Explore the Erie Canal and discover America's most famous and influential waterway. Stretching across the full expanse of upstate New York, the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals are among our nation's great successes of engineering, vision, hard work, and sacrifice.
Numerous canal sites and museums are here to welcome you! In the Capital Region, watch a boat “lock through” the famous Waterford Flight of five locks or admire the spectacular 75-foot Cohoes Falls at Falls View Park on the Mohawk River. Get on the water with a dinner cruise or rent a kayak in Albany or Troy.
Add adventure to your journey along the canal with the Canalway Challenge. Trace history and track miles as you walk, run, cycle or paddle along the Canalway Trail or waterway. From the Corning Preserve in Albany, the off-road 365-mile Canalway Trail follows the Erie Canal all the way to Buffalo. Bring your own boat or bicycle or find the nearest bike-share or rental location.
Whether you travel 15 miles or 500, there's much to discover on the waterway that shaped our nation.
