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Krissy Navrat
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Tupper Lake enters its Rail Trail era

The Tupper Lake section of the Adirondack Rail Trail is officially complete. With the final nine-mile wilderness stretch through the St. Regis Canoe Area finished in fall 2025, the trail now runs uninterrupted for 34 miles between Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Tupper Lake. This summer marks the first full season locals and visitors can experience it end to end.

Tupper Lake anchors the trail’s western end, where a large paved trailhead and parking lot on Washington Street places riders, walkers, and rollers right at the doorstep of the Adirondack Forest Preserve. The corridor was built to welcome all users, with a steady grade of around 2 percent and a wide, firm surface of compacted stone dust, making it easy to move at your own pace. In the summer months, that translates into three simple ways to experience it: bike it, walk it, or roll it, each offering a different rhythm, but all leading through the same wide-open Adirondack scenery.

The Rail Trail in the summer.

1. Bike It

The classic rail trail experience.

  • Ride a few miles or tackle a longer adventure! Head west from the Washington Street trailhead toward Floodwood Road for a quieter, more remote stretch along the edge of the St. Regis Canoe Area, or keep going for a full-day ride toward Saranac Lake and Lake Placid.

  • Enjoy the gentle grades and smooth stone dust surface, built to handle road bikes, hybrids, gravel bikes, mountain bikes, and fat tires alike.

  • Great for traditional bikes and Class 1 e-bikes (Class 2 throttle and Class 3 e-bikes aren't permitted on the trail).

  • Ideal for bikepacking, with multi-day route potential and campgrounds located near the trail.

  • Only riding one way? Shuttle services are available for point-to-point trips, so you can ride out and let someone else handle the return drive.

Biking on the Rail Trail.

2. Walk It

Perfect for hikers, families, runners, and casual explorers.

  • Take a leisurely stroll or go for a long run. The trail’s flat profile makes it easy to turn around whenever you’ve had enough, no summit required.

  • Enjoy a low-impact way to experience the Adirondacks without technical footing or steep climbs.

  • Bring the dog along for the adventure (leashed, per trail rules).

  • For something shorter and more in-town, the Junction Pass and Crossroads Trail offers a tight-packed gravel route connecting Tupper Lake’s Uptown and the Junction, a nice add-on or alternative if you’re short on time.

Walking on the Rail Trail.

3. Roll It

Highlighting accessibility and inclusive recreation.

  • Ideal for wheelchairs, mobility devices, strollers, and adaptive cycles.

  • Wide trail corridors and gentle grades make many sections approachable. The tread runs about five feet wide for most of the route, with a roughly two-mile paved section through the Village of Saranac Lake offering an even smoother stretch of travel.

  • Enjoy nature at your own pace, with no traffic to navigate since the trail is closed to vehicles.

  • Great option for families, whether that includes grandparents, grandkids, parents with strollers, or anyone in between.

A family on the Rail Trail.

Know Before You Go

A few essentials to keep the day running smoothly.

  • Be seen, be heard. The trail is shared by walkers, runners, cyclists, and more, so travel single file, stay to the right, and pass on the left. A quick bell ring or a friendly "on your left" goes a long way, and remember, wheels yield to heels, so cyclists slow down for anyone on foot. Learn more about staying safe on the rail trail.

  • Know where the facilities are. Restrooms and porta johns are available at trailhead parking areas, including the Washington Street lot in Tupper Lake, with additional stops along the route. Some stretches run remote, so fill up on water before you head out.

  • Love your ADK. Carry in, carry out—trash, food scraps, and pet waste included. Taking the Love Your Adirondacks pledge is an easy way to commit to Leave No Trace principles and help keep the trail in shape for the next person.

Fixing a bike on the Rail Trail.

Bonus: more ways to make the Rail Trail yours

The rail trail is more than a path. It’s a starting point for nearby towns, trails, waterways, food, and summer adventure.

  • Fish It. The corridor skirts ponds, wetlands, and the edge of the St. Regis Canoe Area, putting anglers within easy reach of some of the region's best-loved waters.

  • Bird It. Glacial boulder fields, wetlands, and quiet ponds along the trail make for some of the most diverse birding habitat in the area. Bring binoculars, especially in the early morning.

  • Paddle It. Where the trail brushes up against the St. Regis Canoe Area, it's an easy pairing with a paddle. Ride out, put in, and explore one of the wildest paddling networks in the Adirondacks.

  • Sip It. End your ride, walk, or roll where it counts: Tupper Lake’s Uptown and Junction districts are packed with breweries, pubs, and local shops ready for a well-earned stop. Extend the day by continuing along the Rail Trail toward Saranac Lake or Lake Placid for a full-day, town-to-town brewery loop. Please drink responsibly and plan ahead for safe travel back after your ride.

However you choose to take it on, the Tupper Lake Rail Trail makes one thing easy: getting outside this summer.