Rail Trail Surface Construction Underway
Phase 1 Construction of the Adirondack Rail Trail's Finish Surface Between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake has Bugun!
The signs are up and construction is underway on the finish surface of a 9-mile section of the Adirondack Rail Trail between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake. While that does mean the section is completely closed, that also means that when it opens in the fall, it'll be ready for a smooth ride between two of the most premier destination villages in the Adirondacks.
What exactly will the finish surface be for this section? The answer is packed stone dust, with pavement through the Village of Saranac Lake. We covered this extensively in a previous blog post, Adirondack Rail Trail Surface Explained, which provides the dirt on the dirt.
The Phase 1 Lake Placid to Saranac Lake section is expected to open this September for fall running, walking and cycling, including road bikes, hybrids, mountain bikes, recumbents, fat bikes and class 1 ebikes.
Phase 2 of construction between Saranac Lake and Lake Clear is expected to begin in the fall of this year and finish in the fall of 2024. Construction of final section, Phase 3 from Lake Clear to Tupper Lake, is planned to start in the fall 2024 and finish in the fall 2025.
When completed, the 34-mile corridor will link the communities of Lake Placid, Ray Brook, Saranac Lake, Lake Clear and Tupper Lake with a hill (and vehicle) free ride through some of the most scenic landscape in the Adirondacks. For more details on the complete project timeline, check out: ADK Rail Trail Construction Officially Begins.
While the construction zone may be closed for the summer, the section between Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake will remain open for use. Despite the surface being unfinished, locals have been riding it regularly since the railroad ties were pulled up.
If you ride it, be prepared for bumpy spots. The smoothest area to ride is between Saranac Lake and Lake Clear. Fat bikes, mountain bikes and gravel bikes will have no trouble on this section and it makes a great 20-mile loop by adding a road ride back to Saranac Lake on Forest Home Road, which is another local favorite.
It gets significantly more chunky between Lake Clear and Tupper Lake, which makes a fat bike the ideal choice for that section if you choose to ride it.
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