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Print Friendly MapVisitors can expect a couple of easy climbs as they travel on the Warren County Bikeway through the southern Adirondacks for 10 miles between Glens Falls and Lake George. It’s well worth the effort, as visitors are rewarded with scenic views, ice cream stands, and the opportunity for a dip at a Lake George beach. Note that dogs are prohibited on the trail, and snowmobiles are allowed December–March between Bloody Pond Road and Fort George Road.
The area’s combative early history is reflected in names like Old Military Road, Bloody Pond Road, and Lake George Battlefield Park. In fact, a cave on the Hudson River in Glens Falls inspired James Fenimore Cooper to write The Last of the Mohicans, a historical novel about the French and Indian War, in 1826.
The trail is among the earliest rail-trail conversions, with the project beginning in 1978. It follows a branch of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad, which carried vacationers from the main branch to resorts and steamboat connections on the 32-mile-long Lake George. The trail’s terminus in Glens Falls is about 0.1 mile north of the Feeder Canal Park Heritage Trail, which connects to the Champlain Canalway Trail. The latter pathway is part of New York’s developing Empire State Trail system, which will span 750 miles.
Starting in Glens Falls, the trail climbs steadily about 8 miles before dropping 2 miles to Lake George. The trail begins on Platt Street, although trail parking is 0.5 mile ahead via trail and quiet residential streets.
The path leaves Glens Falls behind as it crosses NY 254 on a pedestrian bridge and enters Queensbury, an area originally settled by Quakers, who left during local fighting in the Revolutionary War. One mile past the bridge, take a left onto Country Club Road to follow a marked, 1.2-mile on-road segment. The trail resumes just west of Glen Lake, locally popular among anglers.
The trail enters a hardwood forest for the next 5 miles to Lake George, although tourist-oriented snack and refreshment stops are located at major road crossings such as NY 149 (6.2 miles from the start), Bloody Pond Road (8.1 miles), and NY 9L (9.3 miles). The trail’s high point comes at mile 8.1, where it crosses Bloody Pond Road; this is also the site of the Lake George Expedition Park, which features dinosaur-themed kiddie rides.
From here it’s a 2-mile downhill jaunt to the town of Lake George, where you’ll find such tourist attractions as a sandy beach, a steamboat dock, restaurants, taverns, ice cream shops, and a Spanish mission–style train station. The trail ends at Lake George Battlefield Park, which commemorates vicious fighting here during the French and Indian War.
Long-range plans call for extending the trail 7 miles north to Warrensburg.
Parking is available at a number of locations along the trail. Visit the TrailLink map for all options and detailed directions.
Absolutely beautiful asphalt trail mostly covered by canopy of trees, temp 10*cooler than in the sun. Here the end of July. Parked in the Million Dollar beach parking lot $10 and a great place to leave the car for the day¿¿rode around town, enjoying the lake and lunch afterward.
Fully paved trail with just enough incline both ways to make it a good workout early in the season. We started in Glens Falls and proceeded through town and the several street crossings to make into the wooded parts of the trail. No foliage yet but the crystal clear Brooks running parallel to the path was enjoyable. Many interesting rock cutouts line the old railroad right of way. A good number of historical markers- a Boy Scout project- add to the experience. Path was overall when signed. There is about a 1/2 mile where you share the road on ample shoulders as you pass golf course. The slow long decline into Lake George is of course a slow long incline out. Overall a fun ride. Would be a good trip in summer to avoid direct sun as much of the path will be covered Ed in canopy. I becovered in foliage then.
Really nice trail! Very much enjoyed the ride. Would highly recommend
I am a 75 year old runner. I start in the center of Glens Falls and run on the Bikeway to Route 9 about once a week and all the way to Lake George and back about four times a year.
On the fourth Saturday of June the ADK Runners hold the "Run to the Lake 15K" that starts at Suny ADK, up Blind Rock Rd, then picks up the Bikeway at Ash Drive. It's a challenging run. When you turn down toward the lake it can be brutal on your knees if you're running hard.
Looking forward to extending the Bikeway to Warrensburg.
19.5 mile round trip from Platt St Glens Falls NY to Lake George and back. Enjoyed lunch and a boat show in Lake George at the 1/2 point which added to the charm and makes the few larger hills coming out of Lake George worth while. Near the Glens Falls end has a nice top for a drink The trail is all asphalt. A short section is on the road (rt 66 and 17) with decent shoulder. The northern section from Glen Lake to Lake George is nicer than the southern section but it is a bit hilly at times. The southern section has a lot of road crossings causing it to be stop and go.
The northern half is by far the best. The southern part is not well marked, has some long road sections and dumps you in town with nothing around. It is well paved and taken care of. The northern part goes to Lake George and is very nice. For someone seeking a short ride, I would start at the outlet center and ride north. That is about 8 to 10 miles round trip depending on how much you ride around town.
We started in Lake George and rode south hoping to ride the trail in it's length. It is beautifully paved and provided a nice smooth ride. The first 2 miles or so from the Lake are all uphill. After that it was a nice ride all the way down to the outlets in Queensbury. We continued past the outlets to south of Glenn Lake. At this point around 5.1 miles, the trail dumps you onto roads, and the trail loses it's allure. This is where we decided to turn around.
The downhill coming back to Lake George was fun, but it might be challenging for young children.
I wouldn't recommend this trail for young children, but for teens and up it is a nice 10 mile out and back route.
If you are riding from Lake George to the Outlets, the turn-off is well-marked on the trail. But, there is a small stretch (~200 yds) where you have to ride the shoulder of SR149.
Who would have thought that on November 27th I would be riding on this trail in upstate NY. Living in PA, we were up to celebrate Thanksgiving with my Dad. Of course with the weather forecast brought bike along. From Fort Edward I rode up to the trailhead and enjoyed a beautiful ride to Lake George.
Since I did this ride a few months ago, it was nice to see that the trail had been resurfaced. Last time lots of bumps from underlying tree roots were a factor. This time totally smooth. Kudos to the snowmobile club that is caring for this trail! Also the bridge's wooden slats over Quaker Road have all been replaced.
Part of the trail does go on the road, but as I ride a lot on the road this wasn't a problem. For those with small children you would probably not to want to do around the country club. At the start of the trail in Glens Falls you have to cross over a few roads. However, drivers, for the most part, followed the signs that said to stop for pedestrians in crosswalk.
The trail has excellent signage of nearby points of interest - including the Lake George outlets. So took advantage of that and made a side trip to LL Bean and bought a couple of things. No problem parking for bike - but couldn't say the same for the cars (Black Friday and all).
I'm used to riding 15 - 20 miles in Hilton Head, SC or Chincoteague, VA which is mostly flat. When I saw the HILLS we were going to have to tackle coming up out of Lake George I was nervous but I made it 10+ miles each way to Glen Falls, NY (20+ round trip) ... nicely marked path, no gravel or anything like that, some road riding but minimal and nicely marked.
This was a great safe trail, easy biking, some road biking but clearly marked bike lane. There were some nice inclines and hills. Good work out!
(Someone said 10 mile round trip but it's 10 miles one way from Lake George to Glen Falls)
Me and my friend parked at Million Dollar Beach in Lake George Village and went as far as far as Glen Lake, about ten miles round-trip. Starting out from the village, the trail runs uphill for quite awhile, but it warmed us up and got our heart rate up! We both agreed that coming back would be nice since it would be mostly downhill! The trail was well maintained and the history markers along the way were fun to read. Will absolutely go back!
For those staying here at the Lake George RV Resort in Queensbury NY; Yesterday 7/8, I did the 4 mile trail from the back of the Resort down to the Village of Lake George which is an easy, 25 minute, almost totally downhill ride on blacktop to the Village docks at the south end of Lake George. A very nice ride with a lot of history. Also when you get there take advantage of a tour of Fort William Henry and ride the surrounding battlegrounds for some Revolutionary War history. Then ride the Village streets for some tourist shoppe influence and eat lunch at Christies overlooking the lake. TAK joined me for the shopping and lunch part. ¿.
We started our ride just off Bay Road to avoid riding thru the streets of Glens Falls. The first 5 minutes northbound were wonderful, The trail was a true "rails to trails" run on nice pavement surrounded by trees. Then the trail abruptly ended at either Sweet Road or County Route 66 with a sign (on the VERY busy road) saying bike trail this way. We expected a short on-road excursion to pick up the trail but after several miles of sharing the road with mostly courteous truck drivers and other motorists, we decided to call it quits. It was just too scary to share the road when we were expecting a nice, safe bike trail with the occasional runner, dog walker or baby carriage!
VERY disappointing. I wish the write-up on TrailLink was more clear on the potential dangerous section(s) of this trail.
Definitely not recommended for families with young children no matter how wide the bike trail apron along side some very busy roads, nor for adults who are skittish about "sharing the road" with Mack trucks, buses and other vehicles mere feet away from us.
Beautiful scenery, interesting historical signs and of course the gorgeous Lake George for your finale make this a worthwhile ride.
If interested, there are more photos and a video of the trail here
http://rc-pedalpoint.blogspot.com/2014/09/warren-county-bikeway-glens-falls-to.html
We go to Lake George every year….love the place. Rode this trail for the first time this summer from Lake George to South Glens Falls at the start of the feeder trail which is firm gravel. Round trip was 21 miles and elevated riding was 1600ft. A real good workout with beautiful sceneryl. It is a very interesting and fun ride as you are not only riding thru beautiful scenery but also thru residential neighborhoods and even thru the grounds of a factory of some sort. Cudos to Warren County. Great trail! Will do it again year after year
We go to Lake George every year….love the place. Rode this trail for the first time this summer from Lake George to South Glens Falls at the start of the feeder trail which is firm gravel. Round trip was 21 miles and elevated riding was 1600ft. A real good workout with beautiful sceneryl. It is a very interesting and fun ride as you are not only riding thru beautiful scenery but also thru residential neighborhoods and even thru the grounds of a factory of some sort. Cudos to Warren County. Great trail! Will do it again year after year
My father lives in the area and so when I come I usually try to go from the Fort Edward - Lake George combining 2 trails. Since the last time I did this ride, they have added signs when the trail crosses the road to give you an idea of what can be found on the perpendicular roads - great for people not familiar with the area. It's a great ride (once out of Glens Falls and crossing roads), but one section had tree roots under the pavement. You need to slow down a bit, and I noted a couple of places where it looks like they tore out more problematic roots and resurfaced. Always enjoy the ride and sitting at Lake George and the beauty of the area - especially with no tourists around yet!
Great destination with many bikes on the trail. Pack light because places to eat on both ends of the trail. Some intermediate to tough grades. Enjoyed it greatly. Although along the road in one section separated by a guard rail. Very safe. I will return and a good work out.
The trail is 10 miles long. Unless you're a railroad history buff, it's only the northern 5 miles, closest to Lake George, that's worth doing. The first half, from Glens Falls north, has numerous street crossings, and an extensive on-road section (although the shoulder here is more than adequate). The northern half passes some interesting wetlands and forested areas. There are a number of interpretive signs along the trail explaining the battles that occurred here during the French-Indian War and also the American Revolution. The last 2 miles descends 300 feet to Lake George - a fun downhill, and not really all that bad going uphill.
Worth doing if in the area, but not really worth a special trip, unless, as stated, you really are a railroad history buff.
We rode the trail from Glens Falls to lake Geoge. The trail goes through some cross roads in GF but it is safe and well marked at the intersections. Parking may be a little hard to find, so we found a food store to park at and picked up the trail from there. In GF there is a great ice cream place right on the trail, I suggest you stop there at the end of the day. Parts of the trail rides on the side of the road and its very wide and safe. Not a busy road, passing a golf course and some nice homes along the way. Once back on the trail the sights are nice and nature at its best. About 2-2.5 miles before LG there is a nice steady downhill. Get low and get the speed up! once in LG take in lunch at one of the many outdoor resturants on the lake. Remember there is now a UPHILL so eat a light lunch. But once in GF there is icecream waiting for you. This was a fun easy trail. I will be back.
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Wonderful trail, very smooth blacktop with 2 miles of easy uphill at the start right at the foot of Lake George. The county has a great map including the feeder canal trail. The part around the Country Club is on a wide sholder road. Bob Youker
Warren County Bikeway starts at Million Dollar Beach in Lake george and extends south to Glens Falls. It directly connects with the Feeder Canal Route which adds 8 additional miles to the trip.
The Feeder Canal Trail ends at the Amtrak Station in Fort Edward.
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