Old Rail Road Bed.
This 1.9-mile dirt track delivers an easy walk with almost no elevation to speak of. The old railroad grade keeps the footing predictable and the grades gentle, so you can cover ground without thinking much about your feet. It's the kind of trail you pick when you want movement more than drama, or when you're breaking in new boots and don't need roots and rocks complicating things.
Seasonal pattern for this trail · live closures appear above
- DirtSurface
Read the line before you walk it.
What the trailhead is doing today.
Where the hike begins.
Guides, outfitters & shuttles.
If you’re already out here.
Lake Placid.
The corner of the Park this trail calls home — its hamlets, waters, lodging, and the rest of its field record.
Read the Region→
Make a weekend of it.
Closest editorial picks for a meal, a scoop, a pint, a bed, and a sight worth your time.
Eat.
1— 23.5 mi to the nearest table out here; plan the drive to dinner.
Sweet.
2- Whitebrook Dairy Bar21.4 mi
A classic roadside drive-in on Route 86 in Wilmington, five minutes from Whiteface — creamy soft serve (try the peanut-butter dip) plus footlongs and the Wilmington burger. Opening day is a local rite of spring.
- Sugar House Creamery24.8 mi
Sugar House Creamery is a farmstead creamery located in the Adirondacks, producing artisanal cheeses from the milk of their own cows. They offer a variety of cheeses, showcasing the quality of their local dairy.
— 21.4 mi to the nearest scoop; save it for the ride home.
Drink.
1— 23.5 mi to the nearest pint; appoint a driver.
Stay.
4- Cadence Lodge at Whiteface21.6 mi
Cadence Lodge in Wilmington, NY, offers an ideal base camp for outdoor adventurers. The property features recently updated guest rooms with amenities to enhance your stay, including a restaurant onsite, weekend breakfast options, and…
- Mountain Brook Lodge21.6 mi
Welcome to your home away from home! Mountain Brook Lodge offers a unique blend of comfort and convenience, ensuring your stay is memorable. We pride ourselves on offering a variety of amenities to make your stay as comfortable as…
- Adirondack Spruce Lodge21.6 mi
Twenty-seven-room independent lodge in Wilmington village, minutes from Whiteface Mountain and walking distance from the Ausable River. Complimentary breakfast, fire pit, and Adirondack-character rooms.
- Wolfjaw Lodge21.7 mi
Welcome to the totally transformed Wolfjaw Lodge, located at the base of Whiteface Mountain, just a 2-minute drive from both Whiteface and Wilmington beach. Each of our 2 private houses and 11 lodge rooms and suites has been recently…
— 21.6 mi to the nearest bed on the register; book before you go.
See.
4- Ausable Chasm18.6 mi
A sandstone gorge attraction on US 9 in Ausable Chasm, with rim trails, walkways through the gorge floor, and add-on tubing and rafting on the Ausable River. Open seasonally, roughly mid-May through Columbus Day.
- Summit Weather Observatory24.1 mi
The Summit Weather Observatory, part of the University at Albany's Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC), provides real-time weather conditions and data from its observatory at the summit of Whiteface Mountain and a field station at…
- High Falls Gorge25.0 mi
A 22-acre privately owned nature park on Route 86 in Wilmington with rim trails, glass-floor walkways over Ausable River waterfalls, a cafe, and gift shop. Open year-round, weather permitting.
- Upper Jay Art Center and Recovery Lounge25.0 mi
The Upper Jay Art Center and Recovery Lounge is a vibrant venue dedicated to presenting music, theater, and visual arts in Upper Jay, NY. It serves as a community hub for various cultural events.
— 18.6 mi to the nearest sight on file; fold it into the drive.
Add to the record.
Free, takes thirty seconds. Yours forever.
Every page on this site gets better when readers contribute. Mark a peak you’ve climbed, drop a photo, file a field note, or flag a correction — every addition makes the next visitor’s page better.
Add a shot.
Sunrise on the dock, a cairn at the summit, a bend on the trail. Your camera roll, our archive.
Add a photo →File a report.
Trail conditions, water level, bug pressure, blowdown. The kind of detail that helps the next person plan.
Write a field note →Spot something off?
Wrong elevation, outdated access notes, a coordinate that's drifted. We'd rather hear it than miss it.
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Frequently asked.
- How long is the Old Rail Road Bed?The Old Rail Road Bed is approximately 1.93 miles (3.1 kilometers) — a short out-and-back suitable for most fitness levels.