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Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor U.S. Department of the Interior

Erie Canalway Map & Guide Amsterdam, Power Authority

Start your adventure here! CONTENTS

elcome to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor! Here is your ticket to adventure and Get On Board ...... 2

fun in a place with more than 500 miles of and connected waterways, 365 miles of Paddle the Waterway ...... 2 Canalway Trail, and 200 communities to explore. This guide presents a number of exciting W Tours...... 3 things to do, places to go, and exceptional events to enjoy this year. Cycle or Hike on the Just add water. cultural and historic sites, and intriguing Canalway Trail...... 3 local shops and eateries. Be sure to The New York State Canal System—which Erie Canalway Map: includes the Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca, visit local museums where you’ll learn Regional Flavor ...... 4 and Oswego Canals—is the centerpiece about the people and innovations that of the National Heritage Corridor. These contributed to the canal’s success. You’ll also meet today’s canal champions 200 Years and Still iconic waterways opened the nation and Going Strong...... 6 have been in continuous operation since who are preserving our shared heritage and creating thriving communities for 1825. You’ll find lots of ways to experience Corridor of Innovation ...... 6 what the canal corridor has to offer—from residents, visitors, and future generations. boat tours to paddling to cycling adventures, The Story of Glass ...... 7 to visiting locks and other canal structures, Join the celebration! to enjoying a meal or craft beverage at Since its grand opening in 1825, New York’s 2018 Canal Festivals one of many restaurants. Canal System has been enlarged three & Events...... 8 times to accommodate larger boats and Discover canal communities. more traffic. The most recent enlargement Whether you travel by bike, boat, or car, was completed 100 years ago in 1918. plan to spend time poking around , We’re celebrating with special events, towns and villages along the canal. You’ll forums, and festivities, including a cross- be greeted with hometown hospitality and canal voyage of the Corning Museum of will discover that each community showcases Glass’ GlassBarge and the Erie Canalway Map & Guide 2018 distinctive historic architecture, prized Maritime Museum’s replica canal schooner Little Falls, Phil Scalia Lois McClure (see page 7, 8). CANAL TOURS

Capital Region, and Western NY, , Buffalo • Boat Tours, Waterloo, River, , fingerlakeswateradventures.com • Captain J.P. Cruise Line, Troy (Hudson • Buffalo Harbor Cruises, Buffalo, • Force Seven Charters, Waterloo, River), captainjp.com buffaloharborcruises.com forcesevencharters.com • Dutch Apple Cruises, Albany (Hudson • History Tours, Buffalo, • Ithaca Boat Tours, Ithaca, River), dutchapplecruises.com buffaloriverhistorytours.com ithacaboattours.com • Always wear a properly- • Mohawk Maiden Cruises, Champlain • Buffalo Sailing Adventures, Buffalo, • School’s Out Charters, Lansing, sized life jacket Canal 5, Schuylerville, spiritofbuffalo.com fingerlakeswinecruises.com mohawkmaidencruises.com • Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises, • Schooner Excursions, Watkins Glen, • Stay a safe distance from dams, buoys and barriers Lockport, lockportlocks.com schoonerexcursions.com Eastern NY, Erie Canal • Niagara River Cruises, Grand Island, • Seneca Wine Boat Tours, Watkins Glen, • Respect all signs and • Erie Canal Cruises, Herkimer, niagararivercruises.org senecawineboattours.com warning signals eriecanalcruises.com • Queen Bike Ferry, Buffalo (bike/ped • Water to Wine Tours, Interlaken & • Let someone know about • Mohawk Valley Boat Charter, Rome ferry between Canalside and Outer Aurora, winolimo.com your plans and destination (tours by appointment), Harbor), queencityferry.com • Use designated boat ramps mohawkvalleyboatcharters.com Multi-Day Cruises • WNY Classic Cruises, Buffalo (tours by to launch your boat Central NY, Old Erie Canal appointment), wnyclassiccruises.com • Blount Small Ship Adventures, blountsmallshipadventures.com • Boat sober • Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus, Finger Lakes, Cayuga-Seneca Canal • Be cautious near eriecanalcamillus.com • American Waterways Cruise Lines, • Canalside Experiences, Waterloo, cruiseamericanwaterways.com ordyh cirtcele

Fairport, Sandi Osterwise Greater Rochester Area, Erie Canal canalside.net facilities, as water conditions can • Colonial Belle—Erie Canal Cruises, • Captain Bill’s, Watkins Glen, Visit our website to find vacation change quickly Fairport, colonialbelle.com senecaharborstation.com rentals, kayak/canoe rentals, and • Cornhill Navigation, Pittsford, • Cayuga Excursions, additional charters, www.eriecanalway. sampatch.org cayugaexcursions.com org/explore/boating brookfi eldrenewable.com

Get On Board! Cycle or Hike on the Canalway Trail Palmyra Adventure, fun, and a sense of elax and enjoy the NYS Canal System on a canal boat tour, accomplishment await when you dinner cruise, or multi-day voyage. You’ll find tours cycle the Erie Canalway Trail. within an hour’s drive of every major city in the Canalway R You can ride for just a few miles Corridor. You can also rent a boat and take your own self-skippered or cross New York State— vacation. Rental boats are well-equipped with sleeping quarters, regardless, you’ll enjoy great a galley, and plenty of deck space for relaxing. You’ll get lessons in scenery, fascinating history, and steering, docking, and locking through before heading out. unparalleled cycling along the way. There are more than 80 public boat launches along the NYS Canal System where you can launch your own boat. The canal connects with Oneida, Onondaga, Cross, Cayuga The Erie Canalway Trail is not your aver- and Seneca Lakes where you can enjoy other water sports, beaches, and sailing. Marinas age bike bath. Extending 365 miles from and public docks provide services and overnight accommodations. You don’t need a Buffalo to Albany, the trail’s route along- cabin cruiser to enjoy a multi-day trip on the canal. Many communities offer showers, side the historic Erie Canal makes cycling laundry facilities, hook-ups, and other boater amenities right in the center of town. here truly unique. This living waterway If you are yearning for a longer journey, look no further. The Canal System links the Paddle the Waterway adds distinctive flavor in the form of canal Hudson River with Lake Champlain, Lake , and Lake Erie via the Niagara River, structures like locks and lift bridges, allowing boaters to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the upper . working tugs and other vessels, friendly Explore the waterway by kayak, canoe or stand-up paddle board. vacationers in boats of all stripes, and GO THE DISTANCE canal communities that are intriguing and If you’re ready for a longer cycling A few hours on the water will whet your appetite for exploring Connecting Loops Along the Champlain Canal different stretches of the canal or planning a multi-day adventure. fun cycling destinations. trip, there are great options for More than three-quarters of the trail is The trail hugs the canal but there’s more to There are off-road trail segments on the weekend and multi-day vacations . There are 125 launch sites and several Boater-Biker-Hiker facilities off-road. Trail markers and wayfinding explore in neighboring towns and country- towpath of the old Champlain Canal in You’ll find excellent online and that allow overnight camping at canal parks. If you don’t own a signs make it easy to follow and to side. Trail maps are available for on-road Waterford, Halfmoon, and Schuylerville, printed guidebooks and maps to cycling loops that connect with the with more under development. The Glens boat, visit our website to find a place to rent one near you. connect off-and-on-road segments. help you plan your trip . A variety Additional off-road trail is under construc- Canalway Trail in Montgomery, Madison, Falls Feeder Canal Trail is a nine-mile trail of fully supported tours are offered The New York State Canal System is owned and operated by the New York The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor is working in partnership with the New tion in 2018 and 2019 to close remaining Ontario, Wayne, and Orleans counties and along the historic feeder canal from Fort annually if you’d like a group ride in the Mohawk Valley. Request cue sheets Edward to Glens Falls. The trail passes State Canal Corporation, a subsidiary of the . For York State Canal Corporation and National Park Service to develop the NYS Canalway gaps in preparation for the launch of the without the hassle of carrying your and route maps from county tourism several stone lock chambers, including the current information, a full calendar of events, and up-to-date Notices to Water Trail. The trail will include marked launch sites and routes extending throughout Trail in 2020. This incredible gear . For complete details, visit agencies, download them from the Cycling Five Combines, an intact staircase of five Mariners, visit www.canals.ny.gov. the Canal System, as well as a guide book, map set, and extensive web-based resources network will enable cyclists to go from www.cycletheeriecanal.com. for paddlers. These resources are scheduled to be available early in 2019. In the meantime, Buffalo to Albany and from Resources page of the Erie Canalway locks built in 1832 near Fort Edward. you can find launch sites, rental outfitters, and amenities that will help you get on the to Lake Champlain using a fully net- website, or visit www.mohawkvalley water now at www.eriecanalway.org/watertrail. worked trail system. history.com/bike-thru-history. 2 Erie Canalway Map & Guide Erie Canalway Map & Guide 3 Montreal

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The connects the Erie Canal at Three The Champlain Canal runs in the Hudson River from Regional Flavor Rivers to Oswego Harbor on . Power boaters Waterford to Fort Edward, where the dug channel continues and paddlers travel the canalized today; to Whitehall. From there, boaters connect to Lake Champlain remnants of the 1800s canal, which ran alongside the river, and north to Montreal, Canada by way of Quebec’s Chambly Lake ith a National Heritage Corridor so expansive that it extends from one end of are still visible in a few places. Experience: boating, Canal. Experience: a region steeped in history, Champlain New York to the other, you may wonder where to begin. The canal’s many sport fishing, birdwatching, paddling, and festivals. including Saratoga National Historical Park in Wtreasures are strung together along the waterway like gems on a necklace, so Stillwater and Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville. whether you start in the west, east, or central part of the state you can’t go wrong. The Erie Canalway There are, however, distinct regional differences. We recommend going to more than National Heritage Corridor one region to experience all that the Canalway Corridor has to offer. in New York State Baldwinsville, Joe Carey

The Western Erie Region features Today’s canal, TO MONTREAL the longest section of the canal that still Since 1918, the Erie Canal has made use12 of canalized follows much of its original path and retains rivers, as well as Cross Lake and . Onondaga 81 its historic relationship to the communities Lake links the canal with Syracuse. This is a popular 30 8 and landscapes along its banks. section for boaters. Experience: water sports, boating, Whitehall Experience: canal villages, heritage paddling, summer fun at Baldwinsville, Liverpool, Oswego, Jon Vermilye CHAMPLAIN CANAL and arts festivals, lift bridges, canalside Oswego Sylvan Beach, and Verona Beach State Park. Stillwater concerts, and heritage murals. 149 Fort Ann Minetto 3 Glens 13 Brockport 18 LAKE ONTARIO OSWEGO CANAL Falls ERIE CANAL 19 Fulton Holley 8 481 104 Fort Edward 63 259 Sylvan Beach 46 Middleport Albion Phoenix Rome 104 49 365 87 48 12 Medina 31A 34 Oneida 4 Brockport Lake Baldwinsville 46 31 Lockport 98 Spencerport Rochester Great 21 31 Niagara 414 Oriskany Sacandaga TO TORONTO Cross Lake Schuylerville Falls 490 North Fairport Lake HP ERIE CANAL Saratoga Springs Macedon Weedsport Liverpool al S Oneida Niagara Tonawanda Clyde Old Erie Can Utica 29 32 Newark Onondaga 5 5S 29 Falls WESTERN ERIE CANAL STATE HERITAGE CORRIDOR Pittsford 31 Lake Little Falls 9 Jordan Canastota Herkimer VT 190 78 Y Lyons Frankfort N 90 NEW YORK STATE THRUWA Palmyra 40 ia g 5 Batavia Port Camillus 173 Fayetteville Chittenango Ilion 90 M a r Tonawanda 14 o 67 a Byron Fonda Stillwater Ri 390 Montezuma 92 St. Johnsville h ve 5 a r r w e 63 167 iv Amsterdam 77 Syracuse k R r e CAYUGA–SENECA CANAL Auburn 28 5 Mechanicville 20 iv 5 Canandaigua Cayuga 20 80 30A R Fort Plain e 30 Buffalo e Rexford North s e Geneva Waterloo Canajoharie n 20 e Seneca Falls G 89 MOHAWK VALLEY STATE HERITAGE C O RRIDOR LAKE ERIE Schenectady Waterford 0 40 Kilometers S 90 e Cohoes

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Canandaigua a 20 Vischer 0 40 Miles e y Lake c Troy a u Ferry g Aurora 13 10 L a Erie Canalway National a Canals operating k L 34 today Heritage Corridor e a Cooperstown 90 k k e e e Albany Canal lock; Dresden r 19th-century canals C details: www.canals.ny.gov/maps ie r a 14 h 414 o h Cortland 28 c S

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90 Keuka Oneonta Lake 81 Ithaca

Watkins Glen 13 86 Montour Falls NEW YORK 87 MA Syracuse, Kristin Mosher

Find Your Way to Great Experiences The Cayuga-Seneca Old Erie Canal, Central New York The from with Erie Canalway Itineraries! Canal is the gateway to the Communities from Port Byron to Syracuse to the outskirts Rome to Waterford is a scenic stretch of the Finger Lakes, connecting the of Rome Binghamtonshowcase the Erie Canal of the 1800s. Canal Erie Canal that now follows the Mohawk Discover some of the best historic sites, parks, museums, and Erie Canal at Montezuma to engineers rerouted the waterway in 1918 to take advantage River, instead of its original dug channel. recreational experiences within the Canalway Corridor with Erie 92 miles of canalized rivers and of natural rivers and lakes, thereby bypassing these This was America’s industrial powerhouse Canalway Itineraries. Each one features must see sites, options for lakes. Experience: natural original canal communities. Experience: historic canal in the 1800s and a rich legacy of culture, side trips, and suggestions for cycling, paddling, hiking, and canal beauty, wildlife, wine country, sites, museums, and structures, rewatered stretches of arts, academics, and architecture remains. boat tours. Pick up printed copies at many canal museums and elegant architecture, outdoor the 1800s canal, Old Erie Canal State Historic Park. Experience: outstanding museums visitor centers across the corridor or download itineraries for free Canajoharie, Phil Scalia adventure, water sports, and and historic sites, locks and canal parks,

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New York City 200 Years and Still Going Strong! Lockport: 1825, 1895, 1922, present n April 15, 1817, the New York State legislature voted to build the Erie and Champlain canals. Dignitaries turned Othe first shovel of soil in Rome on that same year, marking the start of Erie Canal construction. Eight years later, the canal opened from Albany to Buffalo. Its impact was immediate, profound and lasting. Since its grand opening in 1825, the canal has been enlarged three times to accom- modate larger boats and more traffic. The most recent enlargement was completed 100 years ago in 1918. Nowhere is the engineering progression from 1825 to today so well illustrated as in the Lockport Flight on the Erie Canal in Lockport. The staircase of five stone locks built in 1825 were enlarged during the mid-1800s and then dramatically altered in the early-1900s. A staircase of two concrete locks—Locks 34 and 35—replaced the locks on the left. As you can see, the locks today remain unchanged. Tour boats, tugs, cruisers, and paddlers continue to use Locks 34 and 35. A dedicated group of volunteers is restoring the historic flight and offering lock demonstrations on Saturdays.

Did you know? Corridor of Innovation The Story of Glass SCHEDULE June 21–24: • Upon completion of the major overhaul and • Today’s locks can pass 3,000 ton vessels, more modernization of New York’s canals in 1918, the than 10 times the capacity of mule-drawn The canal transformed the landscape of New Don’t miss the GlassBarge and Lois McClure in 2018 Albany, Waterford— state rebranded them as the Canal to reflect during the 1800s. York State and spurred innovation and invention Locations to be determined a new age of commerce, distinct from the days of Glassmaking innovations in Corning have shaped the modern In addition to sharing the story of glassmaking in Corning, • The amount of water that passes through a lock in communities along its shores. See if you can June 30–July 1: mule-driven canal boats. As commercial barges gave world, from the first electric light bulbs for Thomas Edison and the GlassBarge tour emphasizes the continued role of New York’s with each lockage depends on the height of Little Falls—Little Falls Marina way to recreational cruisers and tour boats in the match these innovations with the cities and towns the invention of optical fiber for telecommunications, to the glass waterways in shaping the state’s industry, culture, and community. the lift. It takes at least 662,475 gallons to fill or Rotary Park 1990s, the name changed again to the New York associated with them. used in modern flat screen displays. And that story all began with GlassBarge is the 2018 signature event for the statewide celebra- empty the smallest locks and nearly 4.5 million State Canal System. The system is comprised of the a voyage on New York State’s waterways. tion of the Erie Canal Bicentennial. July 7–8: gallons at the largest. Water released by one Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca Canals. 1. plastics used for early billiard balls, dentures, and piano keys In 1868, the Flint Glass Company relocated to Corning Sylvan Beach—Canal Street lock is often used to fill the next one downstream. via New York’s waterways and evolved into the company known • The NYS Canal System is made up of 524 miles of 2. innovations in agriculture, including grapes, apples, July 13–15: • The NYS Canal Corporation’s blue and gold tugs today as Corning Incorporated. In celebration of the 150th anniver- navigation channels, four distinct canals, 57 locks, and biofuels Baldwinsville—Paper Mill Island are the work “mules” of today’s canal. Watch sary of this pivotal journey, Corning Museum of Glass (CMoG) is 15 lift bridges, 13 moveable dams, 26 power houses, 3. firearms for them along the waterway, helping to maintain moving a specially built barge from Brooklyn Bridge Park, up the July 20–22: 22 guard gates, six maintenance shop complexes, the canal for commercial and recreational traffic. 4. electric power generation and transmission, lighting, radio Hudson River, west along the Erie Canal, and on to the Finger Fairport—Packetts Landing and four drydocks. It is 10 times longer than the and television Lakes. CMoG’s hot glass team will entertain audiences along the and includes many more structures. 5. grain elevators way with free glass blowing demonstrations at multiple locations. July 28–29: 6. dentist chair Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s replica canal schooner Lockport—Upson Park

Macedon, Keith Boas 7. agricultural reapers Lois McClure is traveling with the GlassBarge. Visitors are invited August 3–5: aboard this unique vessel to learn about what life was like on a 8. precision instruments for and mapping Buffalo—Canalside canal boat in the 1800s. The Museum will also 9. vacuum-sealed food jars be on hand to talk about their historic tug W.O. Decker that will August 11–12: 10. photography, photo copiers be moving the GlassBarge along the waterways. Medina—Medina Canal Basin 11. copper-clad cookware, “Revere Ware” ? August 17–19: 12. baking soda manufacturing Brockport— 13. innovations in carpet manufacturing Brockport Welcome Center 14. dairy equipment: milking machines, cream separators, The GlassBarge is a 30’ x 80’ canal pasteurizing systems and cheese presses August 24–26: barge equipped Pittsford—Port of Pittsford 15. pumps, hydrants, and water systems used for firefighting with CMoG’s and domestic supply patented all-electric September 1–3: glassmaking Seneca Falls—Seneca Falls equipment and Canal Harbor Albany Little Falls Geneva spectator seating. Demonstrations September 14–16: Troy Ilion Rochester can also be viewed Watkins Glen— Pier Schenectady Rome Brockport from shore. September 22: Visit Locks and lift bridges to see these incredible structures and meet the people Amsterdam Syracuse Lockport Corning who operate them . Lock operators are happy to answer your questions! While you’re there, Canajoharie Fairport Buffalo Images courtesy CMOG relax and enjoy watching boats, take a picnic, or go fishing . You can also visit the outstanding For tickets, information, and remains of the stone locks, aqueducts, and dry docks used in the 1800s . Find a map and list of additional midweek stops:

13 Amsterdam, 14 Little Falls, 15 Lockport 15 Falls, Little 14 Amsterdam, 13 www.cmog.org

canal structures and engineering marvels at www.eriecanalway/explore/plan-your-visit . Fairport, 12 Rome, 11 Rochester, 10 Canajoharie, 9 Troy, 8 Brockport, 7 ANSWERS: 1 Albany, 2 Geneva, 3 Ilion, 4 Schenectady, 5 Buffalo, 6 Syracuse, Syracuse, 6 Buffalo, 5 Schenectady, 4 Ilion, 3 Geneva, 2 Albany, 1 ANSWERS:

6 Erie Canalway Map & Guide Erie Canalway Map & Guide 7 Select 2018 Canal Festivals & Events

More than 400 events take place along the canal The Erie Canalway National each year. Find a complete calendar listing at Heritage Corridor preserves our extraordinary canal heritage, promotes www.canals.ny.gov. the Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and fosters vibrant communities connected by more MAY than 500 miles of historic waterway. We achieve our mission in partner- 10–12 Low Bridge-High Water, Village of Brockport ship with the National Park Service, 10 Centennial Celebration: First Watering of the Erie New York State agencies, non-profit “Barge” Canal, Rochester organizations, local residents, and New York Power Authority 12 Pedal - Paddle - Run, Niskayuna more than 200 communities across the full expanse of . 15 Canal Opens for 2018 26 Erie Canal Family Fun Day at Lock 30, Macedon P.O. Box 219 25–28, 30 Celebrate Commemorate Memorial Day, Waterloo Waterford, New York 12188 518-237-7000 JUNE [email protected] www.eriecanalway.org 2–3 Fairport Canal Days, Fairport 8–9 Days and Paddle Festival, Baldwinsville AUGUST 16–17 Path Through History Weekend, Multiple Locations 4 5th Annual Rock-The-Park Festival, Albion 16 The Old Erie Canal Boat Float & Bash, DeWitt to Many thanks! 4 Amsterdam Riverfest, Amsterdam Chittenango The Erie Canalway Map & Guide is 3–5 Rome Canalfest, Bellamy Harbor Park, Rome 16–17 Adaptive Paddling and Cycling Extravaganza, made possible with generous support Erie Canal Boat Company, Fairport 6–12 31st Annual Little Falls Canal Celebration, Little Falls from Empire State Development’s 11 14th Annual Cardboard Boat Race, Schuylerville Division of Tourism, I LOVE NEW YORK, the New York State Canal JULY 11 Towpath Day, Camillus Erie Canal Park, Camillus Corporation, and Brookfield 7 Waterford Steamboat Meet, Waterford 11–12 Canal Heritage Festival, Medina Renewable Energy. 8–15 20th Anniversary Cycle the Erie Canal, Buffalo to Albany SEPTEMBER 13–15 Brockport Arts Festival, Brockport 7–9 Waterford Tugboat Roundup, Waterford 14–15 Canal Days, Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, 15 Summers End Festival, Village of Ames www.iloveny.com Fort Hunter 15–16 Tour the Towpath, DeWitt to Rome 14 CanalFest at Mabee Farm, Rotterdam Junction September–October: Locktoberfest, (dates TBA), Lockport, 15–22 Canal Fest of the Tonawandas, Tonawanda and Phoenix, Rome, Seneca Falls, Fort Edward North Tonawanda 22 Celebration of the Canals, Oswego OCTOBER www.canals.ny.gov 26–29 Oswego Harborfest, Oswego 6–8 Path Through History Weekend, Multiple Locations 28–29 Spencerport Canal Days, Spencerport 6–8 Romance Weekend, Rochester

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Enter the

Spencerport, Pompili A National Treasure Erie Canalway The New York State Canal System’s exceptional scenery, history, culture, and natural resources Photo Contest earned the 524-mile waterway and the communities along its shores Congressional HAS BEEN DESIGNATED A designation as the Erie Canalway National Entering the contest is a snap: find an entry form and tips on our website: NATIONAL Heritage Corridor in 2000 . The waterway was www.eriecanalway.org/get-involved/photo-contest HISTORIC designated a National Historic Landmark in 2016 . It has been in continuous operation Deadline for entries: August 31, 2018 LANDMARK since 1825, longer than any other constructed Note: Winning images will be published in the 2019 Erie Canalway transportation system on the North American calendar, so images must be horizontal format . continent .

8 Erie Canalway Map & Guide