About the 2026 Tour
This exclusive, fully supported three-day, two-night tour will cover approximately 125 miles along the Erie Canalway Trail portion of the Empire State Trail, from Buffalo to Rochester. Along the way, we’ll meet with mayors, economic development leaders, trail advocates, and community builders who are working to harness the extraordinary potential of trail-oriented development — and we’ll see firsthand what’s working, what’s not, and where PTNY can help.
The tour concludes with a festive Friendraiser in Rochester on the evening of June 17th, bringing together our riders and 100 of our most ardent allies and PTNY members from the greater Rochester area to celebrate the trail, the communities along it, and the movement we’re building together.
Who should join?
This tour is designed for people who care deeply about trails, communities, and the future of New York State — cyclists, planners, advocates, philanthropists, public officials, and anyone who believes that a great trail can transform a community. You don’t need to be a competitive cyclist, but you should be comfortable riding 35–50 miles a day over three days. The route is mostly paved and well-marked along the Empire State Trail.
Class I and Class II pedal-assist e-bikes are welcome. Registration is capped at 18 participants, and we ask a donation of $1,700 to participate, which covers two nights of lodging, most meals, and SAG/luggage support throughout the tour.
Interested in learning more?
Join our webinar on March 27 at 12pm, where we’ll discuss the upcoming tour–plus updates in our Trail Oriented Development work, how we’re supporting trail-side communities, our work to expand New York’s greenways network, and our upcoming Economic Impact Report on the Empire State Trail.
June 13-14
Optional Buffalo Ride
- For those who want to make the most of the journey, we encourage arriving in Buffalo on Saturday or early Sunday. We are pleased to recommend the iconic Richardson Hotel as your base — a stunning adaptive reuse of H.H. Richardson’s magnificent 1870s Romanesque asylum complex on the city’s west side, now one of the most architecturally remarkable hotels in New York State. Guests who arrive early can join an optional ride exploring Buffalo’s extraordinary architectural heritage and rich history of urban parks, from the Olmsted-designed Delaware Park to the waterfront. Buffalo rewards the curious cyclist.
Monday, June 15
Buffalo to Lockport
- We begin at Canalside in downtown Buffalo — the western terminus of the Erie Canal and one of the most compelling trail-town stories in New York State. Once a derelict stretch of post-industrial waterfront, Canalside has been dramatically transformed over the past decade through significant public and private investment into a vibrant destination for concerts, kayaking, ice skating, and waterfront dining. The historic terminus of the longest hand-dug canal in the Western Hemisphere is alive again — and yet, as we’ll explore with local leaders, the full potential of this remarkable place as a gateway to the Erie Canalway Trail and an engine of trail-oriented development is still very much a work in progress. It’s a perfect starting point for a study tour.
- From Canalside we ride north along the Niagara River, exploring Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Park — a dramatic transformation of a former industrial waterfront — before heading into the Tonawandas to meet with local leaders working to connect their communities to the trail. The afternoon carries us through quieter stretches of trail before arriving in Lockport, home of the iconic Flight of Five locks and a downtown that is quietly turning its canal heritage into an economic engine.
- Highlights: Canalside Buffalo · Ralph Wilson Park · Niagara River corridor · North Tonawanda shoreline trail · Flight of Five, Lockport · Dinner and evening meeting with Lockport economic development leaders
Tuesday, June 16
Lockport to brockport
- The longest day rewards with some of the most scenic and storied stretches of the Canalway Trail. After breakfast in Lockport we ride through Gasport and into Medina — a small city with big ideas. We’ll explore redevelopment along its Main Street and connect with organizers of the remarkable Medina Triennial, an outdoor public art event that has put this canal town on the cultural map. An afternoon stop in Albion offers a look at heritage tourism taking shape around the canal, before we arrive in Brockport — a walkable college town where a newly rebuilt pedestrian bridge and a revitalized downtown are drawing renewed energy.
- Highlights: Medina Triennial public art · Main Street redevelopment · Albion canal heritage · Brockport pedestrian bridge and SUNY campus connection · Dinner and evening discussion
Wednesday, June 17
Brockport to rochester
- We finish strong, riding into New York’s third-largest city through the Genesee Valley — one of Frederick Law Olmsted’s masterworks — and into downtown Rochester’s rapidly evolving trail network, including the celebrated Inner Loop removal project and the emerging El Camino neighborhood trail. The afternoon concludes with a tour of Rochester’s Inner Harbor area.
- Then the real party begins. That evening, we’re hosting a festive Friendraiser — a celebration of the Erie Canalway Trail and the communities it connects — bringing together our study tour riders and approximately 100 of PTNY’s most committed members, donors, and allies from the greater Rochester region. It’s a fitting and joyful cap to 125 miles of discovery, and a powerful reminder of why this work matters.
- Highlights: Genesee Valley Park (Olmsted legacy) · Downtown Rochester cycle track · High Falls State Park · Rochester Inner Harbor · Friendraiser celebration with Rochester-area PTNY community
A note on getting home: Amtrak offers multiple evening departures from Rochester back to Buffalo for those heading that direction. For riders returning to New York City, however, the last eastbound departure is at 1:34 PM — which means most NYC-bound participants will want to plan on staying Wednesday night in Rochester and catching a Thursday morning train. (Yes, this is the state of our passenger rail network — which is one more reason PTNY’s work matters.) We’ll share full Amtrak schedules with all registered participants.