Cycle The Erie Canal Makes Stop In Fairport

As The Erie Canal celebrates its 200th anniversary the Cycle the Erie Canal is in full swing!  

The 400-mile, fully-supported bike tour takes riders from Buffalo to Albany in 8 days. And this year, they’re celebrating the bicentennial of the Erie Canal. Riders cover about 40 to 60 miles per day 

Covering between 40 and 60 miles per day, cyclists experience scenic vistas, pivotal history, and unparalleled cycling. 

According to Cycle The Erie Canal, the Trail is more than 85 percent off-road and suitable for all ages and abilities.

Find the daily Itinerary below:

GATHERING & CHECK-IN DAY

Saturday 7/12/25

BUFFALO: PRE-RIDE EVENTS

Nichols School

1250 Amherst Street

Buffalo, NY

Dinner, Overnight camping available, Saturday downtown ride, Pre-Ride Niagara Falls, Wine Tasting, Music

DAY ONE

Sunday 7/13/25

BUFFALO TO MEDINA: 49 MILES

Overnight: Medina Central Schools

1 Mustang Drive

Medina NY 14103

Ride along the Niagara River from Buffalo.

Take a boat ride through canal locks, developed to allow boats to navigate the different elevations along the canal.

At Lockport, explore underground sluiceways, caves, and the “Upsidedown Bridge” as you begin to ride 400 miles of Canalway Trail through charming villages and rolling farmland.

Spend the night in Medina, a lovely village reminiscent of the historic era of the original canal.

DAY TWO

Monday 7/14/25

MEDINA TO FAIRPORT: 62 MILES

Overnight: Center Park West 1100 Ayrault Rd Fairport, NY 14450

Relax at rest stops in friendly “port” villages such as Holley, Brockport, and Spencerport, where a unique “lift bridge” carries Main Street over the canal. Take a short excursion along the Genesee River bike path into downtown Rochester, with its spectacular waterfalls. Stop in Pittsford and visit Pittsford’s popular Schoen Place, where you’ll find boutiques, galleries, and cafes. Finish the day in Fairport and visit Packett’s Landing Wharf

DAY THREE

Tuesday 7/15/25

FAIRPORT to SENECA FALLS: 52 Miles

Overnight: Elks Lodge 2221 River Rd, Seneca Falls, NY

Watch bridge tenders raise and lower the famous Erie Canal lift bridges as you cycle through quaint canal towns. Take a refreshing break at the historic Peppermint Museum and learn why Lyons was once considered the peppermint capital of the world. Leaving the rest stop in Clyde we come off the Erie Canalway Trail and head South towards Seneca Falls on rolling country back roads. Look for the Amish families that sell riders baked goods and ice cream every year. At the end of your day, tour Seneca Falls, birthplace of the modern women’s movement. Visit the Women’s Rights National Historic Park, National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Elizabeth Cady Stanton home. Dinner on your own—enjoy the local eateries.

DAY FOUR

Wednesday 7/16/25

SENECA FALLS TO SYRACUSE: 44 MILES

Overnight: Burnet Park, 577 Burnet Park Dr, Syracuse, NY

Visit the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.Cool down in the Visitors Center at the Old Erie Canal Heritage Park at Port Byron, then pedal through the authentic enlarged Erie Canal Lock 52 to the c. 1895 Erie House Saloon, Blacksmith Shop, and Mule Barn Take a break in the Village of Jordan and visit the Jordan Historical Society Museum, enjoy the flower gardens in the bed of the old canal, then continue on the towpath on an original aqueduct over Skaneateles Creek. Follow the canal towpath to Camillus’ Erie Canal Park and stop by the park’s Sims Store, a re-creation of a 19th century general store. Take a boat ride on a restored aqueduct. Have a bite and brew at a pub or coffee house in Syracuse’s trendy Armory Square and tour the Erie Canal Museum in the Weighlock Building.

DAY FIVE

Thursday 7/17/25

SYRACUSE TO ROME: 48 MILES

OVERNIGHT: Fort Stanwix, 200 N. James St., Rome, NY 13440

Spend a leisurely day riding along the serene Old Erie Canal State Park. Visit the Chittenango Canal Museum and dry docks and the Canastota Canal Town Museum. See the location where the first shovel of dirt was turned for “Clinton’s Ditch.” Tour Fort Stanwix National Monument, a restored fort where local battles shaped the outcome of the American Revolution. Celebrate at Rome’s Cycle the Erie Welcoming Block Party – live music, food and beverage vendors & local artist vendors await! Dinner on own.