Lockport Rail Trail, Lockport, NY

Starting at the southern trailhead on Lockport Road, the Lockport Rail Trail proceeds 2 miles via an Erie Railroad bed to its northern trailhead at Lockport Bypass near Hinman Road with elevation gain of 14 feet. The parking lot at Lockport Road can hold 3-4 cars. The southern trailhead at Lockport Road coincides with the northern trailhead of the Pendleton Rail Trail.

I don’t know if this sign means no e-bikes, but I’m sure they will accommodate strollers and wheelchairs.

Leave No Trace, Ten Essentials

While you’re enjoying the outdoors, please leave no trace to minimize your impact and preserve these special places for others to use as well. If you’re walking or hiking, please pack the REI ten essentials for your own safety. When cycling, consider using this REI checklist. For other activities, review the hiking and biking essentials and use your judgment.

Trail Surface

The first half mile starting from Lockport Road is a fairly new 8-foot wide asphalt path, likely suitable for roller blades, strollers and wheelchairs. North of Murphy Rd, however, the trail is undeveloped gravel and stone with big pools of water after heavy rains or snow melts.

Please consider carefully whether this trail surface is suitable for your activity.

Restrooms

There are no public restrooms at the trailheads or along the trail.

Points of Interest

Having no outstanding points of interest, I nominate the end of the paved trail at Murphy Road as a point of interest because that is where the improvement mentioned below in History section will start. Perhaps it has already started.

History

In a letter to President of the International Railway Company, the General Counsel writes:

It appears further that from January 27, 1902, the date of its organization, to April 1921? the International Railway Company conducted passenger and freight operations from Buffalo to North Tonawanda to Lockport to- Olcott and in the Cities of North Tonawanda and Lockport for the Erie Railroad Company pursuant to a “Lease-Agreement” dated June 1, 1898, and a supplemental “Lease” and “Contemporaneous Agreement” both dated September 1, 1899, between the Erie Railroad Company and the Buffalo & Lockport Railway, a predecessor of the International Railway Company.

Benjamin Joe writes in the February 23, 2023 edition of the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal E-Paper.

The Town of Lockport has received a grant of $168,591 from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to fund Phase Two of its Rail Trail project. The amount will be used to blacktop the former railroad track about 8-feet wide for pedestrian and non-motorized vehicle from Murphy Road to the City of Lockport line.

Hiking Solo (and Running, etc.)

Solo hikers who find themselves able to do the whole point-to-point trail distance but not the out and back may consider using Uber or Lyft to get a ride from where they parked to the other trailhead. Warning: this trail is in a less populated area. You may have to wait 15 minutes or more for a ride or you may not get a ride at all. I got stranded at a trailhead once and could not get back to my car at the other trailhead. Thankfully, it was close enough home that my wife picked me up. But I have done this successfully in more populated areas.

Trail Summary

Distance	2 miles point to point	4 miles out and back
Elevation gain	14 feet
Trail surface	Asphalt, gravel, stone, and pools of water
Difficulty	Moderate	Due to condition of second half of the trail
Point of Interest	43.13831, -78.73134	Murphy Road intersection
Lockport Road parking and trailhead	43.13300, -78.73858	3-4 spaces, paved, not striped
Lockport Bypass trailhead	43.155003,-78.712398	No parking

Maps

All Trails

Both free and premium All Trails accounts provide the capability to load and navigate this map. Tap/click the trail name on the map to enlarge. Scan the QR code to load the map into All Trails app on your smartphone.

Why have we chosen All Trails for maps for this site?