The Warren County Bikeway is a paved 9.4 mile multi-use trail for bicycling, walking and running. The bikeway begins at Platt Street in downtown Glens Falls and continues north with rolling hills to Ft. George Road in Lake George. There are (2) parking lots for public use located on Leonard Street in the City of Glens Falls and Country Club Road in the Town of Queensbury. Where a separate trail was not possible, the trail intersects with local roads and shares the shoulder of the road. The bikeway has several kiosks with maps of the area and many points of interest. There are also several historical signs telling of times past and historical events. The bikeway becomes a shared use trail with the South Warren Snowmobile Club as a designated snowmobile trail in December through March. The snowmobile trail begins at the intersection of Bloody Pond Road and continues north to Ft. George Road.
History of the Bikeway
The origin of the bikeway is a branch of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad line. This D & H railroad branch, constructed in 1882, joined the main line at Fort Edward and traveled northbound ending at the railroad station in Lake George (currently called “The Station” on Beach Road, next to Battlefield Park across from the lake). Before automobiles traveled the highways, this popular rail line was used by vacationers and travelers from New York City and Albany. Conveniently located across the street from the railroad station, the steamboats on Lake George would depart from the steel pier (as they still do today with the Lake George Steamboat Company) for an enjoyable boat cruise up the lake. In fact, it was such a popular summer activity that five daily trains to and from Lake George were scheduled – all to accommodate the departure and arrival times of the boat cruises at the pier.
Construction of the Bikeway
The bikeway was constructed in four phases. The first section was established in 1978 and began at the intersection of Glenwood Avenue north to State Route 9. W. Keith DeLarm, Supervisor for the Town of Hague for nearly two decades, worked to create a bike path throughout Warren County which was dedicated and named for him upon his death in 1979. "They said it couldn't be done. Well, it's done," remarked Thomas Murphy, county supervisor from Queensbury, at the dedication. Murphy, founder and chairman of county's Parks and Recreation Committee, was very active in developing the bikeway. Patrick Beland, Parks & Recreation Director at the time, was in charge of overseeing the project and its development. In the fall of 1978 the second section of the bikeway began at Bloody Pond Road to Ft. George and was completed in 1979. In 1999, the third section was added from Quaker Road to Cooper Street in the City of Glens Falls. A 242’ prefabricated truss bridge was placed over Quaker Road for pedestrians and cyclists to connect to the northern section of the bikeway for a safe passage over the busy highway. The bridge was dedicated on June 17, 2000 to Gerald B. Solomon, a Queensbury native who served as a member of the Warren County Board of Supervisors. He was elected to the House of Representatives and served until his retirement in 1999. The final section of the bikeway from Leonard Street to Platt Street, in downtown Glens Falls, was constructed in 2000 completing the 9.4 mile bikeway.
Four great seasons - one outstanding destination!