The East Branch Community Trails is the newest trail system in the Adirondacks, and since we reported on it last fall, the Barkeater Trails Alliance (BETA) has built four new trails in the network. The new builds haven’t just expanded horizontally across the hillside — primarily, they’ve gone vertical. The latest additions have added 150 more vertical feet to the network, bringing the total to about 600 feet of elevation change from top to bottom.
Four new trails in 2025
BETA, in conjunction with Luke Peduzzi of Peduzzi Trails, got to work building at East Branch in the spring. They managed to open a new trail in the spring, one in June, and two in October, 2025.
“The two opened earlier this year added 0.8 miles and were a blue- and a black-rated descent trail — mixture of machine and hand-built with a lot of rock work on the black diamond ‘enduro’ style trail,” said Glenn Glover, Executive Director for BETA. “Both are MTB only and also have multiple optional black diamond features and lines.”
The two trails opened in October “added one mile and are both machine-built blue,” according to Glover. “One is a multi-use ascent trail which continues the style of manageable grades and generally smooth tread of the lower climbing trail. The other is a descent-only flow trail with a combination of manicured mainline tread and lots of jumps and rock drops along the edge of the trail.”
While previously I reported that the trails at East Branch “are some of the easiest trails in the Adirondacks,” with these latest additions, this network now offers a much wider range of trail flavors to choose from. The network features a stacked-loop design, whereby the lower trails are the easiest, and as you climb farther up the mountain, the singletrack gets progressively harder. The intermediate and advanced trails are essentially stacked on top of the beginner trails.
Professionally built, from start to finish
This intentional design was made possible thanks to a professional trail design process from the very start. East Branch is the first trail project where BETA was “able to approach it and master plan it from ground zero,” according to Glover. The 121-acre site where the trails are being built may be small, but it is a long, vertical parcel that climbs up a steep mountainside — ideal for trail construction.
The trails were designed in conjunction with Peduzzi, and as soon as you begin pedaling, the caliber of the singletrack is immediately evident. The East Branch trails boast a truly modern, professional flow trail feel, with perfectly sculpted singletrack, mellow climbing corners and switchbacks, and massive berms on the high-speed descents.
East Branch is quickly growing in popularity and renown
“The community response to the expansion of the trail system, both in mileage and diversity of trail style, has been incredible,” said Glover. “It’s clear we’ve hit critical mass with folks coming to East Branch from around the Adirondacks.”
Lake Placid hosted a World Cup downhill race for the first time ever in 2025, and it “brought riders from around the country to BETA’s trail networks, and the positive feedback from everyone was fantastic.”
Finishing East Branch
“To date, we’ve spent about $210,000 on the project, and we have funds to continue the building into 2026,” said Glover. Volunteer labor has also been critical for stretching these available funds “and connecting the community to the project.”
This fall, volunteers are leading the effort to build technical features along the skills loop that rings the central clearing. And then in 2026, BETA plans to continue the singletrack build.
“Beyond that, we are trying to secure funding that will allow us to complete the project, including construction of remaining trails, expanding of the parking lot, and a series of progressive jump lines,” said Glover.
The East Branch development has been a bright spot for mountain bikers in the Adirondacks, and it’s only going to get better next year!
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