A modern adventure through Roosevelt's Adirondacks

In the predawn hours of September 14, 1901, a rain-soaked buckboard wagon rattled out of the Adirondack wilderness and into American history. Inside was Theodore Roosevelt, still muddy from a mountain descent, racing toward a train station and a presidency he never expected to inherit so soon. This year marks 125 years since that ride, and the terrain that shaped it is still here: the same peaks, the same river headwaters, the same long miles between Tahawus and North Creek. This is an invitation to go find them, on foot and by bike.

The night that made a president

The story starts a week earlier and four hundred miles away. On September 6, 1901, President William McKinley was shot and seriously injured while greeting the public at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo. Roosevelt, then vice president, rushed to Buffalo, but as McKinley's condition seemed to stabilize, aides encouraged him to resume his vacation. He headed for the Tahawus Club near Newcomb, a remote hunting retreat deep in the High Peaks, and he set out to climb Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York State.

He reached the summit in rough weather and was on his way back down, resting at Lake Tear of the Clouds, the tiny, high-elevation pond that feeds the Hudson River, when a Tahawus Club guide named Harrison Hall arrived on foot with a telegram: McKinley had taken a sudden turn for the worse. Roosevelt hiked back down to the clubhouse to wait for further word. It came just before midnight. He climbed into a one-seat wagon and began a relay of drivers and horses across nearly forty miles of rough, dark road, first to the Tahawus post office, then on to Aiden Lair Lodge in Minerva, and finally into North Creek. He arrived around sunrise on September 14 to learn that McKinley had died hours earlier, at 2:15 that morning. Roosevelt boarded a train for Buffalo, where he took the oath of office as the 26th President of the United States.

Why retrace it now

The roads have long since been paved, and Roosevelt's wagon relay isn't something anyone needs to reenact mile for mile to feel its weight. What this route still offers is scale: the same remoteness, the same river source, the same stretch of Adirondack towns strung between wilderness and railroad. Pairing a hike to Lake Tear of the Clouds with a bike ride toward North Creek turns that history into something you experience in your own legs and lungs. For endurance athletes, the full route offers a unique challenge with a fascinating backstory. But you don't have to tackle it all at once: choose the pieces that appeal to you and string them together into your own Adirondack adventure.

The hike: Upper Works to Lake Tear of the Clouds

The journey begins at the Upper Works Trailhead outside Newcomb, in view of the MacNaughton Cottage where Roosevelt's ride actually began. From the trailhead, the Calamity Brook route runs along its namesake stream past Flowed Lands and Lake Colden before climbing to Lake Tear of the Clouds, about 8.6 miles and 2,500 feet of gain from the parking lot. Standing at the pond's edge, at 4,293 feet the highest source of the Hudson River, is standing exactly where Roosevelt got the news that changed the course of his life. Mount Marcy's summit is visible from here, deceptively close, with roughly a thousand feet of climbing still ahead and 1.3 miles of trail. Hikers chasing the full experience can continue to the top, completing a 10.3-mile, one-way push before retracing the route back to Upper Works, a serious full-day undertaking best started early and respected for what it is: one of the more demanding day hikes in the High Peaks.

Not everyone needs to summit to make this worthwhile. The interpretive trail through the Adirondac village and out to the old blast furnace is a short, flat walk that still delivers the history and the setting. Flowed Lands and Lake Colden, a few miles in, offer wide-open mountain views and a natural turnaround point for hikers who want a taste of the wilderness without the full commitment to Marcy. Either way, the mountains that watched Roosevelt receive his telegram are the same ones overhead now.

The ride: following the wagon road toward North Creek

Back at the trailhead, the adventure shifts from boots to wheels. Roosevelt's stagecoach relay carried him from the Tahawus Club through the Tahawus post office, on to Aiden Lair Lodge in Minerva, and finally into North Creek, a journey of roughly forty miles through what was, in 1901, some of the roughest road in the state. Today those same corridors, largely along Route 28N and the connecting roads through Minerva, make for a scenic and historically loaded cycling route for anyone looking to extend the day's effort and is now known as the Roosevelt-Marcy Trail Scenic Byway. A roadside marker between Newcomb and Minerva, placed in 1908 near the spot where Roosevelt is believed to have become president somewhere along the dark road, is worth a stop. So is the site of Aiden Lair Lodge itself, where Roosevelt changed wagons for the final, fastest leg of the trip.

The ride doesn't need to be a single unbroken effort to earn its connection to the story. Riders can choose their own distance, turn a short out-and-back from Newcomb into an easy afternoon, or commit to the fuller stretch into North Creek for a true endurance day layered on top of the morning's hike. And if cycling isn't your thing, you can drive the route instead, taking in the same landscape and following the story at your own pace.

Newcomb, Minerva, and North Creek

Three small towns anchor this route, and each rewards a slower look. Newcomb sits closest to the trailhead and carries the story's opening chapter, home to the Tahawus Club lands, Upper Works, and the region's deepest concentration of Roosevelt history. Minerva, roughly at the route's midpoint, holds the Aiden Lair site and long stretches of quiet, tree-lined road that still feel remote in exactly the way Roosevelt's account describes. North Creek closes the loop as the place where the story turned, home to the historic train depot where Roosevelt learned he was president and boarded the train that carried him toward Buffalo. The depot now houses a museum dedicated to that history, a fitting place to end the day and let the story sink in before heading out for dinner or a well-earned night's rest in one of the small inns and lodges scattered along the route.

Timing it to the anniversary

This year adds an extra layer of meaning. September 2026 marks 125 years since Roosevelt's ride, and the Town of Newcomb is marking the occasion with its annual TR Weekend, running September 11 through 13, featuring living history reenactments, wagon rides, guided tours, and family-friendly programming built around the anniversary.

Late summer and early fall are also simply the right season for this route on their own terms. Roosevelt's journey unfolded in the same window, as the Adirondacks shift from summer green toward the first edges of color, and the days are still long enough to make a serious hike or ride feel manageable without racing the dark, at least until you're the one trying to beat a train.

The legacy on the trail

What makes this route worth retracing isn't the chance to replicate history exactly. It's the chance to move through the same landscape that shaped one of the most consequential nights in American political history and feel, even briefly, the scale of what Roosevelt was up against: real mountains, real distance, real weather. Whether the day ends at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the summit of Marcy, or after a long ride into North Creek, the reward is the same. A closer understanding of a story that's been told for 125 years, earned the hard way, through the same wild country that made it happen in the first place.

Gravel, great camps, and overnight options

The Adirondack Hub has quietly become one of the best-kept secrets for gravel riders in the Adirondacks. The region stretches from the shoulder of the High Peaks all the way into Hamilton County, six towns (Minerva, North Hudson, Schroon Lake, Newcomb, Long Lake, and Indian Lake) linked by quiet roads, old carriage trails, and some of the most remote gravel in the park.

This isn't a region you ride through quickly. It's a region you plan a trip around. Got an afternoon or a long weekend? String together day rides, overnight routes, and the camping and in-town stops that make it all work.

Day rides

Great Camp Santanoni, Newcomb

The old carriage road to Santanoni is one of the easiest entry points into this region's history on two wheels. The wide, gently graded gravel road winds through the forest to Newcomb Lake, where the only publicly owned Great Camp in the Adirondacks sits along the water’s edge. Managed as part of the state Forest Preserve, the route is roughly 10 miles round trip with about 690 feet of total elevation gain. 

Motorized traffic, including e-bikes, isn't allowed past the gate, so the road stays quiet. Come winter, the carriage road transforms into a popular cross-country ski trail, offering another way to experience the route. Check the Great Camp Santanoni website for the latest information on tour schedules, guided tours, events, and other seasonal updates.

Boreas Ponds Gravel Route, North Hudson

Gulf Brook Road provides access to the Boreas Ponds Tract, one of the newer and wilder additions to the Adirondack Forest Preserve, and offers several ways to tackle the route depending on the level of difficulty you're after. Choose from an easy route of 6.9 miles with 525 feet of elevation gain, an intermediate route of 13.2 miles with 1,255 feet of elevation gain, or a difficult route of 19.6 miles with 1,769 feet of elevation gain. The easy route is seasonal, when the entrance gate is open and motor vehicle access to the recommended starting point is possible. Learn more about the Boreas Ponds routes on the Adirondack Hub page.

As you ride toward the ponds, the High Peaks—including Marcy, Haystack, Gothics, and Saddleback—rise in the distance. Bikes aren't allowed past the dam, but the ride still delivers an impressive finish at the edge of the 320-acre Boreas Ponds, surrounded by Forest Preserve in every direction. With camping options throughout the surrounding Boreas Ponds Tract area, it's also easy to turn the ride into an overnight adventure.

Black Fly Challenge Course, Indian Lake to Inlet

If you want a taste of what makes this region a genuine gravel destination, ride the course used for the annual Black Fly Challenge. The full route can be ridden from Indian Lake to Inlet or in the opposite direction, with either option covering about 40 miles and 2,500 feet of elevation gain. More than half of the course cuts through the Moose River Recreation Area on a mix of dirt, gravel, sand, and exposed rock, with real elevation change built in.

Ride the full course in a single day for a challenging day trip, or take your time and split it into two days, with a variety of camping options along the way. Either way, you'll get a taste of the rugged terrain and backcountry riding that has helped the Black Fly Challenge develop a cult following among Adirondack gravel riders.

Overnight and multi-day routes

Blue Ridge Road, Newcomb to North Hudson

Blue Ridge Road is the connective tissue of the region, linking Newcomb and North Hudson across a mix of paved road and gravel shoulders. For a longer overnight adventure, use it as the backbone of a two-day route, with options to add side trips, camp along the way, or extend your ride into the North Hudson and Schroon Lake area. You can even turn the outing into a two-night adventure by stopping at the Boreas Ponds Tract and dedicating a day to riding Gulf Brook Road to the dam before continuing toward North Hudson.

Day 1: Newcomb to Blue Ridge Falls / North Hudson (20–25 miles)

Begin in Newcomb near the Route 28N junction, where you can grab last-minute snacks or water before turning onto Blue Ridge Road (CR 84). Roll east through rolling, heavily forested terrain with minimal traffic, enjoying long, sweeping descents and intermittent mountain views along the way. For extra miles and a dose of local history, take a side trip toward Tahawus or the Adirondack Interpretive Center trail networks. In the afternoon, stop at Blue Ridge Falls Viewpoint to take in the roadside cascades before continuing toward North Hudson. For the night, pitch your tent at a primitive designated campsite along the corridor, or opt for a campground with more amenities at Spacious Skies Adirondack Peaks or Frontier Town Campground.

Day 2: North Hudson Return

Start the day by exploring the gravel tracks around the area, or head south toward Schroon Lake for breakfast and local coffee. When you're ready to wrap up the trip, retrace your route toward Newcomb.

Teddy's Trail

For riders looking to rack up some serious mileage, Teddy's Trail is an 80-mile loop through the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, with long views of the Hudson River and plenty of options for a two-day adventure. Camp at a regional campground or primitive site, or take advantage of lodging and dining in Newcomb, Minerva, North Creek, Indian Lake, Blue Mountain Lake, and Long Lake. As a closed loop, there’s no single “right” way to ride it, so choose your starting point based on your preferred mileage, parking, or connection to the route’s history. The trail commemorates Vice President Theodore Roosevelt’s September 1901 journey through the Adirondacks, making Newcomb a particularly fitting place to begin.

Day 1: Newcomb to Indian Lake (via Long Lake & Blue Mountain Lake)

Covering roughly 36 miles, Day 1 combines sustained mountain climbs, steep descents, and scenic lakeside stretches along Routes 28N and 30. Begin in Newcomb, where Theodore Roosevelt was staying when he learned he would become president, then head west on Route 28N toward Long Lake through remote wilderness with High Peaks views before dropping into town for lunch or snacks along the water. From there, turn south onto Route 30 toward Blue Mountain Lake, with steady climbing and a chance to stop at the Adirondack Experience Museum, before continuing southeast through deep forests and past small ponds to Indian Lake. Spend the night at Lewey Lake Campground just south of town or at one of the primitive campsites around Indian Lake.

Day 2: Indian Lake to Newcomb (via North Creek & Minerva)

Covering roughly 44 miles, Day 2 winds through rolling river valleys, follows the Upper Hudson River, and climbs gradually along wide-shouldered country highways. Head east from Indian Lake on Route 28 toward North Creek, a scenic stretch that parallels the Boreas and Hudson Rivers. In North Creek, take a break for a full grocery resupply or bakery stop before crossing the Hudson River and turning north onto Route 28N toward Minerva. From there, continue through the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest, where long climbs and wide-open mountain views make for a challenging finish before the route brings you back to Newcomb.

In town

Each of the six Hub towns (Minerva, North Hudson, Schroon Lake, Newcomb, Indian Lake, and Long Lake) has its own quirks and character worth exploring. Beyond riding, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for paddling, fishing, hiking, and other outdoor adventures, while attractions, dining, lodging, and other amenities make it easy to build in a little time off the bike. The region’s quintessential Adirondack general stores are also worthwhile stops, whether you need to stock up on snacks and supplies for the road or simply want to make a detour part of the adventure.

A few notes before you go

This is a fall-or-summer trip depending on what you're after. Summer gives you the longest daylight for bigger loops like Teddy's Trail; fall brings cooler riding temperatures, fewer bugs on the Moose River Plains sections, and better color if you're timing it for the leaves. Either way, cell service is spotty to nonexistent through most of these routes, so carry a paper map or downloaded GPX file, tell someone your route, and pack more water than you think you'll need. Gravel out here can turn to sand, rock, or washboard without much warning. Some sections also connect with or follow busier roads, so ride defensively, stay alert to traffic, and use appropriate visibility and safety gear. Most importantly, practice Leave No Trace principles and respect the land, communities, and other people sharing these routes. Pack out what you pack in, stay on designated roads and trails, and help protect the wild character that makes the Adirondacks such a special place to ride.