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Adirondack Rail Bike Adventures - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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By Megan Plete Postol

February 5, 2023

Explore More: adirondack rail trail , railroad , tupper lake

The rebirth of Adirondack Railroad’s trains to Tupper Lake

The shine of steel once again glimmered against backcountry foliage as an Adirondack Railroad train whooshed along secluded portions of the rail. 

Inside the train car, sunshine beamed through dusty air as chatty volunteers entertained passengers. The volunteers, older women with big smiles, told silly jokes and delivered winks at the punchline. Curious children jumped on seats and smeared small, greasy handprints on the windows as they looked out at the passing wilderness. The ride bumped at times as the train jerked and lurched and metal scraped and screeched. 

This past autumn the Adirondack Railroad hosted its inaugural rides from Utica to Tupper Lake . 

First, on Sept. 13, a special ride took dignitaries and regional politicians over the recently reconstructed track to Tupper Lake. On Oct. 16, media members, other interested parties and the public joined the second tour. Both times at the Tupper station, the arriving locomotive was met by the Tupper Lake community, complete with smiles and waves. 

Adirondack Railroad Board of Directors President Frank Kobliski appreciated the applause. 

“The inaugural train went exactly according to plan, and there was joy and celebration both on board and off the train,” Kobliski said. 

He said railroad personnel accomplished all tasks of preparing for the two fall rides while running a full schedule of regular trains to run between Utica and Old Forge. The dignitary run in September featured a welcome by community leaders, a ribbon cutting, a photo op, and short remarks by invited guests. There was, in addition, an optional tour of the Tupper Lake community, which had been awarded a $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant from the state to upgrade the village.

A historic ride

The media and public ride were the first revenue run to Tupper Lake since 1965, and the first time the train had carried customers to that destination since 1981. About 400 passengers rode the rails during this fall’s run, the railroad said. 

The very first passenger train rumbled into Tupper Lake station 130 years before on July 16, 1892. That train was operated by the Mohawk and Malone Railroad. At that time, the railroad opened the Adirondacks to a surge of tourists, health seekers and seasonal residents. A region that before the railroad was vastly inaccessible at once became a popular, feasible and reasonably accommodating destination. 

For decades, the railroad carried famous families, including the Webb, Morgan, Vanderbilt, Whitney, and Roosevelt clans along with the not-so-famous to locations in the Adirondack Mountains, while also providing freight service to communities along the way. But as the automobile became more common, use of the railroad decreased.

Scheduled passenger service from Utica to Lake Placid ceased in 1965. The line was operated continuously until freight service ceased in 1972 and the passenger and commercial demand for the railroad lost out to trucking and car touring—the “era of personal transportation on an extensive highway system,” the state Department of Environmental Conservation reported.

“Automobiles on a massive road network that grew exponentially after the Second World War doomed smaller railroads,” the DEC said discussing the Adirondack railway. A 1940’s passenger train on the corridor took more than 10 hours to get from Lake Placid to New York City. “This was a good option in a time without the New York State Thruway,” the DEC continued. “But this can be accomplished by automobile now in less than 5 hours, without restriction on departure and arrival times, and considerably cheaper in today’s dollars. Freight trucking experiences the same advantages over a freight railroad to the same location.” 

In 1977 the Adirondack Railway Corp. contracted with the state to run passenger service from Utica to Lake Placid for the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, but by February of 1981, problems with the railway’s management of the line forced the state to terminate the company’s lease. Ownership of the property went to New York and the railroad lay dormant.

A group of devoted railroad enthusiasts banded together in 1992 to form what has become the Adirondack Railroad. In 1993 the rail line from Remsen to Lake Placid was officially designated on the National Register of Historic Places and the New York State Register of Historic Places. 

‘When roses grow on telephone poles’

Veteran Utica-area journalist and columnist Joe Kelly, aboard the September train, noticed something scarlet on a telephone pole as the train pulled into the Tupper station: a bouquet of red roses. 

“Many people were convinced the train would never return to Tupper Lake,” he reported in the Daily Sentinel. “One community person, whose name I don’t know, was quoted back in 1981 as saying this: ‘Trains will come back to Tupper Lake when roses grow on telephone poles.’”

The flowers were on the pole and the railroad came to life after a decade-long and controversial rails-to-trails debate was settled. The compromise that emerged was that the railroad would run north to Tupper Lake, but not all the way to Lake Placid, which was the original destination that the hardcore railroad enthusiasts sought. The portions of the line north of Tupper Lake will be converted to a multi-use rail trail for bikers, hikers and other recreation seekers.

The railroad’s portion of the compromise included a renovation of the tracks between Big Moose and Tupper Lake , which extended the line 45 miles further into the Adirondacks. The railroad renovation involved replacement of more than 84,000 ties on track that has been out of service since 1981. The complete rehabilitation plan also called for additional “side” trackage to be added at two intermediate locations between Thendara/Old Forge and Tupper Lake at Beaver River and Sabattis. The total cost to taxpayers is $31 million, according to Kobliski.

Remaining construction work for 2023 includes more track at Tupper Lake, including a line to turn locomotives and rail cars, new passenger boarding platforms with canopies and a small shop for light repair and maintenance of the locomotives and rail cars at the Tupper Lake station.

Where the railroad ends, the rail trail begins

The Adirondack Rail Trail is also gaining ground after losing years to delays and litigation. Approximately a third of the original state-owned train line has been allocated for a rail trail between Tupper Lake and Lake Placid. It will connect the communities of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake. This route will be accessible year-round and give visitors a way to experience the backcountry in a unique way.

This three-stage project is projected to cost New York State around $23 million, according to the state’s announcements. This sum will likely be adjusted as details are finalized, including expenses for parking areas, retaining walls, stormwater measures, wetland mitigation, signs and snowmobile, pedestrian and bicycle pull-offs.

The first stage of the project is the Lake Placid to Saranac Lake segment of the trail. This portion is scheduled to open in September, with the remaining segments estimated to be open and usable by 2025. 

More to Explore

• Destination: Tupper Lake
• APA approves rail trail
• Riding the rails
• Rail and trail: Your questions answered

The future of the Adirondack Railroad 

The Adirondack Railroad Board of Directors is optimistic about the growth of the service. They believe that a renaissance of railroad enthusiasm is on the horizon now that the tracks reach to Tupper, and they are preparing for it. This summer the Adirondack Railroad will be offering regular scheduled train rides to Tupper Lake. 

“Our future is exciting,” Kobliski said. “After weathering the COVID pandemic, we emerged.” He said the extended service to Tupper Lake, including a dining car, and new rail provide greater opportunities to market the service beyond state borders, including to Canadian visitors. 

The board of directors have developed plans, in collaboration with the owner of the Tupper Lake station, to build out the depot’s interior to resemble what the regional North Country train stations looked and operated like 100 years ago. 

Kobliski said these and other projects will take at least the first half of 2023 to complete, so it will be sometime in July before the facilities are ready for regular train schedules. 

Trains will arrive at Tupper Lake from both Old Forge and Utica, and similarly passengers will be able to come to Tupper Lake and board trains for points south, including optional stopovers at locations such as Sabbatis for a day’s hike and recreation in the remote areas of the Adirondack Park.

Kobliski said the website will have more information about those opportunities. A few themed rides are on the calendar: a Cabin Fever Limited in late January and Easter Bunny Express in April. Tickets for these range from $25 to $75, depending on age and accommodations. 

“The new Adirondack Railroad is more than a train ride,” Kobliski said. “It is an experience; a moving, linear experience that enwraps the rider in Adirondack history, scenic beauty, the pleasure of on-board dining in the classic railroad tradition of old, and a conveyance that embraces togetherness with family and friends in all seasons.”

Seeing the Forest: Reviews, Musings, and Opinions from an Adirondack Historian

Share this article, forest rangers face retirement eligibility setback , ausable river association plans new headquarters, name change, mountain biking world cup: organizers gear up for lake placid event.

Megan Plete Postol

Megan Plete Postol is a freelance journalist and outdoor writer based in the Southern Adirondack area.

View all articles by this author

Reader Interactions

February 6, 2023 at 9:22 am

I still wonder if the Adirondack Rail Road pays a lease to the state like Catskill Mountain Rail Road pays a lease to Ulster County.

February 12, 2023 at 9:42 am

I do like rails and trails.

February 6, 2023 at 4:41 pm

Please don’t call the present situation (trains to Tupper Lake/ destruction of train service from Tupper Lake to Lake Placid) a compromise. A compromise is a settlement of differences by mutual concessions. That is both sides give up a portion of their demands. The trail advocates didn’t give up anything. They gained everything, while the railroad advocates lost about 30% of their operating territory and associated potential revenue. The railroad user(s) of the corridor already “compromised” when they gave up their right to use the corridor during the winter season (a little over 40% of the year). And in doing so lost a lot of potential riders and revenue

February 9, 2023 at 5:04 pm

Awesome! Waited a lot of years in hopes that the railroad would come back. Looking forward to riding to Tupper, spending the night. Then hopping on the bikes and continuing on to Placid for a couple of nights. Then reversing the whole process for a trip back to Old Forge. Would love to see Governor Hochul use her powers to pull out all the stops and fast track the bike trail to completion in half the estimated time. Good for you Tupper! A long needed shot in the arm. Where do I buy bonds for your soon to come improvements. Nothing but exciting!

April 20, 2024 at 10:31 pm

So glad it’s back to Tupper Lake!! Will be up to Tupper Lake!!!

To be a debbie downer on the latter part:

That said ,it’s absolutely criminal what they did to the TL-LP section. I guess I won’t be getting to SL or LP much. I won’t be able to get there. :[

I’m an avid cyclist, but I cannot see the point of stripping the rail. Rail trails should only be put in where the RR is already stripped. The idea of separated trails is nice, but this was so destructive to our vital infrastructure. And the SL-LP section was active even! They were even looking at getting the SL-TL section back! It feels empty now :[

Somehow we lost the sections which were closer to repair, and the worse section got fully repaired? We could have had the whole thing repaired :[ That would also be convenient for those who can’t drive between towns! Either teenagers or the elderly or those afraid of winter driving.

LP even was bidding again for the Olympics! So much for our infrastructure :[

What we would have benefitted from even more would have been if we connected:

-LP -Whiteface -Willmington/The North Pole -Keesville (Ausables Chasm) -Clintonville Port Kent/Plattburgh (Which connect to Grand Isle, Burlington and Montreal)

That would also directly connect Burlington, Plattsburgh, Utica and Montreal. Which would be great.

April 20, 2024 at 10:32 pm

I’m so happy the section is up and running to Tupper Lake again!! Will definitely make use of this!! Will be able to make it to Tupper Lake more frequently now!!

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Tupper Lake

Boulevard wine and spirits, the washboard/donut shoppe, alpine digital llc, belly's mountain view inn, charlie's inn, counter's garage, faust motel, franklin county economic development corp., grand union hotel, guido's pizzeria, kb's adirondack country store, little italy, little wolf beach, lumberjack inn, main street restaurant, mountain market & redemption, p2's pub, pine grove restaurant, pine terrace motel & resort, raquette river brewing, raquette river outfitters, red top inn, shaheen's motel, skyline ice cream, sunset park motel, swiss kitchen restaurant, the 19th hole, the enclave, trail's end bar, tupper lake area chamber of commerce, tupper lake health center, vfw post 3130, white birch cafe, wild center.

Rail Trail Moving from Dream to Reality

It’s been a long time coming, but the Adirondack Rail Trail between Lake Placid and Tupper Lake is finally becoming a reality. Construction of the 34-mile trail began in September of last year and has started with the removal of rails and ties along the trail route.

According to the trail website created by Adirondack Recreational Trail Advocates , rail removal has been completed and specialized equipment is now being used to remove the wooden ties. Once that’s done, actual trail construction can begin and is scheduled to be completed by 2024.

Regular rail service on the route ended in 1972, and New York State acquire the rail corridor in 1974 to preserve it for future development. After resolution of various court cases and planning issues, the trail will now be developed in two sections:

• The 34-mile segment linking Lake Placid, Ray Brook, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear, and Tupper Lake will become the Adirondack Rail Trail, a multi-use solid-surface all-year recreational trail with no grades greater than 2%.
• The 56 miles linking Old Forge, Big Moose, Beaver River, Sabattis and Tupper Lake will remain as a railroad line with rails in place for possible tourist rail use. It will also be used in the winter as a snowmobile trail.

That’s not a moment too soon for business and community officials along the trail route. After years of delays, they are looking forward to the tourism and economic gains that will come with the trail and the development opportunities along the route.

Saranac Lake Community Development Director Jamie Konkoski is one of the local officials who will be promoting the trail and actively working on projects to make it accessible to as many people as possible. She is a lifelong Adirondack resident and has been with the village of Saranac Lake for four years.

She’s particularly looking forward to creating a community asset that residents can use to live their daily lives in addition to using it for recreation.

“You will be able to ride on the rail trail the whole way with only one crossing on the highway,” she says. “It goes right through the village, so lots of neighborhoods will have access points. You won’t have to drive to it. This is a huge asset to residents. You could ride your bike to the Aldi grocery store or to the Blue Line brewery.”

Outside of town, the trail will give easy access to recreational areas for visitors from their lodging in town. In the village center, Konkoski is working on projects to make safe routes for bicycles to the trail and connect it to nearby neighborhoods. The old railroad depot area is particularly attractive, she says.

“Those building are part of the corridor, so they are on state property, so we are looking at making sure there are connections to the different destinations in downtown. It’s a good spot to jump off and there are lots of services. You’re going right through downtown Saranac Lake. We’ve been trying to add bicycle parking and trying to encourage businesses to add it as well.”

One of the projects that will help attract visitors to the depot district is the planned PlayADK children’s museum, slated to be created in a renovated warehouse near the trail that was just purchased. A local non-profit is developing the museum with revitalization funding from New York state and other sources.

She added that the trail will pay long term benefits to anyone who lives, works, or visits anywhere along the route.

“It provides a new recreational asset that’s different, that’s really family friendly. It’s for all ages and can appeal to people from 8 to 80—no special abilities required. You can have a real wilderness experience and get out into the woods without the same amount of effort you’d otherwise need to put forth.”

Celebrate Paddling ADK

Safe Winter Recreation on the Adirondack Rail Trail

Troy tetreault, january 29, 2024.

This blog was originally written in 2023; it was updated in January of 2024.

New York state's premier multi-use, multi-season trail

Construction is on pause for the Adirondack Rail Trail while winter has its grasp on the region, giving snowmobilers and non-motorized users alike a unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of what the future world-class rail trail will look like.

What is the Adirondack Rail Trail?

The Adirondack Railroad once carried tourists aboard a train across the scenic Adirondack wilderness. While rail service ceased long ago, a new form of tourism will utilize this historic travel route. 

Construction of the Adirondack Rail Trail consists of three phases, and is scheduled for completion in 2025. The first phase, which will connect Lake Placid and Saranac Lake , started in fall 2022. While parts of the trail are still under construction, during the winter the Adirondack Rail Trail is open for multiple types of recreation. After construction is complete, the multi-use trail will be ten feet wide, topped with crushed stone, and offer access to everything from bicycles to wheelchairs and strollers. For now, the pause in construction means winter outdoor recreation enthusiasts will get unprecedented access to this first section of the trail.

The shared nature of the trail allows for the use of snowmobiles, fat bikes, cross-country skis, and snowshoes to travel across the Forest Preserve and its quaint towns. Since construction is ongoing, various aspects of the trail including speed limit postings, educational signage, parking, and even grades, are all limited. As such, safety on the trail during this period of winter use is important. 

Yielding ethics

Yielding guidelines can be complicated, but there are a few general principles you can follow to improve travel on this wonderful community resource. A rule of thumb per the Adirondack Rail Trail Association , is that “wheels yield to heels." In other words, snowmobilers should yield to all recreation groups (including trail groomers), and bikers and cross-country skiers should yield to snowshoers. Users should always yield the right-of-way to those passing from behind and traveling uphill. 

Tips for non-motorized recreation

• Snowshoers should avoid stepping in ski tracks. "Post-holes", when frozen over, can cause serious injury if a ski tip gets caught in one. 
• Use a headlamp and wear bright and reflective clothing at night.
• Leash pets, it's the law on the rail trail. 
• Mornings are a peaceful time to go out on the trail when traffic is low. Catch the sunrise and see the animal tracks before they get covered!
• Those using fat bikes on the trail should be aware of possible rail tie fragments and metal pieces from the ongoing construction. Plan ahead by bringing all the needed supplies for repairing your bicycle. 
• Check out other trails that can be accessed from the rail trail. The Jackrabbit Trail  (maintained by Barkeater Trails Alliance ) is a great option!

Tips for snowmobilers

• Stick to the right side of the road, and pass on the left.
• Look both ways, and slow down when passing by pedestrian users. 
• Keep noise down in populated areas.
• Pull off as far as possible when stopped.
• Snowmobiles need to travel 15 mph through villages and Lake Clear, and abide by all other signage (“Stop” and “Stop Ahead”). Not all intersections and road-crossings have been marked, so use caution when approaching and traveling through these areas.
• Go minimum speed required for forward momentum to pass pedestrians, then slowly accelerate to safe speeds.
• If traveling at night, check that all lights work on your snowmobile.
• Don’t drink and drive. 

Tips for all user groups

• Checking weather reports and snow conditions will be important, especially during the periods of construction. A good snow base is needed to cover any potential rail tie or metal material present on the trail. 
• Respect private property. 
• Don’t vandalize signage.
• Follow Leave No Trace principles and Love Your ADK . Be prepared and have all the gear you need for a night in the woods. Some sections of trail pass through long stretches of the Forest Preserve. Let someone know what your itinerary is, and when you expect to be out.
• Stay on the designated trail, as it passes through wetlands and sensitive habitat. Leaving the trail could potentially harm rare and endangered flora and fauna. The ecosystem surrounding the trail is part of what makes the Adirondack Park a special place, and we can all do our best by avoiding habitat degradation, as well as carrying out what we carry in!  
• When traveling in groups, go single file. 

Activities to do on and near the trail

• Snowmobiling  - This activity has been ongoing for decades on the Rail Trail. Locations in  Lake Placid , Saranac Lake , Lake Clear , and Tupper Lake , such as the historic Charlie’s Inn , offer outstanding services for riders looking for a place to stay, a quick fill-up on gas, or a bite to eat . You can even rent snowmobiles for use on the trail! An invaluable resource for snowmobiling in the Adirondacks is the  Adirondacks, USA Snowmobile App. Download it on the App Store or  Google Play  to gain access to an interactive map, and information you'll need to navigate snowy trails and find gas stations, stores, restaurants, and lodging.
• Snowshoeing and skiing - You’ll get to take in the sights and sounds of the wild spaces you pass through, and have the flexibility to take some side trails accessible from the main path. You can find equipment , gear rentals, and local guides at stops all along the trail. One of these is St. Regis Canoe Outfitters , which can tailor a daily excursion to your ability level!
• Fat-tire biking - A favorite for winter recreationists on rail trails. In conjunction with the hard work by trail groomers, and snowmobiles packing the snow, conditions can be consistently enjoyable. Looking to get into fat-tire biking in the tri-lakes area? Check out one of the local bicycle shops in Saranac Lake or Lake Placid for more information on renting or purchasing your own fat tire bike!
• Ice fishing - A wonderful opportunity to explore the lakes and ponds along the trail. Not familiar with ice fishing? Contact a local guide for more information about experiencing this classic Adirondack pastime on a body of water accessible from the trail. 

No matter how you choose to enjoy the Adirondack Rail Trail, be sure to keep up to date on construction updates to ensure you get the best possible experience. Check out the Adirondack Rail Trail Association and the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for more information.

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