South Branch Trail
- 1.8 mi
- round trip
- 120 ft
- climb
- Singletrack
- surface
- Out and back
- route
- Jun, Aug–Sep
- best months
South Branch Trail is a short, easy mountain biking route in the Black River Wild Forest, a State Department of Conservation land unit in New York's Adirondacks. The trail is about 1.8 miles long, and the out-and-back route covers roughly 3.6 miles with a total climb of about 120 feet, making it a gentle ride for riders looking to spend a few miles on a low-elevation path. Summer is the most comfortable time to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Old Forge show July highs around 75°F with lows near 54°F, while winter highs there stay in the 20s. Wolf Lake Landing Road and Bear Lake Trail are both within about a mile and a half, and Remsen Falls Trail is about 1.7 miles away. The John Brown Tract Trail, a hiking option, is about 2.4 miles off.
Best time to go · Jun, Aug–Sep
Best time to visit South Branch Trail
Best months: June and August–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
26° / 5°
19 wet
Feb
29° / 7°
16 wet
Mar
36° / 15°
14 wet
Apr
50° / 29°
13 wet
May
64° / 41°
13 wet
Jun
71° / 50°
12 wet
Jul
75° / 54°
13 wet
Aug
74° / 53°
12 wet
Sep
67° / 46°
12 wet
Oct
55° / 36°
14 wet
Nov
42° / 25°
15 wet
Dec
31° / 15°
18 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Old Forge, NY, 7.5 mi away at 1,748 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive
RIDE
South Branch Trail
~2 min drive
1.07-mile out-and-back singletrack with 126 ft gain in New York.
RIDE
Bear Lake Trail
~2 min drive
1.41-mile out-and-back singletrack with 406 ft gain in New York.
RIDE
Wolf Lake Landing Road
~2 min drive
3.13-mile easy gravel road with 435 ft elevation gain in New York.
RIDE
Bear Lake Trail
~2 min drive
1.64-mile out-and-back singletrack with 320 ft elevation gain in New York.
RIDE
Remsen Falls Trail
~3 min drive
0.22-mile easy singletrack out-and-back in New York.
RIDE
Remsen Falls Trail
~3 min drive
0.26-mile out-and-back singletrack in New York with 103 ft elevation gain.
RIDE
Wolf Lake Landing Road
~3 min drive
1.65-mile easy gravel road with 423 ft elevation gain in New York.
RIDE
Big Woodhull - Sand Lake Falls Trail
~4 min drive
0.33-mile out-and-back singletrack in New York with 14 ft elevation gain.
RIDE
Remsen Falls Trail
~3 min drive
0.36-mile easy singletrack out-and-back in New York.
RIDE
Bear Lake Trail
~4 min drive
2.14-mile out-and-back singletrack in New York with 155 ft elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
