Glens Falls-North Creek Bicycling along the Central Adirondack Trail

View Glens Falls-North Creek along the Central Adirondack Trail in a larger map    Click to refresh the map

The 35 miles along the Glens Falls – North Creek segment of the Central Adirondack Trail could be called the Hudson River Ride.  This segment starts on the bridge over the Hudson in Glens Falls, just below the Civic Center. There is a small parking lot at the north end of the bridge on the west side of Rt 9.  It is worth a walk along the sidewalks of the bridge for a look down on the Hudson River. If you cross over to the east side of the bridge, the view takes in the Coopers Cave area, the basis for James Fenimore Cooper’s cave in The Last of the Mohicans.

There are two great bike path opportunities in the Glens Falls area, the 17-mile paved Warren County Bike Path and the 9-mile Glens Falls Feeder Canal Trail with a stone dust surface. The bike path parallels the route of the Central Adirondack Trail north to Lake George Village.

Enhancing bike rides in this area are views of the Hudson River and of Lake George.  Lake George offers public swim beaches, boat rentals and cruise boats that will sometimes accommodate a one-way trip with a bicycle.

A ride starting out along the Central Adirondack Trail offers a fairly quiet road along Route 9 to Warrensburg.  Route 28 from Warrensburg to North Creek can be fairly busy and the shoulder width can narrow down from 6 feet to only a foot or two.  Views of the Hudson River are spectacular at The Glen and in the North Creek area (see photos below).  There is also a bike-friendly side loop from Warrensburg to Thurman that has nice views of the Hudson River from the bridge.

Along the route are Glens Falls, Lake George, Warrensburg, The Glen, Weavertown and North Creek. It is 35 miles from Glens Falls to North Creek, with fairly regular opportunities for services along the way.

Road Bike Opportunities

On-road or path rides and loops in the area include:

Family Ride – Glens Falls Feeder Canal Trail, see also Canal Trail map and Canal Trail descriptions

Moderate Ride – Warren County Bike Path, see also Bike Path map and Bike Path user comments

Training Ride – Lake George Loop, 100 miles around Lake George, with optional Tour Boat ride

Mountain Bike Opportunities

There is a variety of mountain biking opportunities in the Lake George and Warrensburg area.  There is also a system of trails right in Glens Falls at Crandall Park. The following links provide some of the details, but be sure to check in with local bike shops for current conditions.

• Pack Demonstration Forest – marked and maintained trails. The terrain is flat, with the exception of an optional long climb up Ben Wood Mountain, and several loops are possible on dirt and sand roads.
• Shelving Rock Road – Road and trails in the Lake George Wild Forest can be extremely hilly. The Upper Hogtown Parking Area is 1000 feet higher in elevation than the shoreline of Lake George. There are former carriage roads that offer some easier riding.
• Cole’s Woods Trails at Crandall Park right in Glens Falls provides some family-friendly mountain biking.

Not to Miss

• The Hyde Collection
• Coopers Cave
• a swim in Lake George
  see Adirondack Scenic Byways.org for many more points of interest along this route

Bike Events in the Area

• Tour of the Battenkill – Cambridge, 2nd weekend in April, with preview ride on the 3rd Sunday in March
• ididaride!, Adirondack Bike Tour – a loop ride from North Creek through Speculator and back, 3rd Sunday in August
  also see the complete list of bike events in the region

Bike Shops Nearby

• Inside Edge Ski & Bike Shop, Glens Falls / Queensbury
• Rick’s Bike Shop, Glens Falls / Queensbury
• The Source, North Creek
  also see the complete list of bike shops in the region

Visitor Information

• Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce
• Adirondack Regional Tourism Council
• Warren County, Lake George Tourism Information
• Washington County Tourism Information
• Lake George Area Information
• Lake George Region Information
• Warrensburg Area Information
• Athol and Thurman Area Information
  also see the complete list of visitor information resources for the region

Check in with Chamber offices, bike shops and other sports shops in the area to get the latest information and review your route with someone knowledgeable of the area. When biking, dress for the weather and carry water, snacks, map, repair kit and cell phone. When biking in rural areas, services could be few and far between, and cell phone service may not always be available. See the Before You Ride notices in the bottom section of this website, as well as the Disclaimer notice.

Below are some of the sights along the way – scroll over an image to see its title, or click an image to enlarge it and then move through the entire gallery (click on one of the large images to return here).