Saratoga to Tahawus Rail Trail Still Possible
The dream of creating a 90-mile rail trail from Saratoga Springs to Tahawus, on the southern edge of the High Peaks Wilderness, seemed unrealizable when a long section of the rail corridor was auctioned off this year, but as it turns out, hope is not lost.
Guest blog by Phil Brown
Revolution Rail Company, a rail-bike business, recently purchased the 30 miles of tracks between North Creek and Tahawus with a $2.7 million loan from the Open Space Institute. Under the loan agreement, if the line is unable to attract freight business, Revolution Rail and OSI will work with federal, state and local officials to determine the best use of the corridor.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has argued for years that the tracks between North Creek and Tahawus should be removed and the corridor turned into a recreational trail. It’s uncertain whether such a trail would be surfaced to accommodate road bikes and gravel bikes, but presumably it would at least be rideable on mountain bikes.
Since the corridor’s freight potential is limited, cyclists have cause for optimism. The only businesses on the rail line are Mitchell Stone Products in Tahawus and Barton Mines in North River. Mitchell Stone sells waste rock from a closed iron and ilmenite mine. Barton Mines produces garnet used in industrial applications. Neither uses the railroad now. In fact, the line has not been used to carry freight since the 1980s. Saratoga & North Creek Railway, the previous owner, tried for years to establish a freight business but failed and went into bankruptcy. In a controversial move, S&NC for a while stored empty oil-tanker cars on the tracks. RevRail’s agreement with OSI prohibits that use.
Much of the 30-mile corridor lies within the state Forest Preserve. The federal government invoked eminent domain to create the rail line during World War II to haul ilmenite from the Tahawus mine. Rather than return the land after the war, the federal government extended its easement over the corridor until 2052. It later sold the easement to National Lead, which eventually sold it to S&NC.
The deal grants OSI an option to acquire the rail corridor if freight business fails to materialize. Even if OSI exercises its option, however, RevRail will retain a 20-year lease on the line, according to an OSI spokesperson. Evidently, the lease would not preclude the creation of a trail, at least in the parts of the corridor not used by RevRail.
OSI had tried to purchase the corridor in 2021, with the expectation of turning it over to the state, but a federal judge disqualified the non-profit organization from participating in the bankruptcy auction.
RevRail uses about four miles of track to run rail-bike trips along the Hudson north of North Creek. The company also is thinking of starting a similar operation near Tahawus. This would necessitate leaving tracks in place in these sections. Presumably, trail users would have to travel beside the tracks or leave the corridor temporarily.
If the rail trail were to accommodate road and gravel bikes, cyclists could enjoy a 110-mile ride from North Creek to Lake Placid. They would take the trail to Newcomb, riding along the Hudson and Boreas rivers, then bike on Route 28N and Route 30 (wide shoulders) to Tupper Lake, soaking up views of the High Peaks, and lastly follow the 34-mile Adirondack Rail Trail (now under construction) from Tupper to Lake Placid.
As spectacular as this tour would be, imagine if you could start in Saratoga Springs, extending the trip by 60 miles. RevRail also uses portions of this corridor, but otherwise the track is unused. The town of Corinth owns the first 20 miles, as far north as Hadley. Warren County owns the 40 miles from Hadley to North Creek.
In an earlier column, I proposed a three-day itinerary in the event the Saratoga-Tahawus rail trail becomes a reality:
Day 1, 60 miles: Starting in Saratoga Springs, ride north on the rail trail to the Adirondack foothills; cross the Sacandaga River and cycle along the Hudson River to North Creek.
Day 2, 50 miles: Continue cycling north on the rail trail along the Hudson; cross the river and begin paralleling the Boreas River. Leave the trail a few miles south of Tahawus and pedal west along Route 28N to Long Lake, crossing the Hudson again.
Day 3, 58 miles: Cycle north on Route 30 to Tupper Lake, then go a few miles on Route 3 west to the Adirondack Rail Trail. Follow the rail trail 34 miles to Lake Placid.
You could add a fourth day, cycling south on Route 73 through Cascade Pass to Keene, then take Route 9N to Elizabethtown, and continue to the Amtrak depot in Westport--a total of 35 miles. You could then take the train back to your starting point in Saratoga Springs.
This multi-day loop would show off the Adirondack Park in all its glory, from the foothills to the High Peaks to the Champlain Valley, from deep woods to wild rivers to hidden ponds. Cyclists could spend each night in a different town, dining in restaurants and staying in inns.
For too many years, the 90 miles of tracks between Saratoga and Tahawus have sat idle, with little prospect for commercial use (other than the recent introduction of rail-bikes). Let’s hope local officials come to realize the economic value of replacing the rusting rails and rotting ties with a world-class rail trail that is open to everyone.
