Registration opens for Cycle the Erie Canal 2020

22nd annual tour from Buffalo to Albany lets riders experience one of the most scenic and historic trails in America

Registration is now open for Parks & Trails New York’s 22nd annual Cycle the Erie Canal tour, an opportunity to bike across New York and “take in the rich history of the legendary canal that transformed America.” The eight-day, 400-mile recreational bicycle tour from Buffalo to Albany is scheduled for July 12-19.

Cycle the Erie Canal participants will experience one of the best trails in America as they cycle through historic canal villages and discover the small-town charm of upstate New York. Along the way, canal historians and local experts will introduce riders to the people, places and things that make the Erie Canal so important to the history of New York and the nation.

With more than three-quarters of the route off-road on the mostly-flat and traffic-free Erie Canalway Trail, the tour offers unique cycling for all ages and abilities.

In 2019, the tour drew 750 cyclists, from 39 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia.

Covering between 40 and 60 miles per day, cyclists travel along the Erie Canalway Trail, which is now over 80% complete and will, by the end of 2020, be completed as part of the statewide 750-mile Empire State Trail.

Registration for Cycle the Erie Canal includes camping accommodations each evening with restrooms and showers; eight hearty breakfasts and six dinners; two refreshment stops daily stocked with fruit, snacks and beverages; SAG support and baggage transport; daily cue sheets and marked routes; entertainment and historical presentations every evening; and guided tours of the Canal, historic sites, museums and other attractions. Shuttles will be available at the beginning and the end of the ride to transport riders and their bicycles for an additional fee. Two four-day options are available, one from Buffalo to Syracuse, and one from Syracuse to Albany

The registration fee for the full tour is $865 for adults, and $470 for youths ages 6-17 and non-cycling participants.

Parks & Trails New York is a statewide advocate working to create a network of parks, trails and greenways so that New Yorkers can enjoy the outdoors close to home. Cycle the Erie Canal supports Parks & Trails New York’s work on the Erie Canalway Trail and in communities across the state.

The New York State Canal Corp., the agency charged with operating, maintaining and promoting New York's Canal System and the Canalway Trail, is the premier state sponsor of the Cycle the Erie Canal. The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is the event’s heritage sponsor.

For more information on Cycle the Erie Canal, visit www.CycletheErieCanal.com, email [email protected] or call 518-434-1583.