New York's Empire State Trail Itinerary: A 6-Day Road Trip from Buffalo to the Hudson Valley
Bike, Paddle & Explore the Erie Canal — A Stop-by-Stop Guide to Planning Your Own Trip
New York's Empire State Trail is the longest multi-use state trail in the country — 750 miles of paved and stone-dust pathway running from Manhattan's Battery Park City all the way to the Canadian border. It's built for hikers, bikers and walkers of every level, and it links together some of New York's best small-town history, food and craft beverage stops along the way.
This itinerary follows the trail from Buffalo to Albany alongside the historic Erie Canal, then south into the Hudson Valley — the same route I traveled for my PBS episode of Travels with Darly. Use it as a starting point for your own trip: bike a single day, drive the whole route over a long weekend, or spread it out over six days like this guide.
See This Itinerary Come to Life — watch this exact route on Travels with Darley
QUICK FACTS
Total trail length: 750 miles (Manhattan to the Canadian border)
This itinerary covers: Buffalo to the Hudson Valley, roughly 400 miles
Surface: About 85% off-road; mostly paved, with stone-dust sections in western New York
Best for: Biking, walking, kayaking, road-tripping with stops along the way
Suggested trip length: 6 days (can be shortened to a long weekend by focusing on one region)
DAY 1: Arrive in Buffalo
Fly or drive into Buffalo and settle in downtown for the night before hitting the trail in the morning.
DAY 2: Buffalo → Lockport → Pittsford → Fairport
Buffalo Harbor State Park (1111 Fuhrmann Blvd, Buffalo) — trail's western end point on Lake Erie.
Drive 40 min to Lockport.
Lockport Cave Tour (5 Gooding Street) — underground 19th-century water power tunnel.
Flight of Five Locks (80 Canal St) — working lock demonstration.
Lake Effect Ice Cream (79 Canal Street) — try "the flight."
Lunch to go from Scripts Café (2 East Ave).
Drive ~1 hr 20 min to Pittsford. Lock 32 Brewing Company (10 Schoen Pl) — quick canal-side drink.
Drive 10 min to Fairport. Bike with Rochester Accessible Adventures (adaptive/inclusive rides).
Fairport Lift Bridge (N Main St) — 1912 ten-sided lift bridge.
Iron Smoke Distillery (111 Parce Ave #5b) and Faircraft Brauhaus Brewery (25 Parce Ave).
Dinner at Compane Trattoria (25 Parce Ave); sunset at Casa Larga winery (2287 Turk Hill Road).
Overnight in Fairport/Rochester.
DAY 3: Pittsford → Newark → Syracuse
Sam Patch replica packet boat cruise (12 Schoen Place, Pittsford).
Drive 30 min to Newark, NY — Mural Mania canal-side murals ("rose capital of the world" history).
Lunch at Grind On Coffee (212 South Main St).
~15 min to Lyons — Peppermint Museum, Winston's Dream Mural, mural studio.
~1 hr 15 min to Green Lakes State Park (7900 Green Lakes Road) — kayak the meromictic Green Lake; drinks at the golf course terrace.
15 min to Syracuse — dinner at Dinosaur BBQ, overnight stay.
DAY 4: Chittenango → Fort Hunter → Mohawk Harbor
30 min to Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum (717 Lakeport Rd) — replica dry dock, blacksmith demo.
Lunch at Karen's Produce & Ice Cream (2311 NY-5S, Tribes Hill).
~1.5 hrs to Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site (129 Schoharie Street) — original canal channel, 1845 aqueduct.
Yankee Hill — Tentrr camping sites, flat paved bike stretch.
Mohawk Harbor, Schenectady — sunset drinks, live music, dinner at Druther's (221 Harborside Dr). Overnight here.
DAY 5: Albany → Schuylerville → Albany
Morning ride along the Hudson River/Corning Preserve Trail with Black Girls Do Bike, Capital Region.
Drive to Schuylerville — Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitors Center (28 Ferry Street); bike rental at Big Foot Bike Rentals (122 Broad Street).
Hudson Crossing Park and the Dix Bridge (1777 British crossing site); General Philip Schuyler House exterior ("Hamilton" ties).
Rural Soul Music Studio (90 Broad Street) drumming demo; Laffer Gallery (96 Broad Street); Bound by Fate Brewing (31 Ferry Street).
~90 min back to Albany — dinner at Olde English Pub & Pantry (683 Broadway), overnight stay.
DAY 6: New Paltz & Poughkeepsie
Wallkill Valley Rail Trail (Binnewater Road lot) to the Rosendale Trestle Bridge and Springtown Truss Bridge ("A Quiet Place").
Historic Huguenot Street, New Paltz — 18th-century stone homes, free walking-tour apps.
Lunch at Lou's.
30 min to Poughkeepsie — Walkway Over the Hudson, then rooftop views at Zeus Brewing Company (178 Main St).
FAQ: Empire State Trail
How long is the Empire State Trail? 750 miles, Manhattan to the Canadian border.
Where does it start and end? Battery Park City, Manhattan → the Canadian border.
Is it paved? ~85% off-road, roughly three-quarters paved; western NY has stone-dust sections.
How many days for Buffalo to Albany? This itinerary covers Buffalo to the Hudson Valley in 6 days with stops; faster for point-to-point cyclists.
Is it accessible? Yes — groups like Rochester Accessible Adventures offer adaptive equipment, and many stretches are flat, paved rail trails.
