The Adirondack Rail Trail when complete will offer many unique experiences. Adirondack forests, mountains, lakes, rivers, villages, other attractions, clean air, cool summers, and snowy winters represent the ideal setting for a recreational trail. People of all ages and abilities can experience our flora, fauna, geology, and communities intimately, needing nothing more than a sturdy pair of shoes or an inexpensive bike, and money for meals and lodging.
It is reasonable to anticipate that the trail when finished will attract as many users as any non-urban recreational trail in the U.S., particularly given the opportunity for both winter snowmobiling and skiing and warm-weather biking, hiking, and other activities. The money spent by users of the Adirondack Rail Trail will significantly benefit the economy of the region and make the region much more of a destination for outdoor recreation lovers, generating tax revenue that can be used to address other needs of the state and this region.
One journey can start in the iconic Village of Lake Placid, home to two winter Olympics, and a major tourist destination. The village is home to many restaurants, inns, hotels, and outdoor recreation opportunities. As you progress west and south from Lake Placid, you will pass through the hamlet of Ray Brook with a famous barbeque restaurant, and a complex of State offices (APA, DEC, and State Police). At the 9-mile mark, you will enter the Village of Saranac Lake, the largest village in the Adirondacks, where there are numerous shops, restaurants, and historical sites. Leaving Saranac Lake the scenery changes as the terrain becomes wilder, with lake crossings, wetlands, woods, and open fields. Not far from Saranac Lake you will come to Lake Clear Junction, once the intersection of rail lines heading west (as we will) and north to Montreal. The old trail station still stands, next to Charlie's Inn, a locally famous watering hole and restaurant.
Skirting the southern shore of Lake Clear the rail trail next takes us to the Floodwood area where again we have opportunities to swim, fish, or picnic. At Rollins Pond, we are a short detour into the Fish Creek Campsites, where thousands of summer campers take advantage of 380 State-maintained campsites.
At this point, we are only 9 miles from Tupper Lake and the Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks, better known as the Wild Center. This delightful museum has amenities for all ages, a cafeteria, and a gift shop. The planned super smooth bike surface will initially end here. For the remaining 56 miles, the railroad corridor passes through some of the most spectacular country in the U.S. Currently the Adirondack Railway Preservation Society operates a summer-time tourist train from Utica to Remsen (Old Forge) with occasional service beyond to Big Moose; this section will continue to be available to snowmobilers in the winter.