Revolution Rail & the Adirondacks

Last week my hubs and I drove to the Adirondack mountains for a quick overnight getaway.  We were looking for someplace that was new to us but within driving distance.  After seeing a blog post on facebook for Revolution Rail, we decided to book a night in North Creek, NY.  It was a 6 hour drive, plus stops for snacks and washroom, but the drive itself was super easy.  You don’t stay on the Interstate very long and it’s mainly windy roads as you drive through the region.

North Creek is a small Hamlet in the Gore Mountain region of Adirondack Park.  While Main Street isn’t very long, it has everything you could need.  Because we only stayed the one night we didn’t have much time to explore the area but we did head to a wine bar called BarVino for some after dinner drinks.  And before heading back on the road we stopped in at Café Sarah for coffee and cookies.

We stayed at The Alpine Lodge and I would highly recommend it.  It doesn’t have much by way for amenities, but the rooms were cozy and decked out in what you’d want a mountain lodge to look like (think antler lamps and Navajo prints).  There’s no front desk so you get emailed with your room passcode and that’s it.  There’s a common room that also has a passcode with a cozy fireplace and they offer continental breakfast and coffee.

We chose The Alpine Lodge because it was close to Revolution Rail… less than a minute drive.  We arrived in North Creek Friday late afternoon and were ready to hit the RevRail Trail the next day.

There are four timeslots available and we booked Saturday morning at 8:30 (but only because the 10:30 slot was full, but there is also a 12:30 and 2:30 timeslot).  The website recommended we arrive 30 minutes prior to our slot so that we could check in, get the waivers signed, etc.  There is a gift shop with branded items to purchase.  From the gift shop we took a bus to the start/finish area, which was less than a 10 minute drive.

There’s no specific order to the railbikes.  So once you get off the bus, you just need to find a quad or a tandem, depending on what you booked.  My hubs and I ended up with the very last railbike, but that meant we were the first in line on the way back.  We liked that spot!  The entire trail is 3.5 miles one way and then 3.5 miles back (so just over 11 km total).  It should take you around two hours.  At the end of the 3.5 track, the guides will turn the railbikes around and then you peddle your way back to the start/finish spot.

Each railbike has a basket for a bag or backpack.  We brought snacks, water, ponchos (they go rain or shine) and I brought a blanket scarf just in case I got chilly (which I did, so I was glad to have it!)

The only downside is you are at the mercy of the group in front of you.  We had a group (two quads) who likely had never seen the trees like that before because they kept stopping to get off the railbikes to take pictures.  It held everyone up because they had to wait for us before being able to turn the railbikes around (almost a full half hour).

The trail follows the Hudson River and the trees in all their fall colours were beautiful.  If we went a week or two earlier the colours would have been incredibly vibrant… about half of the trees were bare, but it was still so fun and pretty.

You are never alone on the trail.  There are guides at the front and at the back.  They do recommend you leave about 80 feet between the railbike in front, to allow for photos, etc.

I’m so glad my hubs and I decided on this impromptu overnight stay in the Adirondacks… and to think, all because of a facebook blog post   I would definitely recommend this excursion should you find yourself in the area.

**Pro tips:

• I would recommend you use the washrooms before you arrive.  There are only outhouses available once you’re on the track.
• They only run until the end of October and they book up fast.  So if you’re thinking about this for next year, make sure to book early (their website doesn’t say when they re-open in the spring or summer)