BICYCLING

Touring the Lake Champlain Bikeways

By Donna Smallin

Photo by Alden Pellett Cycling along Lake Champlain in Shelburne, VT, while enjoying a spectacular sunset over the Adirondack Mountains.

Looking for a simple and relaxing summer vacation or an unforgettable day trip? You've got it. Just grab your bicycle, hop on the Lake Champlain Bikeways, and explore the heart and soul of the peaceful Champlain Valley.

What started as a 350-mile loop around Lake Champlain has grown into a 1,100-mile network of interconnected themed bicycle routes throughout the Champlain Valley. It's a network that spans the entire length of the lake – from the southern Adirondacks in New York and the Green Mountains of Vermont all the way north to the Upper Richelieu Valley of Quebec.

If you really want to get to know this region, Lake Champlain Bikeways is the way to go. In addition to routes for cyclists of all ages and abilities, it offers panoramic lake and mountain views, lightly traveled roads, and renowned points of interests in every direction.

Something For Everyone
Hard-core cycling enthusiasts find it difficult to resist the challenge of making a 350-mile complete loop around the lake on the principal loop known as Champlain Bikeway. But the network offers plenty of options for shorter excursions.

Four ferry crossings and two bridges allow cyclists to make an abbreviated loop around the lake. From Essex, New York, for example, you can ferry across to Charlotte, Vermont, then pedal north to Burlington, ferry back across the lake to Port Kent, and return to Essex for a round trip of about 41 miles.

Transportation options include Lake Champlain Ferries, and Amtrak with local stops along the shoreline.

The network also includes 26 themed loops that connect with the Champlain Bikeways. Many of these loops begin and end at ferry crossings for convenient access from both sides of the lake.

Every loop has its own story to tell about the area's history, culture and natural resources.

Acres of Apples, for example, is a 24.4-mile tour that begins and ends at the Port Kent Ferry Dock. This Clinton County, New York, loop takes cyclists through the second largest apple-growing region in the United States and the charming hamlet of Peru. Highlights include expansive views of apple orchards, roadside farm stands, and a spectacular view of a river-carved gorge at Ausable Chasm.

Connecting theme loops range in distance from five to 60 miles on a combination of paved and unpaved roads. On the New York side of the lake, most of the unpaved roads are hard-packed with wollastonite tailings. This fibrous material, which is mined locally, makes for a relatively smooth ride on cross bikes or touring bikes with reasonably substantial tires.

For some unpaved routes, mountain bikes or cross bikes are recommended. Stony Lonesome, which starts at the Penfield Museum in Ironville, New York, is a perfect example. This 16.5-mile Essex County loop takes cyclists on mostly remote, unpaved roads, with a variety of hills and valleys, open and wooded terrain, marshes, ponds, and streams. This was formerly mining country and the ruins of forges, mills, and railroad beds can be spotted along the route. Riders can stop at the Penfield Museum to learn more or take a swim or a nap at Penfield Pond. Keep an eye out for nesting osprey along the route.

A number of loops on the Adirondack coast of Lake Champlain allow opportunities for swimming, hiking or wildlife watching. Wet & Wild is a 36.3-mile, daylong ride that leads cyclists down (and up!) some of the most remote paved roads in the Adirondacks. The starting point is at the Iron Center in Port Henry.

Coon Mountain Circuit, an 18.5-mile loop, includes a one-mile hike up Coon Mountain for breathtaking views of Lake Champlain and the surrounding valley. Cyclists can start and end in Essex or in Westport, which has an Amtrak station.

Even beginning cyclists and families can join in the thrill of exploring the Champlain Valley on two wheels. In Clinton County, New York, the Champlain Bikeway from Point Au Roche State Park to Coopersville is a quiet, flat, and scenic 13.3-mile section that hugs the shoreline.

Vermont's Isle La Motte, one of the Lake Champlain Islands, is another excellent choice. The 10.1-mile loop that begins at St. Anne's Shrine also features a sandy beach for swimming.

Courtesy of Lake Champlain Bikeways Map of Lake Champlain Valley.

Before You Go
The best way to plan your cycling tour is to visit the Lake Champlain Bikeways Web site where you can select tours by area and get a quick overview of the terrain and attractions as well directions.

Be sure to request the Directory of Bicycle-Friendly Accommodations and Services in the Champlain Valley. This comprehensive directory includes hundreds of accommodations in New York, Vermont, and Quebec ranging from lakeside campgrounds to charming B&Bs and country inns to luxury hotels and recreational resorts.

This publication also provides contact information for a dozen bicycle touring companies, many of which operate inn-to-inn tours with a shuttle for your luggage. Other free publications available include theme loop maps and guides as well as train and ferry schedules.

The Lake Champlain Region Road Map and Recreation Guide, published by Northern Cartographic, features the complete 350-mile Lake Champlain Bikeways route with detailed directions, as well as nine connecting theme loops. It also includes information on museums, historic sites, bird watching and fishing. To order, call (802) 860-2886 or visit www.emapcenter.com.

A new edition of Adirondack Coast Bikeways guide is available, describing 14 thematic loops that follow paved and unpaved country roads throughout Essex County, New York. The Bicycling the Northern Adirondack Coast interpretive guide includes three interpretive tours in Clinton County, New York.

In Vermont, the Cycle the City guide outlines a 10-mile self-guided historic tour of Burlington. The Island Rail-Trail brochure leads cyclists from Burlington to the Champlain Islands along an old railroad to reach a ferry for cyclists to cross the Winooski River, and eventually on a white marble three-mile causeway offering unsurpassed views of the Adirondacks and Green Mountains. In 2003, advocates hope to close the final gap in the causeway to create a South Hero to Burlington rail trail.

Other Vermont publications include the Bicycling the Lake Champlain Islands brochure, Rebel's Retreat and Otter Creek Wandering map, and a guide to the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail.

For more information about Lake Champlain Bikeways or to order their maps and guidebooks online, go to www.champlainbikeways.org. You also may fax your request to (518) 597-4648 or write to Lake Champlain Bikeways Clearinghouse, c/o Lake Champlain Visitors Center, 814 Bridge Road, Crown Point, NY 12928.

Donna Smallin is a freelance writer and fitness enthusiast who lives in Lake Placid. She enjoys cycling, hiking, running, cross-country skiing and yoga.

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