As I watched, the clouds began to break apart as the winds blew them against the jagged cliff faces jutting out from a nearby mountainside. The towering rock walls rose from the mist, and the summit of the mountain high above poked through holes in the clouds. During the first few days I spent in the rugged Adirondack Mountains, the moody skies made the surrounding landscape seem both ominous and majestic.
The clouds and inclement weather accented how rugged this landscape truly is. Even though the Adirondacks may be a popular tourist destination for city dwellers from New York City, Boston, Albany, Montreal, Ottawa, and more, this mountain range is demanding. This 5,000-square-mile mountain range boasts 46 “High Peaks” rising above 4,000 feet.
This raw, rugged nature is also on display when sampling the region’s mountain bike trails. The mountain bike-legal singletrack is predominantly “a lot more old school, rock and root style — older handbuilt trails,” said Glenn Glover, Executive Director of Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA), the local mountain bike advocacy group.
In recent years, BETA has been working hard to modernize the local mountain bike scene. “BETA has been absolutely instrumental in trying to introduce a little more diversity of trail style here,” said Glover. They’ve been “able to build some machine-built trails, some flow trails, some — I would say — more intentionally, mountain bike-focused or centric trails.”
Unique communities within the Adirondacks
The Adirondack Mountains are protected by a massive six-million-acre forest preserve established by the state of New York in 1892. Consequently, the Adirondacks feel set apart from everything that surrounds it.
Even within the Adirondack Park, there are distinct communities — each with its own unique flavor. The best mountain bike trails in the Adirondacks are clustered around a small subset of communities located roughly in the center of the park: Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Wilmington, Keene, and Elizabethtown. While BETA works in all of these communities, and many of the locals know each other and travel to ride other trails, each community has its own scene. The locals organize weekly group rides in most of these towns, but they each host their group rides on different days of the week so that riders who are so inclined can hit more than one social ride in the same week.
With (at least) five distinct communities and over 130 miles of mountain bike trails spread between them, where do you even begin to explore this complex web of singletrack?! Well, I’m here to help you narrow down the search. If you have a long 3-day weekend to ride in the Adirondacks, here’s exactly what you should do.
Day 1: Lake Placid
Lake Placid is the most well-known community in the Adirondacks. This famous tourist town hosted the Winter Olympics in 1932 and 1980 and continues to host World Cup events across many winter disciplines. Most notably, Lake Placid is hosting its first UCI World Cup in September 2024, and the World Cup is contracted to return at least twice more, in 2025 and 2026.
This storied history for sport and tourism means that Lake Placid is the busiest of all the towns on this list, with a bustling downtown scene filled with shops, restaurants, hotels, and resorts. That hustle and bustle is either an attraction or a turnoff, depending on your perspective.
Ride: Lussi & Loggers to Craig Wood
You can pedal right out your hotel room door in Lake Placid and have your tires on singletrack before you know it. Cinderella Story leads into the Lussi & Loggers trail system, Lake Placid’s old-school wet, rooty XC trails. These trails can be tricky even though they’re flat, but the convenient access from downtown can’t be beat!
These days, Craig Wood is the most popular trail system near Lake Placid, thanks to its modern trail construction, including the addition of manicured flow trails like Green Jacket. While you can drive a few miles and do a short 7-mile ride at Craig Wood proper, for a more rewarding ride, begin on Cinderella Story, ride as much as you want at Lussi & Logger, and then use the recently rebuilt Jackrabbit XC ski trail and a short section of road to connect to Craig Wood sans-automobile.
Other standout trails in Craig Wood include Blue Ribbon, a rugged flow trail with plenty of rocks mixed in, and Gold Jacket, an alternate entrance into the Green Jacket flow trail. This short line rightfully earns a “pro-trail” rating, aka double black diamond plus, for a massive wooden step-down drop funneling into a gigantic table. Ninety-nine percent of riders won’t be able to ride Gold Jacket, but those who do will have a blast.
The rest of the trails consist primarily of a mix of roots, rocks, and berms. Sprinkled throughout the network are several massive rock drops that serve as superb optional double black diamond hits.
Follow Jackrabbit back to Cinderella Story to return to downtown Lake Placid via dirt.
Off the bike in Lake Placid
WHERE TO STAY
- Many lodging options exist in Lake Placid, but I stayed at The Devlin. The Devlin offers a garage with bike wash and ski storage, and High Peaks Cyclery is also right across the street.
EAT AND DRINK
- Origin Coffee — A go-to spot for coffee drinks, breakfast, and a light lunch.
- Big Slide Brewery — Offers a great selection of vegan options and local beer, plus standard American pub fare.
- Lake Placid Pub and Brewery — An extremely popular American-style brewpub that is walkable from downtown.
- Salt of the Earth Bistro — Ranked #1 in Lake Placid on TripAdvisor, but reservations are highly recommended for this small, upscale restaurant.
LOCAL BIKE SHOPS
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
- Swim at the Mirror Lake beach, or rent a paddleboard.
- Explore the Lake Placid Legacy Sites, including taking an elevator to the top of the Ski Jumping Complex and walking through the two hockey rinks, including the facility where the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” hockey match took place.
- Ride the mountain coaster at Mt Van Hoevenberg, site of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series.
Day 2: Wilmington and Keene
Wilmington and Keene are small communities tucked into the valleys between Lake Placid and Elizabethtown. The two towns are separated by 11.5 miles of twisty mountain road, and both of the mountain bike trails noted here are accessible along that stretch of road.
Ride 1: Hardy Road and Three Sisters
If you only have one day to ride in the Adirondacks, go to Hardy Road. “That’s basically the safest place to send somebody to for a good time,” said Patrick Carey, President of the BETA board.
The Hardy Road trailhead is located along the eponymous paved road, and two ridges rise on either side of the road (although you can’t see them from the trailhead). For the most mileage, you’ll want to climb up each ridge and rip back down.
The quality of the trails at Hardy Road is top-notch. My personal favorite trail from my trip to the Adirondacks, All-in, is located at Hardy Road. The trail descends off the top of the mountain and is filled with high-speed sections, chunky rocks, flowy berms, and optional features.
The Hardy Road trails are quite diverse, though they trend toward the rugged end. Some of the lower trails are easy and approachable for beginners, whereas my favorite — All In — gets a black diamond rating. Like Craig Wood, Hardy also has some alt lines hidden deep in the forest, with a few massive rock drops pushing into the double-black range.
Those looking for a little extra mileage should pedal north on Hardy Road to reach the Three Sisters trails. Three Sisters is one of the best places in the Adirondacks to take a new rider for their first time on singletrack. The beginner-friendly flow trail known as “Flobus” is a true crowd-pleaser.
If you’re a beginner rider, you could choose to park here and ride from this trailhead or access the trails from the Wilmington side, as these trails are rideable from downtown. Alternatively, if you’re lodging in Wilmington, you can ride over the hill from downtown via the Town Connector trail, descend Flobus, and then pedal over to Hardy Road.
Ride 2: East Branch Community Trails
The East Branch Community Trails comprise the newest mountain bike trail system in the Adirondacks. This is the first trail project where BETA was “able to approach it and master plan it from ground zero,” according to Glover. The 121-acre site where the trails are being built on may be small, but it is a long, vertical parcel that climbs up a steep mountainside — ideal for trail construction.
Local trail builder Luke Peduzzi was hired to design and build the trails at East Branch, and the caliber of the trail building is immediately evident. The East Branch trails have a truly modern, professional flow trail feel, with perfectly sculpted singletrack, mellow climbing corners and switchbacks, and massive berms on the high-speed descent.
Consequently, the trails available at East Branch are some of the easiest trails in the Adirondacks, with almost no rocks or roots in sight and predictable flow trail lines. That said, intermediate and advanced trails are currently under construction in phase two.
If you’re lodging at the ADK Trail Inn, I recommend pedaling right out your door, taking a right, and heading south down the highway for 0.4 miles to reach the trailhead without the use of a car. At this time, the route is fairly straightforward: ride half of the lower loop, then head up the Climbing Trail. For the most mileage, pedal the Climbing Trail to the top, pop around the Short Loop, then backtrack on the Climbing Trail to take a left on Downriver.
Downriver is a high-speed flow trail descent filled with big berms and rollers. There’s only one or two true tabletop jumps along the way, and the rest of the trail consists of rollers. If you haven’t had enough when you reach the bottom, pedal back up for more.
“Regardless of your skill level, the whole thing is just so much fun,” said Glover. “You just lap it a couple times, and you’ve got a big smile on your face.”
Finish your ride with the rest of the lower loop, and then head back to the Inn for a shower and dinner.
Off the bike in Wilmington and Keene
WHERE TO STAY
- The ADK Trail Inn is conveniently located 0.4 miles down the road from the East Branch trails, so you can ride right from your lodging!
EAT AND DRINK
- Adirondack Mountain Coffee — Coffee drinks, breakfast, and lunch all day.
- Monday Tuesday Grill — A diverse American menu with Hawaiian and Caribbean influences. Conveniently located at the ADK Trail Inn; unfortunately, this won’t help you if you visit over the weekend, as it’s only open on Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Forty Six, Keene — A bistro-style farm-to-table restaurant.
- Ice Jam Inn — American food with a respectable beer and wine selection.
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- Drive to the top of Whiteface Mountain, or in the summer enjoy a gondola ride, hiking trails or yoga and disc golf.
Day 3: Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown is the county seat of Essex County and home to the bulk of the government facilities, including a community hospital. However, Elizabethtown (or “E-Town” for short) is still a smaller, more laid-back community than Lake Placid or Saranac Lake. The beautiful downtown area is well worth a stroll, and the trails are easily accessible from downtown via side streets.
Ride: Blueberry Hill
The Blueberry Hill trail system mixes historic singletrack with trails that have been recently rerouted and improved thanks to BETA’s work. The miles don’t come easy at Blueberry, with stiff climbs filled with roots and rocks followed by even steeper descents. “Blueberry is not the place to start mountain biking,” said Glover in the understatement of the year.
That said, Blueberry is one of the best places in the region for a longer mountain bike ride with a bit more mileage. If you begin from downtown and climb all the way up and around the Bike Ranch trail, you’ll be in for a respectable ride. Depending on how many trail segments you incorporate, you’ll get to rip at least 11 miles in a continuous loop. The entire network is home to about 21 miles of singletrack.
Blueberry Hill hides many fantastic segments of singletrack, but one of the true standouts is Joel’s Trail. Often ridden as both a climb and a descent to access the upper portion of the network, Joel’s is filled with roots and rocks and a few alternate air features — some of which are quite spicy with sniper landings. Joel’s finishes at a spectacular overlook on top of a cliff face, affording expansive views of the surrounding Adirondacks wilderness. As anyone who’s ever visited the East Coast knows, finding a wide-open viewpoint is a rarity, making this vista even more rewarding.
For even more mileage, pedal across the road to check out a new trail system with more progressive and approachable trails: Cobble Hill. Cobble adds about two miles of singletrack and has some great jumps and features to play on.
Off the bike in Elizabethtown
WHERE TO STAY
- Deer’s Head Inn — A local institution that is owned by the same party that owns nearby Solace Cycles.
- Park Motor Inn — Located in downtown E-Town.
EAT AND DRINK
- Deer’s Head Inn — The oldest tavern in the Adirondacks now offers a diverse menu of food and drink, including a full bar.
- Baxter Mountain Tavern — Located between E-Town and Keene, Baxter Mountain offers a brief menu with American bar food.
LOCAL BIKE SHOP
- Solace Cycles — Handbuilt titanium adventure bikes with a public-facing bike shop currently under construction.
Bonus Day: Saranac Lake
If you can squeeze in an additional day, put Saranac Lake at the front of this itinerary to make it a four-day Adirondack adventure. Saranac Lake is home to Mount Pisgah, a small trail system with “enduro-style riding” with one main climbing trail and several rugged descents.
If you’re looking to extend your ride, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid can be connected by bike via the newly-built Adirondack Rail Trail. The first segment of the Rail Trail was just completed, and once the full build-out is done, the trail will stretch 34 miles one-way.
Travel Tips for the Adirondacks
- You’ll need a car to navigate the Adirondacks. If you aren’t road tripping here, you’ll need to rent a car.
- The closest commercial airport is Lake Clear/SLK which offers daily flights to Boston’sLogan International Airport and New York City’s JFK International Airport. For slightly larger airports with more flight options, Burlington, VT; Albany, NY; and Montreal, QC; are all about 2.25 hours away.
- Most of the lodging options in the region are motel room-style, making it easy to bring your expensive mountain bikes inside.
- While lodging and dining options have been noted for each town, you don’t have to move your lodging every night. Only 35 minutes of driving separates Lake Placid and E-Town, with the ADK Trail Inn in the middle. You could choose to stay at any one of these three locations and easily reach the others for day rides.
- Almost all of the trails are off-limits to e-bikes. Bring your muscle-powered mountain bike.
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Sep 26, 2024