The route: Buffalo – Medina – Rochester – Geneva – Syracuse – Rome – Little Falls – Amsterdam – Albany
If you have read about any other CyclingGravel bikepacking trips you will know that these are often made on my own or with a mate. Mrs CyclingGravel is a keen cyclist and regular cycling holiday participant, but riding the full 360 mile Erie Canalway Trail was our first bikepacking trip together. Designed to be cruisy, days were planned capping out around 80km / 50miles of cycling, with a number of rest days built in. Yes, you can do it much faster than the eight days of cycling that we did (potentially supporting full completion of the Empire State Trail to NYC, rather than just the Erie Canalway), but in our experience it is worth taking the time to explore this fantastic part of New York.
Day 1: Buffalo – Medina
Highlights
Once you exit the Buffalo metropolitan area, the Canalway becomes one of the best parts of the entire cycle. The canal is broad, in active use, and the scenery is beautiful. It is fascinating to watch the low road bridges rise for passing boats, and also see some of the history – such as at Lockport.
The trail also starts to pass farmland. For example, a current detour takes you onto some quiet rural roads which were surrounded by fields of fully-grown crops. It is not the case, however, that the rural reviews are restricted to off-canalway cycling – you start to see these from the trail too. Super nice.
Lowlights
This is not a lowlight, but a spotlight on what could have been one: getting out of the Buffalo metro area. The cycling infrastructure that has been put in place from downtown to start the trail is fantastic – including separated on-road cycling, river-side paths and clearly marked back streets. Top class.
Tips and recommendations
This is one of the few days where good places to stop are right on the Canalway. Lockport makes a good stop for coffee, but undoubtedly the highlight of the day is Uncle G’s Ice Cream. Perhaps my life has been sheltered, but I’ve never experienced a selection such as this before. It is a “must stop”.
We also enjoyed our stay at Hart House Hotel. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that that lift is tight for bikes, but the cycling-themed room 3 was fun. Quiet, neat and well located (not that Medina is that big!).
Day 2: Medina – Rochester
Highlights
The canal-side goodness continues from Medina. Most of the trail is gravel, but this is just not an issue.
Lowlights
The very minor lowlight of the day was that the Pont de Rennes bridge in Rochester is closed, requiring a detour and missing out on what would offer a great view. Apparently it is re-opening late 2024.
Tips and recommendations
As you travel the trail it is increasingly important to plan where you are going to have breaks as they will typically not be directly on the trail. We stopped at cafes in Albion and Spencerport, and made a restroom stop at the information centre in Brockport. But unquestionably the highlight of the day was at the end: the Brewhouse at Genesee Brewing Company. Offering fantastic views of High Falls, this makes for a very pleasant afternoon when combined with some nice food and interesting beer. We liked it so much we went back the next day.
Day 3: Rochester – Geneva
Highlights
We headed out of Rochester on a weekend day. As a consequence this section of the trail was the busiest we experienced, particularly near Pittsford and Fairport. Once we were past the weekend warriors, the trail reverted to beautiful scenery mostly devoid of fellow humans (though not geese!) and the trail even spent some time on the south side of the canal!
When researching the trail I discovered that there were some recommended detours, including to the Finger Lakes. We decided to tailor our detour to Geneva, and found a very pleasant back road route – which I planned specifically to visit Phelps (explanation as to why below).
Lowlights
The aforementioned ‘busy-ness’ around the towns of Pittsford and Fairport were the lowlight. Not much of one really….
Tips and recommendations
Right on the trail, Muddy Waters cafe was a lovely place to stop for lunch. Clearly a bit of a local hub, it offers great views over to the canal. We lingered for quite some time over delicious salads and panini.
One of the highlights of the entire trip was a visit to Phelps’ Smokin Tails Distillery. Not only are the owners and staff a friendly bunch, the cocktails were a fantastic treat – particularly on a warm day. Only open a few days a week, I would go so far as to say it is worth planning your itinerary around making sure you can make it on a day they are open.
Day 4: Geneva – Syracuse
Highlights
A transition in the nature of the Canalway trail starts to occur around Geneva. While the Seneca River is used by boats, the canal you start to follow from Port Byron is the older disused canal. In some parts, this is really obvious, but in others not so much. This often corresponds with paths that are closer to single track, although our experience was that this does not affect the cycling. The trail also remains scenic, and in some cases includes history that is missing from the modern canal.
On getting to Syracuse the Canalway goes right through the heart of the city. Clearly marked including paths, canal-side walkways, and on-street routes, it is a pleasure to use.
Lowlights
If you are a nervous on-road traveller, it is worth being aware that the route from Seneca Falls to the trail is on some busy roads. The verge is very generous and we didn’t have any issues, but of the entire route this was the most heavily trafficked. It is, however, only necessary if you do the (entirely optional, but highly recommended) diversion from the Canalway to Geneva.
Tips and recommendations
A gem that happens to be right near the Canalway route is DBs Drive In in Weedsport. We didn’t sample the sundaes, but they did look epic.
My other recommendation is the Syracuse Marriott. I stumbled across an incredibly good value mid-week rate and while the rooms were comfy, it is the classic architecture of the foyer that offer the real wow factor that makes this worth checking out if you can get a good deal.
Day 5: Syracuse – Rome
Highlights
Once outside Syracuse, the canal is managed in the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park. This is some of the best maintained and scenic parts of the trail where it is following disused canal. Beautiful.
The Canalway returns to the in-use canal at Lock 21. This is a great place to stop for a break before getting to Rome, with picnic tables and great views along the canal. We also got chatting to the staff who were managing the lock – they were super friendly and willing to talk about lock operations. Good stuff.
Lowlights
Full marks for the separated cycleway that takes you from downtown Syracuse to the canal. For large parts of this, the path runs between the lanes of traffic. This is fine, but does lead to some unusual traffic-light crossings that are initially a little confusing. Make sure you take the time to understand the flow of traffic here.
Tips and recommendations
On this day it was essential to plan for stops off trail, cycling into the local towns of Chittenango and Wampsville. I can highly recommend the coffee at Serendipity Cafe, and the high quality farm-sourced meals at Madison Bistro. A cut above.
At the end of the day, we enjoyed a drink (or two) at Copper City Brewing. Highly recommended, we also had our first experience of Terrell’s Syracuse-style chips. Yum. This had the consequence of multiple packs being consumed across the rest of the trip – you have been warned.
Day 6: Rome – Little Falls
Highlights
While travelling on canal-side paths is what I’m sure I’ll remember most about the Erie Canalway, parts of the route do divert to back roads. These are clearly marked and in our experience had limited and well behaved traffic. I really enjoyed this change as it offers more exposure to day-to-day country and town life in this part of New York State. For example, the route goes right through Frankfort which was great as we found a fantastic road-side lunch option (see below).
Lowlights
The trail between Rome and Utica was arguably the least well maintained part of the trail. I have read some folk complaining about it, and I imagine that if wet and unmown it could be challenging. Having said that, as can be seen from these photos, things really were fine when we cycled.
Tips and recommendations
Do yourself a favour and divert into Utica. The really excellent Utica Coffee Roasting Co was clearly very popular, and a great place to “wake the hell up”.
In Frankfort we stumbled across the very pleasant Deli Tacos. After our server got over the fact that random non-Americans had turned up on bikes, we had some lovely food.
Finally, at the end of the day we rolled into town to stay at the Inn at Stone Mill. Super friendly and supportive of cyclists, this was a great place to spend a couple of nights. Make sure you book a room with river views, and go to sleep with the sound of the fast-flowing water.
Day 7: Little Falls – Amsterdam
Highlights
The Canalway shortly after Little Falls is some of the most atmospheric. It is also sealed, which becomes a lot more common as you approach Albany.
The Canalway does follow the canal route, but is often not beside it. At times this means travel alongside the I-90 freeway (not super peaceful), but in others it is nearby but runs with some separation through farmland.
Don’t miss the chance to stop at the Schoharie Crossing Historic Site. There is a lot of interesting information available here, including the ability to see original lock infrastructure.
Lowlights
What is the story with Riverlink park in Amsterdam? There is a fantastic pedestrian bridge over the Mohawk River and some interesting art in the park. But do you think that you can then get to downtown Amsterdam (across the railway)? Nope. Odd.
Tips and recommendations
Make sure you pop into Fort Plain and stop at Highwheeler Coffee. In addition to being a cool bike-friendly location, this cafe proves that it is increasingly possible to get a decent coffee in the US. You just need to look in the right places.
A nice lunch stop location was Karen’s Produce and Ice Cream. When we were there there was some fanastic and incredibly good value chowder on the menu. And ice cream. Lots of ice cream options.
Day 8: Amsterdam – Albany
Highlights
As you approach Schenectady and Albany, the trail becomes busier. It is also in excellent sealed condition. Given the Canalway is now passing through and around some major urban areas, the fact that very limited on-road cycling is required is really great.
As you approach the Hudson River there are some fantastic views on offer, but these do come after some short pinchy climbs. Something you’ll barely recognise after super-flat days on the Canalway.
Lowlights
All good things come to an end. Time to plan another trip.
Tips and recommendations
We accidentally and completely unexpectedly stumbled across the Troy Waterfront Farmers Market. Totally worth it if you can get there on a Saturday they are open – even if just for a lunch stop. You can combine it with a pint from Mean Max Brew Works.
Before the Canalway: Niagara Falls Canada & USA
When in Buffalo, you have to check out Niagara Falls, right? Well, yes, you really should. The falls are epic, but don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can get the best out of seeing them from only one side. The views of Horseshoe Falls on the Canada side are amazing, but the up-close views on the American side are also fantastic.
Surprisingly, I found it less than straight-forward to figure out what it would be like to cycle over to Canada and back. It is, however, simple. Starting with the Peace Bridge, this has well sign-posted directions for pedestrians and cyclists, and the border staff on the Canadian side were very considerate of random Australians travelling by bike. Check your visa requirements, but unlike if we were arriving by air it was not necessary to apply online for a Canadian eTA. Just turn up with your passport, answer a few questions and you are good to go.
From the Peace Bridge there is a Recreation Trail pathway that runs parallel to the Niagara River Parkway. The only downside to the route is limited coffee options – caffeine-up before you go or be prepared to wait for the limited options in Shippawa.
After checking out the falls in Canada, it is pretty simple to travel back to the USA via the Rainbow Bridge. There is a path, but this is pedestrians only. So while you have to travel on-road, gently squeezing between the stopped traffic and the railing to the immigration booths, it is totally fine.
From Niagara Falls there is a Shoreline Trail and well marked on- and off-road routes to follow back to Buffalo. Nice.
Where to spend day(s) off
Having Mrs CyclingGravel along on this trip meant planning some off-bike (or at least limited bike) days. We took ‘lay days’ in Buffalo, Rochester, Geneva, Little Falls and Albany.
Buffalo
We enjoyed a day wandering Buffalo. To me it seemed that the city is undergoing some renewal. The highlight, no question, is the city hall. Externally impressive, the art deco interior is stunning. Further, there is a free observation deck that offers epic views – you can see the spray from Niagara Falls in the distance.
Do yourself a favour and visit Big Ditch Brewing as well. Super nice.
Rochester
We had a nice wander around Rochester admiring the architecture. Regrettably it is a city broken up by freeways making some walking not so nice, but Mr and Mrs CyclingGravel decided that the day off was totally worth it as it as it was essential to re-visit Genesee Brewing!
Geneva
Geneva is a cute town to explore. Cafes, shops and restaurants are throughout the town’s historic buildings, including the fun Twisted Rail Brewing inside a historic theatre. The highlight of the town, however, is undoubtedly Seneca Lake. We trundled out of town and found Watershed Brewing: great place to spend a lazy sunny afternoon admiring the lake views.
Little Falls
I highly recommend a rest day in Little Falls. You may wonder whether this is worth it given it is a relatively small town. It is totally worth it:
- There are some cool little boutiques and cafes – we liked the pizza cafe in the same building as The Inn at Stone Mill.
- The are some enormous antique shops where you can easily spend hours just looking. Great for picking up a NY souvenir.
- Go and check out Lock 17. Observing a boat going through the lock is an impressive thing to see. Apparently some boats do the Great Loop – that would be cool.
We also spent a long lazy evening tasting a few different brews at Rock Valley Brewing Co. Good stuff.
Albany
Associated with the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II, destroyer escorts such as USS Slater were important to protecting allied shipping. This excellent museum ship is well worth a visit to help understand what these ships were like, and what crew life involved. Very interesting.
Getting to and from the museum involved a wander around Albany. Downtown there was some wonderful architecture, freeways cutting through the city, and decrepit old churches. But a highlight was some of the mural art and classic buildings.
Most of the mural art was found walking from the USS Slater to lunchtime at a cidery: Nine Pin Cider Works. Highly recommended.
Making it all work
Proof that this was a great trip is that Mrs CyclingGravel wants to do another one! This might mean a better gravel bike for her too……
CyclingGravel is Australia-based, and we brought our bikes and on-bike luggage from Australia. Further, the cycling was not the only part of our USA holiday – but it was the first part. How did we make the trip work?
- First, we flew to JFK arriving in the late afternoon. We stayed the night in NYC (at the airport actually – if you have the budget, the TWA Hotel is a once in a lifetime experience) then picked up a hire car and drove to where we would leave our bike bags and other luggage.
- We left our luggage at a hotel. I have done this now on a lot of trips – mainly the Marriott chain of hotels – and never had an issue when staying at least 1 night when leaving the bags. This meant we were then able to drive with just our bikes and on-bike storage to Buffalo, and then return to where we had started via use of another hire car from Albany.
Final thoughts….
If you have never really considered a holiday in the USA – or at least one beyond iconic cities – you really should. I enjoy visiting the US and find it a fun, friendly and interesting place, particularly when going beyond the big city tourist highlights. For example, on the way to our next destination we spent some time exploring and cycling Lancaster county in Pennsylvania. Brilliant.
CyclingGravel 