Counters along the Adirondack Rail Trail recorded 211,000 passes during its first year of full operation according to reports provided to New York Almanack by the Adirondack Rail Trail Association.
The 34-mile universally accessible multi-use trial connects Lake Placid, Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake for non-motorized recreation and seasonal snowmobiling.
The count includes recorded passes of counters over the past year, with over 172,000 of those passes occurring since January 2026. The biggest day so far was September 3, 2026, which saw 2,233 passes.
The infrared sensors track movement direction but not speed or specific user identity, counting a mix of walkers, runners, bicyclists, and in winter cross-country skiers and snowmobilers, the only group likely to pass more than one sensor in a day.
“If you rode from Lake Placid to Tupper Lake and back, you’d pass each counter (LP, SL, TL) in each direction, so you’d count six times,” Trail Association Executive Director Julia Goren told the Almanack.
“Most people don’t do that, though. Many people enter and exit the trail without ever crossing one of our counters, so we’re certain the counters represent an undercount of the actual trail usage,” she said.
With dozens of access points for the trail, including on private property, users can be on the trail without ever being counted.
The trail counter in Tupper Lake was only installed in November of last year, Goren said.
The counter in Saranac Lake was vandalized at the end of November last year, so is missing winter data from from December and January.
The trail had no zero-use days. Tupper Lake experiences peak activity during winter months due to snowmobiling, while Saturdays are generally the busiest overall days.
The Tupper Lake segment sees the least traffic, with highest usage in winter. 47% of visits come across the Saranac Lake area of the trail. Some 20 days had over 500 users passing the Lake Placid counter in a day.
Regular spikes occur around lunchtime in Lake Placid and in the afternoon around Saranac Lake as the workday and school day end, indicate heavier local use in those areas.
The Adirondack Rail Trail Association and SUNY ESF launched the trail’s first comprehensive user and economic impact survey in July funded by Franklin County to better measure visitor demographics and spending.
A new Adirondack Rail Trail App was launched in May providing a free mobile resource designed to encourage exploration of the communities, businesses and attractions along the trail.
The trail extends from Station Street in the Village of Lake Placid (in Essex County) to Washington Street in the Village of Tupper Lake (in Franklin County).
It traverses Lake Placid, Ray Brook, North Elba, Saranac Lake, Harrietstown, Lake Clear, Santa Clara, and the Town and Village of Tupper Lake.
The Station Street Lake Placid parking area is closed for construction of a new trailhead, funded by the Open Space Institute in partnership with the Village of Lake Placid. The new trailhead will have bathrooms, picnic areas, signs, and more.
Upcoming Events
October 3rd: Adirondack Rail Trail Association will host a trail anniversary celebration at this Saturday, October 3, 2026 from 5:30 until 7:30 pm at Raquette River Brewing, 11 Balsam St, in Tupper Lake. Expect the launch of a special trail-inspired craft beer; a short talk highlighting current and future trail projects; and a casual gathering for trail supporters, users, and outdoor enthusiasts. There is a $25 suggested donation. Register here.
October 17th: The Saranac Lake Backcountry 3P Race registration is now open for the Saranac Lake Pedal, Paddle, Peak which takes place on the Adirondack Rail Trail on October 17th.
October 19, 23-24th: Upcoming volunteer work days for the Adirondack Rail Trail Association are scheduled for Monday, October 19; Friday, October 23; and Saturday, October 24, 2026. Volunteers will be clearing blowdown and debris near Lake Clear and Floodwood Road to get the trail ready for winter. Contact Julia Goren at julia@adirondackrailtrail.org to sign up or get more information.
Read More About New York’s Trails
Illustrations provided by Adirondack Rail Trail Association.
It is very regrettable that the historic and still functional rail element needed to be removed for this construction. I certainly am in favor of more trails across the Empire State, but I do not believe the rails needed to be removed to accomplish this purpose and could have coexisted. The decision to disconnect from the integrated national rail network, breaking a link which had existed across parts of three centuries, was heavy-handed, short-sighted and eliminated many future options.
Agreed, Bill. Choices in transportation assets, energy sources and recreation sites are fundamental to a well-functioning, caring and independent society … dare I add ‘democratic.?’ Check out the B&W, the 100+year old Bath and Hammondsport freightline … which connects NY via Elmira, into PA and beyond. The Southern Tier, like the Adks and North Country, is beautiful, but needs careful handling to thirve, not just simply survive. In this I am Unanimous!