting points are Charlie’s Inn in Lake Clear, which offers ample parking for cyclists; Station Road off Fish Hatchery Road west of Lake Clear; and the former depot (now a museum) on Station Street in Lake Placid. For any trip originating in Lake Placid, I recommend riding the rail trail both to and from Saranac Lake to avoid busy state Route 86.

Unless otherwise indicated, the mileage figures in the following route descriptions are cumulative mileages. Be aware that different GPS devices calculate mileage differently, so my figures might not correspond exactly with yours.

Fish Hatchery Loop (18.9 miles)

Forest Home Road on the outskirts of Saranac Lake is popular with local cyclists. It entails a fair amount of climbing and, if you’re doing an out-and-back ride, a thrilling descent. On this loop you’ll ride the full length of Forest Home (just over eight miles) and return on the rail trail. The entire loop has 760 feet of ascent, most of which occurs in the first five miles.

Forest Home starts a mile from the Saranac Lake depot. From the depot, take the Adirondack Rail Trail west a quarter-mile to Cedar Street, turn left and go a few hundred feet to NY 86. Turn left and then make a quick right onto Ampersand Avenue. Go 0.7 miles to Forest Home Road and turn right.

At 2.9 miles from the depot, you cross Fish Creek and soon after pass the stone-and-timber gate for Knollwood, the multifamily compound where Bob Marshall, the celebrated wilderness advocate and first Adirondack 46er, spent his childhood summers. The hardest climbing begins after Knollwood.

The turn for McMaster Road is reached at 5.4 miles. Continue straight and enjoy long, mellow downhills. At 8.15 miles, you pass the first of two canoe put-ins for Lake Clear Outlet, the stillwater on the right. You’ll see this waterway again on the return to Saranac Lake.

At 9.15 miles, Forest Home ends at NY 30. Cross the highway and coast down Fish Hatchery Road. In less than a half-mile, past the state hatchery, turn right onto Station Road and go a tenth of a mile to the rail trail. 

Head east on the trail toward Charlie’s Inn. At 11 miles, you cross Lake Clear Outlet and begin paralleling the south shore of Lake Clear. Several homes border the trail in this area. You’ll cross a few driveways and little-traveled local roads. 

At 12.65 miles, cross NY 30 again and then pass Charlie’s (where you can stop for refreshments). Just after Charlie’s, cross NY 186 and continue to McMaster Road, reached at 14.25 miles.

From McMaster, you won’t see another road for the next 4.3 miles. This part of the rail trail is quite scenic, passing through deep woods and offering views of McCauley Pond, beaver meadows, and a number of peaks, including the McKenzie Range, Scarface Mountain and Mount Pisgah. At 17.6 miles, you cross Lake Colby on a causeway with benches and sightseeing platforms. 

When you reach NY 86 you’re nearly done. Cross the highway, go a short distance to Cedar Street and then continue a quarter-mile to the depot. 

McMaster Loop (11.4 miles)

This is a shorter version of the above ride. Follow the directions for the Fish Hatchery Loop as far as McMaster Road (14.25 miles). Turn right on McMaster and get ready for a long coast. In 1.3 miles, you reach the rail trail. Turn right and return to the Saranac Lake depot as described earlier. Total ascent: 575 feet.

Floodwood Loop (19.25 miles)

This lollipop loop entails some riding on dirt, so some cyclists might prefer a gravel or hybrid bike. That said, it can done on a typical road bike. Starting at Charlie’s Inn, follow the rail trail west as far as Floodwood Road (9.5 miles). This is one of the trail’s wildest stretches. For much of the way it borders the St. Regis Canoe Area. In addition to Lake Clear, you pass several ponds and wetlands. 

The Floodwood Outpost, run by Dave Cilley, sits at the junction of the rail trail and Floodwood Road. The store sells snacks and sodas as well as outdoor supplies. Turn left on the road. Most of this woodsy thoroughfare is hard-packed dirt. It passes by Middle Pond and Polliwog Pond en route to NY 30, reached at 14.2 miles.

Cross NY 30 and follow a local road past the boat launch on Upper Saranac Lake. At 15.1 miles, you reach NY 30 again and face a choice.

OPTION 1: Turn right on NY 30 and ride 1.1 miles to Fish Hatchery Road, turn left, go 0.2 miles to Station Road, and turn left again to get on the rail trail. The shoulder on NY 30 is narrow and bumpy, but it improves shortly before the turn onto Fish Hatchery.

OPTION 2: Turn right on NY 30 but go only a tenth of a mile before turning left to access a small network of rough woods roads that can be followed a 0.8 miles to the rail trail. At the first fork, bear left if you want to ride past Rat Pond. Bear right for better riding conditions. The roads rejoin just before the rail trail. The roads are best done on a gravel bike.

Whichever option you take, turn right when you reach the rail trail and follow it back to Charlie’s Inn. Ascent: 300 feet.

RELATED READING: Safety tips for road crossings along the Adirondack Rail Trail

Shorter Floodwood Loop (13.8 miles)

For a shorter version of the above loop, start at Station Road instead of Charlie’s Inn. On this variation, there is very little redundant riding. In fact, if you return to Station Street via NY 30 (the second of two options just described), you will not retrace your tracks at all. You can find a detailed description of this trip here. Ascent: 300 feet.

Great Figure 8 (31.8 miles)

This combines the Fish Hatchery and Floodwood loops, creating a figure 8 route with virtually no redundancy. Starting in Saranac Lake, follow the Fish Hatchery Loop to Station Road, where you pick up the rail trail. Head west, following directions for the Floodwood Loop. When you return to Station Road, head east on the rail trail and take it all the way back to Saranac Lake. Ascent: 1,000 feet.

Figure 8 Plus (51.6 miles)

If you were to start in Lake Placid, the above ride would total about 51.6 miles. This would enable you to see all of the rail trail that has been completed so far. Incidentally, the final 10 miles of the trail, from Floodwood to the Tupper Lake depot, is expected to be finished next year. That Phase 3 section is now closed for construction. Ascent: 1,300 feet.

Lake Placid Lollipop (38.7 miles)

For those starting in Lake Placid, there is a shorter option. From the village’s former depot on Station Street, ride the Adirondack Rail Trail to Saranac Lake. Once you arrive at that village’s depot, follow the directions for the Fish Hatchery Loop, but upon reaching Saranac Lake again, continue on the rail trail back to Lake Placid. Ascent: 1,000 feet.