Get Ready to Cycle the Erie Canal in 2016

Parks & Trails New York’s Cycle the Erie Canal tour is returning for its 18th year this July. Experience one of the country’s premier multi-use trails as you cycle across the legendary Erie Canal Corridor. This fully supported, eight day ride includes more than 600 cyclists from dozens of states and countries as far away as Germany and Australia. Registration for the Cycle the Erie Canal Tour begins on January 4.

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The 2016 Cycle the Erie Canal Tour includes overnight camping accommodations, breakfast each morning, morning and afternoon rest areas, and dinner and entertainment options. Enjoy your day spent cycling and visiting small towns, museums and historic sites. Marvel at the natural beauty of the rolling farmland of America’s original frontier.



We’ll transport your luggage from each campsite to the next, so all you have to plan is your daily itinerary.


Updates for 2016 –

Return shuttle: Riders from Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and points west will be happy to hear we’ll once again be offering our shuttle from Albany back to Buffalo at the end of the ride. Less driving means more time to discover the Erie Canal, and there is so much to discover.

Erie Canal Trailblazers: Interested in cycling the whole tour for $100? Become a Cycle the Erie Canal Trailblazer and fundraise to help PTNY Close the Gaps in the Erie Canalway Trail. Registration is only $100 and includes a free Cycle the Erie Canal jersey and guidebook and special recognition on the tour. Trailblazer registration also opens on January 4.

Cycle the Erie Canal Jersey: A must-have souvenir from the ride, the 2016 Cycle the Erie Canal jersey features an 1852 watercolor of Little Falls and an 1896 map of the Erie Canal. Plus, the ¾ zip and 28+ UPF rating make this jersey great for summer riding.

Other merchandise options for this year's ride include a commemorative Cycle the Erie Canal pint glass and the new edition of the best-selling Cycling the Erie Canal guidebook.

Four-day and Weekend Options: If you don’t have the time for the entire 8-day tour, consider a shorter get away on the Erie Canalway Trail. PTNY's four-day and weekend options fit the tour to your schedule. They are great for families with kids and inexperienced riders.

In addition to these updates you’ll be glad to know that everything our past riders love about the tour – the scenery, history, and culture of the Erie Canalway Trail and the joy and camaraderie that come from cycling across New York State with hundreds of fellow riders – is the same. That means you are bound to have a great trip along the Erie Canal!

This video, filmed during last year’s Cycle the Erie Canal tour, helps capture the reasons why so many return to do the tour again.

Mark your calendars for July 10-17, 2016!



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