Dude Ranch Trail
Dude Ranch Trail is a State Scenic Byway in New York. Within New York it covers roughly 35 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Dude Ranch Trail with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
The Dude Ranch Trail loops about 40 miles through the southern Adirondacks, beginning and ending in the resort village of Lake George. It passes through Warrensburg and Stony Creek along NY 418 and US 9. The byway earns its unusual name from the horse ranches that have operated in this corner of the Adirondacks for generations, a tradition it shares with the wider First Wilderness Heritage Corridor the route runs through. Along the loop, travelers pass working dude ranches, lakeside resort villages, four-season recreational trails, and long views of the Hudson River as it cuts south through the mountains. Wildlife sightings are common in the surrounding forest, and the loop's modest length makes it an easy half-day add-on for visitors already based in Lake George or Warrensburg. It's a lighter, more whimsically named counterpart to the region's more solemn historical byways, built around horseback recreation rather than battlefield or industrial history.
- ~40-mile loop from Lake George
- Warrensburg & Stony Creek via NY 418/US 9
- Horse ranches & the First Wilderness Heritage Corridor
- Hudson River views
- Lakeside resort villages
- Southern Adirondacks
Plan a drive on Dude Ranch Trail →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Dude Ranch Trail
5 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Dude Ranch Trail.
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