The New York State Canalway Trail is a network of multi-use trails that runs parallel to current or former sections of the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca, and Champlain canals. When completed, the system will have 524miles of trails following current and former sections of the canals. The longest of these is the 365miles long Erie Canalway Trail.[1] The Erie and Champlain Canalway Trails are also part of the statewide Empire State Trail system.
A partnership of national, state, local and non-profit organizations is working to complete a continuous system of trails along these canals. Among the organizations involved are Parks & Trails New York, the New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Before the railroad era, New York had an extensive network of canals. As commercial freight shifted away from canals and towards rail and highways, communities along the canals needed new ways to generate commerce. In 1995, the Canal Corporation issued a recreation plan, which offered a view of the Canal as a linear park, including trails linking communities along the trail. Biking, hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, canoeing, and fishing are among activities promoted.
The original canals were flanked by towpaths, where mules walked while pulling barges through the canals. Many of the canalway trails follow former towpaths. Some trails follow canals that are still in use, serving mostly recreational boating. Other towpath trails pass by the ruins of abandoned locks and other structures. Many communities along the canal have made progress in establishing parks, improving towpaths and raising funds for restoration of old canal structures such as locks and aqueducts.
As of 2021, the Erie Canalway Trail is 100% complete. As part of the Empire State Trail project, the remaining gaps in the trail were filled and completed, both on-road and off-road, by the end of 2020.
Some of the individual sections are included below:
Segments are listed from west to east.[2]
| Section name | Begin and end points | Length | Surface | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Canal Heritage Trail | Buffalo to Newark | 114 miles | Paved, stone dust | ||
| Old Erie Canal | Port Byron to Camillus | 28 miles | Stone dust | Includes Camillus Erie Canal Park and restored aqueduct at Nine Mile Creek | |
| Old Erie Canal State Historic Park | Dewitt to Rome | 36 miles | Paved, stone dust | ||
| Rome to Utica | 30 miles | Paved, stone dust | |||
| Mohawk Hudson Bike/Hike Trail | Little Falls to Albany | 86 miles | Asphalt | East end of Erie Canalway, connects to Hudson River Valley Greenway Trail |
| Section name | Begin and end points | Length | Surface | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Champlain Canal Trail | Waterford | 3 miles | Stone dust, soil | Starts at the junction of the former Champlain Canal and the Erie Canal | |
| Glens Falls Feeder Canal Trail | Glens Falls | 9 miles |