Tool celebrates National Trails Day; highlights lodging and amenities along the Empire State Trail
In celebration of National Trails Day, a new trip-planning feature is available on empiretrail.ny.gov, the official website for the Empire State Trail. The site provides information about trail routes, parking, nearby attractions and a variety of overnight accommodations available along or near the Empire State Trail route, including hotels, inns, bed & breakfasts, resorts and campgrounds. National Trails Day, the first Saturday of each June, celebrates America’s trail systems and their supporters and volunteers.
“The Empire State Trail is a wonderful pathway through our state’s scenic beauty and extraordinary history,” said State Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid. “Whether you want to plan a day-trip or an epic long-distance adventure, there is a wealth of places to see and enjoy along the way. The updated website is a great tool for visitors to plan the ideal trip and will help bolster New York’s regional tourism strategies.”
In addition to providing a wide range of lodging options within five miles of the trail, the new trip-planning features include downloadable GPS routes and other resources such as access to maps and guidebooks.
The Empire State Trail is the longest statewide multi-use trail in the country, spanning 750 miles from Buffalo to Albany, and from New York City through the Hudson and Champlain Valleys to Canada. Officially opened in December 2020, the Empire State Trail welcomes bicyclists and walkers of all ages and abilities to experience the Empire State’s urban centers, village main streets, rural communities, diverse history and remarkable natural resources. The Empire State Trail runs through more than two dozen counties and hundreds of New York communities. The Empire State Trail is traveled by more than 8 million users each year.
In addition, State Parks will complete several projects to rehabilitate key trail segments in the Mohawk Valley and Capital Region later in June, such as:
- A $710,000 rehabilitation of a three-mile trail section from Alexander Street in the city of Cohoes, running northwest to Route 9 in Colonie, including a new asphalt surface on the 20-year-old trail and upgraded safety fencing, signage and road crossings. This segment is part of the Erie Canalway Trail and is also designated the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail.
- A $1.2 million project to rehabilitate a 2.5-mile section of the trail from Flint Avenue in Little Falls east to Herkimer Home State Historic Site in Herkimer County. The project removed the trail’s 20-year-old asphalt and stone-dust surface, widened the original five-foot-wide trail to a more standard 10-foot width, installed new fully accessible connections, installed drainage improvements to prevent erosion and made safety improvements, including new fencing and signage. The trail segment is also part of the Erie Canalway Trail.
- A $275,000 project to resurface a 5-mile section of the Erie Canalway Trail, from Herkimer Home State Historic Site east to the Montgomery County line at Mindenville. The project replaced the trail’s loose gravel surface with a stone dust surface suitable for bicycling.
The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by more than 78 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, visit parks.ny.gov, download the free NY State Parks Explorer mobile app, call 518.474.0456 or connect on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.