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Tour de Adirondacks4 Day Tour Around the Heart of the Adirondacks
Here’s a great ride around the Adirondacks which circles the northern section
of the park through some great scenery on good roads.
At just under 300 miles and with over 17,000’ of climbing it certainly
requires some effort, but is easily doable for the average person in less than a
week.
I did the 294 miles in 4 days
which may be pushing it for some people, but the route can be broken up into
shorter sections to accommodate different riding abilities and fitness levels.
This trip can be done on your own or our guide service can provide you
with any support you may need to complete this trip.
What you’ll need:
There's a lot of information out there about taking a month long bike trip and
being self-sufficient for weeks on end, but here the focus is for the casual
bike tourist looking to get away for a few days without breaking the wallet.
I’ll use my bike and gear as an example of what you’ll need, but there
are obviously other options available.
Plan your trip around the weather. Unless you're on a 2000 mile journey
across the USA there is no reason to ride in pouring rain and your gear choice
should be based on that. Have a rain jacket and pants in case you get
caught in the rain but you don't need to invest in absolutely water impenetrable
panniers and bags.
Bags
Clothing
Sleeping Gear
Bring 1/2 of what you think you'll need, but do bring some tools in case of an
emergency and know how to do basic maintenance on your bike (Adventure-Science
can offer a clinic on basic bike maintenance). There are plenty of convenient stores along
the way to fill up water bottles (please buy something at these places and don't
just use their facilities without being a paying customer), but having some
water treatment tablets are a good backup (lighter and less bulky than a
filter/pump). Bring a paper map and don't rely on your cellphone GPS.
There are many areas in the Adirondack park without cell service. Also be
sure to bring some sort of red tail light to have on in case you end up riding
in the dark.
Food There are plenty of good restaurants, diners, and well-equipped convenient stores along the way in the Adirondacks. At the end of a long day in the saddle the first thing I want to do is eat without the hassle of setting up my stove and waiting for water to boil then sitting on a log and trying to eat while swatting blackflies and mosquitos. I would stop at a convenient store in the morning for some coffee and a muffin or breakfast sandwich and to fill up my water bottles then have a good meal at the end of the day. I managed to keep it less than $15 per day total. I started with a pack of Fig Newtons and 6 bananas and they were gone by day 3.
What you’ll experience along the route:
Heading west out of Lake Placid on route 86 you’ll pass through Saranac Lake and
pick up route 3 west.
Route 3 is a nice
road with a wide shoulder to ride on and is mostly rolling hills but no major
climbs.
This part of the Adirondack
Park is fairly remote with few businesses along the way.
The scenery is characterized by the typical wooded forests, streams, and
ponds.
The further west you go the
more the landscape turns into farm land with wide open views.
Shortly past Harrisville the route heads south on route 812 towards Loweville.
This section is technically just outside of the Adirondack Park border
and is characterized by the small blue collar towns that upstate NY is known
for. If you're lucky maybe you'll run into
Peter Ostrum who played Charlie in the 1971 film Willie Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory (rumor has it that he now lives and works as a veterinarian in
Loweville). Just south of Loweville you
can catch a glimpse of the large windmill farms on the Tug Hill Plateau.
The route then turns east in Port Leyden and heads back into the Adirondack Park, following the Moose River to route 28. Route 28 is a nice road with a wide shoulder that takes you to the town of Old Forge and then to Inlet. Old Forge has some great restaurants and the Enchanted Forest water park.
Continuing north on route 28 past Inlet the road gets pretty hilly and
surrounded by dense woods, but soon gives way to Raquett Lake, Blue Mountain
Lake, and then Long Lake.
There is
one major hill leaving Blue Mountain Lake as you pass the Adirondack Museum, but
once you’re at the top it’s mostly downhill to Long Lake.
From Long Lake the route heads east again through Newcomb where you’ll pass the
Hudson River and get a great view of the south side of the High Peaks.
Just past Newcomb the route veers left onto route 2 and continues east to North
Hudson.
Parts of this road may be a
little rough, but the riding is pretty easy except for a few gradual hills.
Once in North Hudson you’ll head north on route 9 which will take you
into Keene Valley where you can stop at the Noonmark Diner and treat yourself to
some homemade pie.
The last part of
the route is probably the hardest as it climbs route 73 back into Lake Placid.
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