Erie Canalway Trail
Bike, walk or ski on a path across the state
It took eight years to complete construction on the Erie Canal. Reconstructing a trail that spans its entire distance has taken a lot longer than that. But nearly 50 years after New York State first developed a 36-mile stretch between the Syracuse area and Rome, a mostly-level path covering more than three-quarters of the 365-milelong canal is up and running. In places, the trail follows towpaths that ran by the original canal; it also passes locks and other canal infrastructure. Tackle the whole thing from Buffalo to Albany, or bite it off in chunks; either way, you get a front-row look at perhaps the most important project in New York State’s history.
At a glance
- Parts of the trail are paved; most of it, though, is stone dust.
- Biking the canal? This award-winning site provides an interactive route map
- Check out the Chittenango Landing Canal Boat Museum, on the way from Dewitt to Rome.
Address
Links
Visitor Information
Additional Information
Open year-round (snowmobiling permitted on parts of the trail in winter)