Erie Canal Bike Tour — Logistics & Planning Guide

Buffalo to Albany — or Vice Versa?

We chose Buffalo to Albany, and would make the same call again. Here's why:

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Niagara Falls

Neither of us had been there. We rented a car and visited in the evening before the ride — a great way to kick things off.

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Flight Options

Flying into Buffalo was simpler for us than Albany. Transportation to Mile 0 was short and easy from the airport.

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Elevation

Under 600 feet of change end to end. Going Buffalo → Albany gives you a very slight downhill grade — barely noticeable, but it's there.

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Wind

Heading east generally means a tailwind. We met a westbound rider fighting a headwind for most of his trip. Easy choice.

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Bike Rentals

Buffalo Bike Tours provided us with rental bikes, packs, and tools. Flying in from Phoenix, this was essential.

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Amtrak Return

Amtrak runs from Albany back to Buffalo. Simple, comfortable, and your bike goes with you — as long as you book early (more on this below).

Hotels, Airbnbs, or Camp?

We stayed in hotels the entire trail. Most of the smaller towns didn't appear to have short-term rental options, though near Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany there may be more choices.

Compared to the GAP and C&O Trail, camping doesn't seem as well supported along the Erie Canal. Stealth camping seemed possible, and some towns provide restrooms, water, and space — but we didn't explore this in detail.

Which Towns to Stay In — and How to Plan (or Not)

Doug and I both prefer to have the freedom of choosing how far to ride and where to stop for the night without pre-planned arrangements. We were warned that winging it on the Erie Canal wasn't advisable. We did it anyway.

We planned our first night in Lockport, but after that, our only constraint was reaching Albany in time for our return train. We did some loose research on problem areas, but mostly figured it out day by day.

    Overall, we had no problems finding a place to stay. Two towns — Weedsport and Canastota — had very limited options, but neither presented a real problem. For smaller towns like these, book same-day once you know that's your destination. Don't just ride in hoping to get a room.
  

We rode in June and didn't encounter any events that filled up rooms. Be sure to research any events or holidays along your route that could book things up in advance.

Food, Water and Other Support

Finding food and beverages was not a problem along the trail. Sure, there may be 20–30 mile sections without much, but these are easy to plan around. We ate breakfast at the hotel when available and handled lunches and dinners in town.

We each carried snacks and about 45 ounces of water. We rode in June with cool weather so extra fluids weren't an issue. If it's hot or humid, I'd grab electrolyte drinks along the way and consider carrying a water bladder for longer dry stretches.

Amtrak

Upon arriving in Albany, we took Amtrak back to Buffalo to return our bikes. Getting to the train station was straightforward — there was some bridge construction, but nothing that caused problems.

Important: Make your reservation early. There are only a limited number of bicycle spots on each train and they fill up quickly. We met a group of 5 guys who couldn't get return bike reservations, so they took turns driving a support car along the entire canal while the other four rode. It didn't seem to ruin their trip — and they were the ones who saved us with chain lube in Little Falls.

Helpful Resources

There are a lot of resources online, but these are the ones we actually used:

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Empire State Trail Site

Great site created by New York State with maps and other information. At the time of writing, you can request a free paper map directly from this site.

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Parks and Trails NY Map

Great way to understand the various options and support along the way. We used this to familiarize ourselves with the trail before heading out.

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Buffalo Bike Tours

The company we used to rent bikes and packs. They primarily do day or hourly rentals but were able to accommodate our multi-day trip. The owner was incredibly friendly. If the Erie Canal becomes more popular for long-distance touring, services like these will only get better.

Questions?

Got a question about the path, planning, or our tour? Feel free to reach out — I'm happy to share anything that might help you plan your own Erie Canal adventure.

Get in touch →

Ready to Hit the Trail?

Read the full day-by-day journal or learn why we chose the Erie Canal in the first place.

Day-by-Day Journal Why We Chose This Route

Logistics of an Erie Canal Bicycle Tour