This tour features the brand new 34.5 mile Adirondack Rail Trail, completed in 2025. Connecting the town of Tupper Lake to the famous Olympics host village of Lake Placid, it winds east-west through beautiful forests, past lakes and bogs, all with a gentle grade that gains only 200 feet of elevation from its western end (Tupper Lake) to eastern (Lake Placid).  This relaxing tour features two three-night stays (3 nights in Lake Placid, and 3 in northern Vermont at the Smugglers Notch Inn) so you can unwind and enjoy your mornings and evenings during the week. In mid-October you should be treated to a panorama of gorgeous fall foliage everywhere you look! 

We spend the first night at the downtown Burlington Hilton Garden Inn, one block from the famous Church St. pedestrian mall, which features numerous restaurants, shops and bars/taverns. After sampling this eclectic small city, we'll cycle the Lake Champlain Causeway to Grand Isle and then catch a short ferry to Plattsburg, NY, shuttling up to Lake Placid NY to spend the next three nights at the lakefront Hampton Inn & Suites Lake Placid. After riding the Adirondack Rail Trail one day, the next day is yours to explore this charming village and visit some of the Olympic venues. On the fourth day of the tour we'll shuttle back over to Vermont to cycle 2/3 of the 94 mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail over two days. On Saturday we'll ride the entire 26 mile Mississquoi River Rail Trail, and return to Burlington on Sunday morning. 

Arrive in Burlington anytime in the afternoon -- Meet at our hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Burlington, on Main St. just 3 blocks up from the water and one block down from the Church Street pedestrian mall. We'll begin our introductory meeting at 5:00 pm with snacks and beverages, discuss our itinerary and expectations for the week, and walk to a nearby restaurant for dinner (included).

Today we'll be biking 24 spectactular miles from Burlington VT to Plattsburgh NY (with 2 of those miles on a ferry boat). After breakfast and checkout we'll head north on the stunning Burlington Bikeway along the shore of Lake Champlain. As we leave the city behind, we'll cycle the Island Line Trail, which is probably one of the most scenic rides you'll ever experience, with the lake on either side and majestic mountains drenched in fall colors in all directions. A bike ferry bridges the navigational gap in the causeway (which is made of "scrap" marble chunks the size of Volkswagens and refrigerators) so we can reach Grand Isle, where we'll visit the North Hero Brewing company for lunch and tasting. After that we'll pedal on flat country roads to the ferry landing, then after a short pedal arrive at Cumberland Bay State Park in Plattsburgh, NY, where we'll load into the van for an hour's ride up to Lake Placid.

34 miles. To get an early start on the trail, we'll take a breakfast of coffee & scones/muffins/bagels and fruit in the van for a picturesque 40 minute shuttle over to the Tupper Lake Trailhead, at the western end of the Adirondack Rail Trail. Then we'll cycle back east, stopping 2/3 of the way for lunch and some browsing in the cute village of Saranac Lake. By mid-afternoon we should arrive back in Lake Placid, where you can begin your exploration of this iconic town.

You've got the whole day to yourselves to explore more of the town, visit some Olympic venues (including the Lake Placid Olympic Museum), visit local wineries & breweries, or rent a canoe or kayaks for a serene paddle on Mirror Lake. Enjoy lunch & dinner on your own during your excursions. (Your thrill-seeking tour leaders will lead visits to the Olympic Jumping Complex, Mount Hoevenberg Olympic Sports Complex Mountain Coaster, and the nearby Speed Skating Oval)

After breakfast and checkout, we'll load into the van for a shuttle back over to Vermont, disembarking in the town of Swanton, the western end of the 94 mile LaMoille Valley Rail Trail. We'll plunge into the endless foliage, cycling 35 miles to the town of Cambridge Junction, then right to our lodging for the next three nights, the charming Smugglers Notch Inn. If there's time and sufficient interest, we'll pay a visit to the nearby Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits Tasting Room. Or just settle in and relax, starting with drinks on the front porch and continuing with dinner in the dining room of the adjacent Village Tavern Restaurant.

31 miles – We'll continue east on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail as it shadows the Lamoille River, crossing farmland and surrounded by mountainsides bursting with fall colors. Snack stops along the way (with the first one in the parking lot of the Vermont Flannel Company Factory Store) will feature fresh apples & apple cider, maple treats, and locally baked goodies. We'll pass through the Fisher Covered Bridge, which was the last covered railroad bridge in use in the United States (operational 'til 1994). Converted to rail-trail use, it displays unique features related to its railroad past, including it's full-length cupola to allow smoke & steam to escape. We'll end our ride in Hardwick Junction, where you can browse the Galaxy Book-Game-Puzzle shop (think grandchild Christmas gifts!) and then grab a beer or cocktail and a small bite at the Cork & Fork next door. We'll load up in the van and make the 40 minute shuttle back to Smugglers Notch Inn.

26.3 miles. For a change of pace, after breakfast we'll shuttle up to the western end of the Mississquoi Valley Rail Trail at Richford and ride west, crossing the Lamoille Valley trail at Sheldon Junction (through which we passed two days ago) and finishing on the outskirts of St. Albans City (pop. ~7,000). We'll toast to our tour of northern Vermont & the Adirondacks with drinks at Twiggs American Gastropub on Main St., then jump into the van for the quick 30-minute return to Smugglers Notch Inn and a celebratory dinner.

After breakfast & checkout, we'll make the 45 minute drive back to where we started in Burlington, Vermont, delivering folks to the airport for flights home and then returning downtown to the municipal garage for those who left cars there for the week.