MOHAWK-HUDSON BIKEWAY LETTERBOXES:
NORTH & CENTRAL
NISKAYUNA & COHOES, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Planted: North Letterbox; June 30, 2004
Central Letterbox; June 29, 2005
Length:
Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway; 39 ¾ miles
Lock 7 parking lot to North Letterbox; .09 miles
Cohoes Falls/Enlarged Erie Canal Loop; 3 miles
Difficulty: Northern section: Moderate. Mostly paved trail with some on-road detours. Mainly flat except for a hilly section and a steep detour section.
Central section: Easy. Paved, flat rail trail. Both Letterboxes located along this section.
Eastern section: Easy. Paved, flat rail trail. However, one ¾ mile on-road section with 2 hills.
Cohoes Falls/Enlarged Erie Canal Loop: Moderate. Route consists of on-road sections, bike path sections and trails of paving stones and grass. Some hills. Mt bike recommended.
Directions:
To start from Kiwanis Park; Take exit 26 off of I-90 to Route 5S. Follow Route 5S to Kiwanis Park on your right.
To start from the Lock 7 parking lot; Take exit 6 off of I-87 to Route 7 west. Route 7 is known locally as Troy Schenectady Road. Travel about 3 miles west on Route 7 to Rosendale Road on the right. There will be a Lock 7 sign here also. Follow this road down and bear left at the sharp curve. River Road heads right, but you continue left. Travel about 1 ¾ miles to a sharp left in the road. Here, travel straight onto Lock 7 Road. The first parking lot is on the right next to the Bike Path. The second parking lot will be on the right for the Lock and the third lot is up the hill at the boat launch. A paved path takes you from the boat launch parking lot to the bike trail. Turn right onto the bike path and see clues.
To start from Niskayuna Lions Park; Take exit 6 off of I-87 to Route 7 west. Route 7 is known locally as Troy Schenectady Road. Travel about 3 miles west on Route 7 to Rosendale Road on the right. There will be a Lock 7 sign here also. Follow this road down and bear left at the sharp curve. River Road heads right, but you continue left. Immediately look right for the park entrance.
To start from the Colonie Town Park Trailside parking lot; Take exit 7 off of I-87 to Route 7 east. Then take Route 9 north and look for Old Loudon Road on your left a few miles up. After turning up Old Loudon Road, take you’re second left onto Schermerhorn Road. Take this road to the parking lot on your left where the trail crosses.
To start from the Alexander Street
parking lot; Take Route 470 (Columbia Street) into
Cohoes. Look up, for when you see the bike trail cross over the road via an old
railroad bridge, you take the next right onto
The Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway connects Albany
and Schenectady
Counties
in New York
's Capital district of upstate New York. The trail is part of the state-wide Canalway Trail that follows
the
Starting from Kiwanis
Park;
Note;
The trail runs west for 2 ¼ miles where it ends next to some railroad tracks.
Part of the western trail runs alongside a section of the former Erie Canal
Towpath. Currently, theirs no way to connect to the Canalway Trail,
which starts in Amsterdam, from this terminus. There is an on-road detour if you check out the map.
Heading east; The trail brings you through open fields near the highway interchange. At 1 ¼ miles, the trail continues straight, turning right would take you up to the bridge over the Mohawk River. You cross underneath this bridge and the trail rides above the river with some great views. This part of the trail is rolling hills. You come to Lock 8 and a parking lot at 2 ¼ miles. The locks along the river are operational and if you hang around long enough you might get to see them in operation. Just after 2 ½ miles will be a side path on your left that brings you to a viewing platform overlooking the river. You can see the dam next to Lock 8 if you look upstream. The trail pulls away from the river and you'll come to yellow building with the number 23 at 2 ¾ miles. The remains of an Erie Canal Lock are located here. You come to another parking lot near I-890 after 3 miles. You pick up your river views again after 4 miles and if you look across the highway, you'll see the massive GE building. The trail then descends closer to the river and you pass by a picnic area. You'll come to Columbus Drive Circle after 5 miles. The trail continues left around the circle. You pass by Gateway Landing, which contains a pier and pavilion, and head up to State St (Route 5) at 5.3 miles.
Note; You have two trail options from here:
Option A;
Hang a right and cross over the Western Gateway Bridge. There is a sidewalk over the bridge into
Scotia.
After crossing over the bridge, turn right down
Schonowee Ave
in front of "Jumpin Jacks Drive In" and the trail picks again
once you pass it. A good spot to grab some chow. Another paved trail follows
along on the opposite side of the road next to Collins Park. On your right will be
Freedom
Park
with its outdoor stage, picnic tables and bathrooms. There are also historical
markers along the trail here. The trail ends across from Kwanis
Way, where you can turn left and check out Collins Park and Lake
if you wish. Continue on-road along
Schonowee Ave (low volume traffic) and then turn left when it ends on Washington Ave. Take your next
right down Iroquis Street (you'll see a green bike route sign) and follow to where the trail picks up again.
This section of the trail
consists of old pavement and stone dust. You cross an open field following the
power lines and at 6.5 miles go underneath a railroad bridge. At about 7 ¼
miles you cross over
Johns
Canal
Bridge, a replica canal bridge. The trail ends again at 7 ½ miles next to the
Freemans
Bridge.
Note;
Right simply takes you under the bridge to the opposite side.
Use the sidewalk to cross over this bridge into Schenectady. After crossing over, turn right and a trail will take you underneath the bridge and out to Maxon Road Ext. Use Caution exiting the trail as it is overgrown and ends right at Maxon Rd. Again, Use Caution crossing over Maxon Rd as there is no cross-walk and very little shoulder. Travel right through the gravel lot, then utilize the narrow shoulder or grassy medium along Erie Blvd. Turn left up Seneca Street, cross the RR tracks and you'll return to the paved trail at 8 miles. Head left. This is the shortest and least dangerous way to reach the trail from the bridge. Only 0.3 miles.
Option B; Hang a left and follow the paved trail alongside State Street. You'll come to Washington Ave at 5.5 miles where the paved trail currently ends. Continue on-road another block to Church St.
Note; You have two route options from here:
Route 1; Continue along State St through downtown. A cross-light will take you across busy Erie Blvd. You then travel under a RR bridge and come to a section of downtown that is undergoing some nice redevelopment. Take a left down Clinton St at mile 6. This is a low volume street. You'll pass by the Schenectady County Public Library and then cross Union St onto Bartlett St. Take your next left on South Ave which brings you to Jay St. Turn right and you'll return to the paved trail at mile 6.7. Continue along the paved trail and you'll come to Nott Street at 7 miles. Here you need to turn right and head uphill before crossing back over to the trail. Here you'll spot some old RR tracks still along the side of the trail. You'll come to Seneca Street at 7.5 miles.
Route 2; Turn left down Church St and you'll know where it got its name. Some very nice old stone churches and the Mohawk Club building is beautiful. Turn right when you reach Front St. Many old buildings along this route (17-1800's). You'll come to an intersection with N Ferry St that includes a statue in the center of a traffic circle. Continue along Front St and you'll pass underneath a RR bridge. Eventually you'll travel through an industrial area and come to Erie Blvd. Use the cross-light, turn left, then right up Nott St under another RR bridge. A sidewalk is available along Nott St (medium traffic). You'll return to the paved trail on your right (heads back towards Schenectady) but you need to continue up the hill to a cross-light. This will take you across Nott Street at 6.8 miles and back to the paved trail as it heads away from Schenectady. Here you'll spot some old RR tracks still along the side of the trail. You'll come to Seneca Street at 7.3 miles.
From Seneca Street, this section of old rail trail is paved, straight and flat. You'll pass under transmission lines at 9 ½ miles (miles correspond to having used Option A) and cross a bridge over Route 146 at 10 ½ miles. Great views of the river from here. Just shy of 11 ½ miles the trail turns sharply and goes up a steep hill. This is a bypass around the GE Research & Development lot, as well as the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. This is the only tough section of the trail. You emerge from the forest in an open meadow and at 12 miles pass by a path on your right that leads up to a pavilion of some sort. The trail then takes you up and down past the GE entrance to the Blatnick Town Park entrance at 13 ¾ miles. A parking lot is located here. Do not continue straight, but instead turn left and follow the road up past the ball fields on your right. You pick up the trail here and take it down to a sharp right hand turn. A gate blocks the old trail that went down alongside the river; instead you head across a field with great river views to a steep descent down to the rivers edge. You now enter a flat, wooded trail that parallels the river. Keep an eye to your left for wooden mile marker #7 at 14 ½ miles. You'll also see a yellow mile marker #4 nearby. With your back to this marker and the river, look across the trail and spot a fallen log over some wire fence. From the top of this log, look uphill and slightly right to spot a large pile of rocks and wood. ONLY remove the top piece of wood and a rock with moss to reveal the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway North Letterbox. Please replace the rock carefully so as not to smash the box. Continuing along the trail, you'll come to a paved path on your left at 15 ¼ miles that will take you to the Lock 7 parking lot. After checking out the Lock, continue along the trail and you will pass under a red bridge at 16 ½ miles. Another ¼ mile brings you past an old railroad mile marker, S9, meaning Schenectady 9 miles. At 17 ½ miles you come to Niskayuna Lions Park. Here you'll find an old Railroad Station, beach, bathrooms and a parking lot next to the Mohawk River.
Starting from Niskayuna Lions Park; Heading east along the paved, former railroad bed, the Mohawk River is on your left along with some marshes. After 0.4 miles, you cross over the town line for Cohoes and leave the river view for a bit. You cross a bridge at 2 miles and get the best open views of the river on this section of the trail. Another ¼ mile takes you across a road and away from the river into a shaded woodland section. Hold your nose at 3.1 miles as you pass by a sewage treatment plant. There will be a steep hill descent that ends at Island View Road after 4 miles. Here begins a short ¾ mile on-road section along a quiet residential road. Turn right and follow the well signed road. At 4.3 miles you pass below the I-87 Bridge that crosses the Mohawk River and go up a short hill. Turn right at the intersection and the trail will pick up again at 4.8 miles just ahead a bit on the left. You'll come to the Colonie Town Park Trailside parking lot at 5.6 miles. Across the road to the left is the park entrance. Follow the trail straight across the road, where it runs alongside the Town Park. You'll pass by a small path on your left that leads into the park, then another dirt path on your right that leads up into the woods. Keep going and look for another side trail on your right at 5.8 miles. This will be directly opposite the parking lot for the Town Park, with the tennis courts behind them. The pool will be to the left and the ball fields to the right of this parking lot. From this path, continue 6 paces (2 steps = 1 pace) along the bike trail. Turn right and face the woods. Just behind a three-trunked-tree will be a 10 foot stump. About halfway up the stump will be a hollow cavity with rocks inside. Reach over the rocks and remove the top rock. This is weighing down the Mohawk Hudson Bikeway Central Letterbox, so please replace the rock when you’re through. Continuing along the trail, a path to your left goes to the ball fields and then you cross over a culvert. A tunnel takes you below Route 9 at 6 ¼ miles. Note the old railroad mileage marker at 6.9 miles. You come to Manor Ave in Cohoes at 7 ½ miles.
Note; You can take a detour down to view Cohoes Falls and follow part of the old Enlarged Erie Canal Trail and loop back around to this trail. See; COHOES FALLS/ENLARGED ERIE CANAL LOOP below.
After crossing over Manor Ave you pass through a couple of tunnels until you reach an old railroad bridge at 8.6 miles. This was the location of the old High Street Station. There is a sign board just across the bridge on your right that gives you a bit of history of the area. You then cross over Columbia Street via an old railroad bridge at 8.8 miles and finally arrive at the Alexander Street parking lot after 9 ½ miles. To reach the southern section of this trail from here you have to go on-road. See map for on-road route which appears to be about 4 miles give or take. See; Mohawk Hudson Bikeway South Letterbox.
COHOES FALLS/ENLARGED ERIE CANAL LOOP:
The Cohoes Falls/Enlarged Erie Canal Loop is a detour off the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway that allows you to check out the Cohoes Falls on the Mohawk River, as well as, some remaining sections of the old Enlarged Erie Canal and Clintons Ditch, its precursor. Your also able to check out the Harmony Mills Historic District. Most of the paths along the old canal are undeveloped at present, but ridable (Mt bike recommended). A few short hills are involved, as well as, some on-road sections (low traffic/residential). Future plans call for developing the overgrown paths along the canal and incorporating a route that links to the bikeway. To view the concept plan visit; COHOES NATIONAL HERITAGE TRAIL .
Starting from the Manor Ave/Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway intersection; Head left (east) down Manor Ave. This is on-road down a short hill (narrow sidewalk available). This brings you to N Mohawk St after only 0.2 miles. The Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway also travels along N Mohawk St. See; Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway .
Note; If you head left up N Mohawk St it will bring you to views of a dam across the Mohawk River, as well as, the start of the "power canal" that diverts water from the river for power. This is about a 1/2 mile on-road detour.
Heading right along N Mohawk St a wide sidewalk is available. You'll come to the Falls View Park parking lot at 0.3 miles. Across the road is Falls View Park. There are informational signs giving the history of the area, a pedestrian bridge over the "power canal", picnic tables and overlooks of Cohoes Falls. For more information visit; COHOES FALLS . After checking out the falls, return to the parking lot and head up the grassy knoll at the back of the parking lot. An old inlaid stone path travels left past the green bench and brings you past the remnants of Lock 18 which was part of the Enlarged Erie Canal. The stone path is overgrown, however, some clearing had begun when I visited in July 2009. After the Lock, follow an asphalt path down to Church St and start an on-road section. Head down Church St and take a right on Orchard St (residential). Turn left along Erie St, then right on Harmony St (low volume). Along your left you can occasionally see where the inlaid stone path followed the route of the Enlarged Erie Canal. Most of the path is overgrown and the canal buried. You'll come Vliet St after about a mile.
Note; Before you continue along the old Enlarged Erie Canal take a quick detour left down Vliet St to N Mohawk St (only 0.1 miles). Here you'll find the Harmony Mills Historic District. Beautiful old brick Harmony Mill buildings to your left and remnants of Clintons Ditch to your right. Clintons Ditch (1825-1842) was the precursor to the Enlarged Erie Canal (1842-1915).
From the end of Harmony St use the cross-walk on your left over Vliet St to return to the off-road trail. Again, this trail follows the old inlaid stone path along an overgrown trail. You'll pass by the overgrown Lock 15 of the Enlarged Erie Canal and come to a paved road (Standish Pl) where the canal disappears again at 1.3 miles. Follow this road out to Ontario St and head right to High St. Turn right up High St along a short hill and travel under an old RR bridge now used by the bikeway. Turn left up Younglove Ave and you can access the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway on your left at the old High Street Station after 1.6 miles. From here you can choose to continue right along the trail or head left to complete a loop back to Manor Ave at 3 miles.
HH
NORTH LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
AUGUST 12, 2007
CENTRAL LETTERBOX LAST VERIFIED ON
AUGUST 13, 2007
TO EMAIL A VERIFICATION
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT LETTERBOXING