The 365-mile Erie Canalway Trail follows the historic and present routes of the various iterations of the Erie Canal. The the western third (120 miles) follows the operational canal and is off-road. Further east, the trail follows the Old Erie Canal route, rural roads, city streets, and other alignments including a section paralleling I-90. 13 percent of the canalway route is on roads (about a quarter of the eastern two-thirds). The most challenging section involves travel through the city of Syracuse, but some protected bike routes have been added in recent years. Avoid rush hour here. Sunday traffic is quieter.
The Erie Canalway Trail is part of New York's "Empire Trail" Network. Trail connections begin near the Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo.
The National Park Service's Erie Canalway site is a good source of information.
eriecanalway.org/explore/cycling
Empire Trail maps including the Erie Canalway and the linked Hudson Valley trails may be found at empiretrail.ny.gov/
There are a couple of published routes that will get you from the Ashtabula to to outskirts of Buffalo, where they split. It's about 120 miles on roads, except for a short trail section along the Erie, PA harbor. First, arrive at the Lake Erie coast from the Western Reserve Greenway (map below). Then, follow Route 531 (Lake Road) towards Conneaut. Use the map for optional navigation directions through Conneaut (avoiding most busy streets), around a deep valley on Rt 5 near Lake City (welcome when carrying heavy loads), and through Erie using PA Bike Route Z. US Bicycle Route 30 shares much of the route, just remaining on Rt 5 near Lake City, and taking a slightly different route through Erie.
The published routes are listed below. Both eventually intersect the Erie Canalway/Empire State Trail in Buffalo. They similarly use Route 5 within NY State until you approach the southwest corner of the Buffalo metro area. They diverge in Lake View, NY.
The Erie Canalway Trail is part of New York's "Empire Trail" Network. Trail connections begin near the Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo.
The National Park Service's Erie Canalway site is a good source of information.
eriecanalway.org/explore/cycling
Empire Trail maps including the Erie Canalway and the linked Hudson Valley trails may be found at empiretrail.ny.gov/
There are a couple of published routes that will get you from the Ashtabula to to outskirts of Buffalo, where they split. It's about 120 miles on roads, except for a short trail section along the Erie, PA harbor. First, arrive at the Lake Erie coast from the Western Reserve Greenway (map below). Then, follow Route 531 (Lake Road) towards Conneaut. Use the map for optional navigation directions through Conneaut (avoiding most busy streets), around a deep valley on Rt 5 near Lake City (welcome when carrying heavy loads), and through Erie using PA Bike Route Z. US Bicycle Route 30 shares much of the route, just remaining on Rt 5 near Lake City, and taking a slightly different route through Erie.
The published routes are listed below. Both eventually intersect the Erie Canalway/Empire State Trail in Buffalo. They similarly use Route 5 within NY State until you approach the southwest corner of the Buffalo metro area. They diverge in Lake View, NY.
- The Adventure Cycling Association's Northern Tier Route (sections 9 and 10). This route covers most of the above mentioned territory along Lake Erie and offers one option for navigating around the southern part of the Buffalo metro area. As with the option listed below, it meets the Erie Canalway/Empire State Trail in downtown Buffalo. From there, the EST (not the ACA route) is the most direct route to Lockport and the Erie Canalway. Both paper and digital maps may be purchased from the ACA website. www.adventurecycling.org/cyclosource-store/route-maps/northern-tier-route/
- Enter Buffalo using NY Bike Route 517. I've followed this myself. This will take you into downtown Lackawanna, but you can then head west and get on The Erie Canalway/Empire State Trail at Fuhrmann Blvd near the Tifft Nature Preserve. The trail and NYBR 517 overlap for a bit and then diverge in downtown Buffalo. Follow the EST to Lockport and the Erie Canalway. Much of the Empire State Trail is a waterfront path. It then heads inland at Tonawanda. As Rt 62 (South Park Ave) lacks shoulders, it would be wise to avoid NYBR 517's 7-mile road segment through the Big Tree/Blasdell/Lackawanna area during rush hour. Both Bike Route 517 and the Empire State Trail can be viewed on an interactive map at the NY Department of Transportation site: gisportalny.dot.ny.gov/portalny/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e1f0619b174740fabdcd13667888b1ed
- Other Options? There are some alternatives including bike trails continuing north on Rt 5 (but then devolving at points into a very busy 6-lane thoroughfare) and a quieter road (Electric Ave) paralleling NYBR 517 to the west for some of it's path along South Park Ave (Rt 62). Google Maps will generate the former route, which is complicated. I have not scouted these and can't confirm they are safe(r).
Transport Before or After One-Way Travel
- Parking a car along the route and returning or heading out by rental car is always a relatively easy option. Some folks ride from the Airport in Buffalo (I've not tried this). I've rented cars at the Rochester and Buffalo airports. Leaving a car at a hotel as part of such a plan is always a good option. Just ask in advance if long-term parking is acceptable. Plan to make a reservation to actually stay there at the beginning or end of the trip!
- Amtrak can be an option. Bike service is limited on Amtrak and sometimes spotty, but here's a link from February 2023 that may be helpful:
