Cycling is BIG in Franklin County

BikeADK’s Partner of the Month for January is an agency you might not expect or even be aware of.

The Franklin County Local Development Corporation, Industrial Development Agency and Civic Development Corporation were recently rebranded as the Franklin County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC). The organization is responsible for encouraging business development of all kinds across this northern Adirondack County that’s bigger than the state of Rhode Island.

So what does that have to do with cycling? Quite a lot, actually, because this past February the FCEDC took over tourism promotion from the county’s previous contractor. FCEDC CEO Jeremy Evans has been using the pandemic lapse in visitors to assess what’s possible for the entire tourism industry in the county, and he’s grateful for help from Bike Adirondacks. The first step in that help is this website, created to promote cycling throughout the region with the help of a a grant funded by Franklin County occupancy tax revenues and FCEDC.

“There’s two big advantages to our partnership,” said Evans. “One, it’s a home-grown business, located in Saranac lake, and two, one of the top priorities for the FCEDC is to help businesses in their own efforts for tourism development so others can promote the county. When BikeADK organizes events and tours that include Franklin County routes, they are helping promote us. So, this is a great match.”

Evans is also excited about the work that has begun to construct the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake along a former rail corridor. The new trail will be the first off road cycling and pedestrian connection between the “tri-lakes communities” of Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake, said Evans. It will provide easy daily transportation between the three towns, plus increase recreational access to the DEC campgrounds at Fish Creek and Rollins Pond, the St. Regis Canoe area, and the Saranac Lake Wild Forest.

But “the biggest potential lies within the communities making connections to the trail. It’s one thing if the trail goes through the community. But are there places where it’s obvious to trail users they can get off the trail and enjoy them? It doesn’t make any difference to the community if they just pass through.”

Beyond the rail trail, Evans added that the rest of the county offers its own destinations for cyclists.

“Paved cycling opportunities are excellent, from the backroads where you don’t have to worry about traffic to state highways. The main corridors through Franklin county are all scenic byways. The highways have wide shoulders and great views, the backroads are quiet, and you have the woods down south and the open roads with views to Canada up north. The conservation easement lands throughout the county are perfect for gravel riding. There are almost endless miles of gravel roads to explore.”

“The cycling tourism potential is largely untapped, and tourism is our largest industry”

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If you would like to explore the tourism promotion opportunities available to your business or community group, contact the Franklin County Economic Development Corporation HERE, or call them at 518-483-9472.

If you’d like to get more information about cycling anywhere in the Adirondacks, or get assistance with your own cycling routes or events, just reach out to us HERE at Bike Adirondacks.