Erie Canal – Travel guide at Wikivoyage Understand[ edit ] In the colonial era, there was one big obstacle that kept American civilization from expanding westward from the coast: the Appalachian Mountains. While hardly impassable, the rugged mountains were not conducive to transport of goods, and no waterways crossed the divide; waters flowed east to the Atlantic and west to the Mississippi, with no connections between. But there was one break in the Appalachians, and it was in New York's territory. Geology and glacier had combined to create a valley between the Appalachian Catskills and the separate Adirondacks to the north, and the Mohawk River flowed through it, eastward into the Hudson, and from there to New York City 's Atlantic harbor. As early as the 1790s, there was talk of constructing a canal between Lake Ontario and the Mohawk River, bypassing the then-unnavigable St. Lawrence River and routing sea traffic through New York City. Entrepreneurs like Jesse Hawley started pushing the idea after 1800.

Hawley envisioned great fields of grain in western New York, and after he went broke trying to find a way to ship it eastward, he spent his time in debtor's prison researching and writing up a canal plan. Hawley's plans were derided by some, but others found them to have great potential. In 1809, the state sent a delegation to Washington . Led by DeWitt Clinton, they pleaded for funding for a canal that would connect east with west. President Jefferson scoffed at the expense, certain it would sink the fledgling nation into an unrecoverable debt. But the dream didn't die. The state formed an Erie Canal Commission, and Clinton was a prominent member, traversing the state to study possible routes. After the War of 1812, momentum built again for a canal. In March 1817, after New York's governor resigned to become Vice President, DeWitt Clinton was nominated to replace him. In April of that year, the Legislature voted to approve a trial section of the canal. Clinton, who had no election opponent, was sworn in on July 1, and on July 4—Independence Day—the first shovel was put to earth at Rome .

Before the year was up, Governor Clinton had secured seven million dollars from the legislature for construction of the canal across the state. The canal would extend not from Lake Ontario but all the way from Lake Erie, which would also bypass the massive obstacle of Niagara Falls , connecting the upper Great Lakes to the Atlantic without a single portage. It must be understood that in this time, there were very few settlers in New York State west of Rome . A few sturdy pioneers had set up flour mills at Rochesterville on the Genesee River, but the cities of Batavia and Canandaigua were the only major population centers, each the home of a land office selling plots throughout the region. The canal would change everything. The Erie Canal crossed the Genesee River at Rochester (image ca. 1890) That was hardly a foregone conclusion, though. The plan still had its detractors, who dubbed the waterway "Clinton's Ditch" and feared the state would never recoup the cost. The constructors of the canal encountered problems galore, encouraging the opponents. But one by one, engineering difficulties were overcome. Immigrants flocked to New York to work on the canal.

Expert engineers were brought in from the Netherlands to strengthen the walls; stonemasons from Germany came to build the locks. The Irondequoit valley was bridged with a Great Embankment; the Genesee River was crossed with an aqueduct; the Niagara Escarpment was climbed with a flight of five locks. Slowly but surely, the great canal took shape. In October 1825, work was completed, and a cannonade rang out across the entire state, taking 90 minutes to sound from Buffalo to New York City. A triumphant Governor Clinton—he had actually left office in 1823, remaining Canal Commissioner, but he was re-elected in 1824 after his political opponents had him removed from his position as Commissioner—sailed from Buffalo to New York, carrying water from Lake Erie to perform a ceremonial "wedding of the waters." The original canal was just 40 feet wide and four feet deep, with almost 100 locks. It stretched 353 miles (584 km) and descended 565 feet (169 m) from Buffalo to Albany.

It was one of the wonders of the then-modern world, and it was an immediate success. It opened up the entire Great Lakes area to expansion, especially western New York, and led to the emergence of Buffalo and Rochester as dominant cities in the region. Rochester, in fact, became America's first boomtown, as its flour mills now had easy access to Atlantic ports. The canal was such a success that by 1834 it was already being widened and deepened. By 1862, the canal was 70 feet wide and seven feet deep. Feeder canals were constructed: the Cayuga-Seneca Canal connecting to the Finger Lakes , the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain , the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario, the Genesee Valley Canal to the Allegheny River at Olean , the Chenango Canal to the Susequehanna at Binghamton . In 1855, at its peak, the canal system carried 33,000 shipments, and by the time tolls were abolished, in 1882, the canal had taken in over $120 million dollars.

By the middle of the 19th Century, though, railroads had begun to take over many of the shipping duties that were formerly the province of waterways. Traffic on the canals declined; the water route between the Mississippi basin and the Erie Canal (via Olean) was never completed because a railway took over the job. The Canal had done its job, but its decline was inevitable. A remnant of the widened canal in Syracuse 's eastern suburbs, cut off when the canal was rerouted around the city Between 1905 and 1918, the remaining canals, including the Erie, were enlarged again, with significant rerouting to make use of existing waterways. New flood-control techniques obviated the need to bypass natural waterways, so the rerouted and renamed New York State Barge Canal made use of waterways like the Mohawk River and Oneida Lake, and bypassed busy downtowns in Syracuse and Rochester. The expansion was much-needed to accommodate bigger barges, but it also came at a time when the automobile was starting to become a viable means of intercity transportation. In 1959, the St.

Lawrence Seaway was opened, allowing gigantic ocean-going vessels to traverse the entirety of the Great Lakes, and that was the death knell for commercial traffic on the Canal. Today, only a handful of commercial vessels travel the Canal each year. But with the loss of commercial traffic came a rise in pleasure boating. The post-WWII baby boom and migration to suburbia resulted in a growing middle class, with free time and disposable income. Now, the Canal—once again known as the Erie Canal—is almost entirely used for recreation. At almost 350 miles (540 km) long, 120 feet (37 m) wide, and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep, it remains a feather in New York's cap, and still provides an economic boost by way of tourism. Its operations are largely funded by tolls on the New York State Thruway, leaving pleasure boaters free to traverse its length and take in the many sights along the way. The Erie Canalway Trail runs alongside the canal, in most places making use of what was once the canal's towpath.

It's open for walking, jogging, biking, and cross-country skiing, and is very popular near population centers, where the path is usually paved. Many stretches, especially between villages, have crushed stone instead of pavement. The trail is not yet entirely complete; as of 2012, there are five gaps of various lengths that require you to use nearby streets instead of the off-road canal path. The towns, villages, and cities through which the Canal passes have been designated as the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor . The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Visitor Center is in Waterford , at Lock 2 near the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. Prepare[ edit ] Canalway Trail directional sign near Niskayuna. Whether you're walking, biking, or boating, you'll want to plan your route ahead of time. Sure, you could just pick a starting point and go, but you risk running out of energy (or gas) far from civilization. Know the distance between major access points, and know how far your body (or gas tank) will let you go before you need to stop.

Even more importantly, if you're going to spend multiple days traveling the canal, you're going to need to know ahead of time where you can stop for the night. Even on a boat, you can't just drop anchor anywhere. Know your daily range and find docks and/or accommodations spaced at most that far apart—then remember to call ahead to make sure you're not left stranded due to closures or capacity issues. Some sections of the Canalway Trail allow snowmobiles, some allow horseback riding, and some allow inline skating. Many allow a combination of the three, and it's almost impossible to tell which are which just by looking. Plan ahead and make sure your chosen conveyance is allowed on the section of trail you want to use. By boat[ edit ] If all you want to do is tool around for an hour or two and return to your launch point, you've got lots of options. Most any community of any size along the canal has a boat ramp with a few parking spaces. Several even have marinas where you can rent canoes, kayaks, or (in some cases) larger boats. There's no fee for using the canal under these circumstances; you just need a boat and maybe some fuel.

However, if you're going to go any significant distance along the canal, you'll eventually find yourself needing to go under a lift bridge or through a lock. If that's the case, you'll need to purchase a permit. Two-day, ten-day, and all-season passes are available, and the price varies based on the length of your vessel. Permit fees as of 2014: Boat size $50 $20 You can purchase permits ahead of time by mail, or in person at any Canal Corporation Sectional Office; many of these offices are located next to locks or bridges, but not every lock or bridge has one. The canal web site has a list of offices, and forms for mailing. The canal is open for boating from early May through mid-November, opening at 7AM and closing between 5PM and 10PM depending on season. Call toll-free 1-800-4CANAL4 (422-6254) for canal information and conditions.

By bicycle[ edit ] A number of locations along the canal rent bicycles, usually by the day or half-day, but if you're planning a multi-day trip, you'll want your own bike—one sized to you and comfortable for long rides. The Erie Canalway Trail is open year-round, from dawn to dusk, but you're not going want to try to bike it when there's snow on the ground; the trails are not routinely (if ever) cleared of snow. There are some paved sections, but the majority of the trail is compacted crushed limestone. It's smooth and quite bikeable, but racing bikes may have trouble; stick to mountain bikes, or a bike with wider (and non-knobby) tires. By foot[ edit ] As noted, the Erie Canalway Trail is open year-round from dawn to dusk, but it'll be slow going on foot when there's snow on the ground. You'll want snowshoes or cross-country skis in the wintertime. The rest of the year, you'll be fine with a good pair of walking or running shoes; hiking boots should not be necessary. Keep in mind there will be bicyclists coming up behind you a lot.

Be ready to move quickly to one side or the other. Get in[ edit ] The Erie Canal's termini are near Buffalo and Albany , but that's only really important if you're aiming to do an end-to-end trip. If all you want to do is enjoy a few hours or a couple of days on the canal, you have a number of possible entry points. By plane[ edit ] The four upstate international airports are well spaced along the canal's route. None is what you'd call "major", but each has several flights daily to and from the major domestic hubs and other regional hubs. Buffalo Niagara International Airport ( IATA : BUF), 4500 Genesee St., Cheektowaga, Phone: +1 716 630-6000, [1] . Greater Rochester International Airport ( IATA : ROC), 1200 Brooks Ave., Rochester , Phone: +1 585 464-6000, [2] .

Syracuse Hancock International Airport ( IATA : SYR), Colonel Eileen Collins Blvd., Syracuse , Phone: +1 315 454-4330, [3] . Albany International Airport ( IATA : ALB), 373 Albany Shaker Rd., Albany, Phone: +1 518 242-2200, [4] . By boat[ edit ] The canal starts just north of Buffalo between Tonawanda and North Tonawanda , where the canalized Tonawanda Creek flows into the Niagara River. It's only a mile or two downstream (north) from Lake Erie, so you have easy access from any of the upper Great Lakes. Even from Lake Ontario, you can get to Lake Erie via the Welland Canal — but since it costs almost $200 to transit its eight locks, and commercial traffic takes priority, you're probably better off entering the canal system at Oswego [5] . The Oswego Canal connects Lake Ontario to the Erie Canal in the Syracuse suburbs.

On the opposite end, the canal empties into the Hudson River, which is actually a long sea-level estuary, and quite navigable all the way north from New York City without even so much as a lock. The Champlain Canal also connects into the Hudson River nearby. If your boat is already on Seneca Lake or Cayuga Lake (two of the Finger Lakes ), you can take the Cayuga-Seneca Canal to get to the Erie. By car[ edit ] Interstate 90, the New York State Thruway, parallels the canal from Buffalo to Albany. Although it's a toll road, the Thruway provides the easiest access to the canalside communities. From Buffalo west to Utica , the canal is up to 15 miles north of the Thruway; east of Utica, the two run almost adjacent to each other. For a more scenic and leisurely adventure, try motoring on Route 31. This road parallels the canal and runs through most of the canal "ports" from Lockport to Syracuse. Once you get off the Thruway, you'll need to make your way to a boat launch (or other access point, if you're not boating).

See individual articles for your destination for details. Most of the boat launches along the canal have minimal parking; you probably don't want to leave a vehicle there overnight. They're designed primarily for day-boaters. For longer trips, you'll want to secure longer-term parking, which is more often found at the larger communities along the route. By bike or by foot[ edit ] Access to the Erie Canalway Trail (mostly known to locals as the "canal path") is fairly simple and not hard to find, though it's rarely well signed. You can access the path from just about any street that crosses the canal; in many villages it connects right up with the sidewalk network. Do be careful about crossing private land, though; in many places homes have canalside frontage that the homeowners guard jealously. If you stick to sidewalks and trails, though, you'll be fine. "We know every inch of the way from Albany to Buffalo..." - Fifteen Years on the Erie Canal, 1905 song This itinerary starts in Buffalo and goes east to Albany (flowing downstream from Lake Erie to the Hudson River), but the opposite direction works just as well!

Niagara Frontier[ edit ] The Niagara Frontier is the northwestern corner of New York, just across the Niagara River from Ontario , Canada. Anchored by Buffalo, the state's second-largest city, the region's biggest tourist draw is Niagara Falls . Buffalo has much to recommend it, and the communities that have sprung up alongside the canal are steeped in history and rural charm. Buffalo[ edit ] The Commercial Slip Strictly speaking, the modern Erie Canal doesn't go through Buffalo . But it did, once upon a time, and the legacy of that former status remains strong in the Queen City. Today, you can revisit that legacy in a very small but significant way. Instead of boating down the Niagara River, head up the Buffalo River for about half a mile. There, in the shadow of the Buffalo Skyway (New York State Route 5), you'll find the Buffalo Commercial Slip. This recently re-excavated and re-watered inlet was once the western terminus of the Erie Canal. While you're in Buffalo—whether you've arrived by boat, plane, or car—you'd be remiss not to explore the city and see the sights.

Canalside is an entertainment district centered around both the Commercial Slip and, on the other side of Marine Drive, a large, T-shaped reflecting pool that traces the former path of the canal for another couple of blocks. Here you can hop on board a narrated boat tour of the harbor, rent a kayak for a paddling trip among the historic grain elevators of the Buffalo River, take the kids on a paddleboat ride or rent a miniature remote-control sailboat in the reflecting pool, peruse historic interpretive exhibits, or show up for one of the frequent festivals and events including a Thursday night summer concert series. Hotels, restaurants, and ancillary attractions like the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park abound as well. Up the Buffalo River a bit from Canalside is Waterfront Memories & More, an off-the-beaten-path historical museum that tells the story of the poor Irish laborers that worked on the canal and in the industries that sprung up around it. Other city highlights include the Buffalo Zoo, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Tifft Nature Preserve, and the extensive array of well preserved architectural gems that dot the cityscape.

Buffalo is also home to some great sports teams—the baseball park and hockey arena are within a stone's throw of Canalside—and a plethora of annual festivals. Once you're done exploring what Buffalo has to offer, you're ready to start your canal journey. If you're boating, head north through the Black Rock Channel, on the east side of Unity Island—there are rapids to avoid on the upper Niagara River, and that means going through the Black Rock Lock. Once you're on the smooth portion of the river, keep going north, taking the eastern branch of the river around Grand Island to Tonawanda Creek. By bike, take the Shoreline Trail northward from Canalside: it approximates the route of the old towpath, passing through some well-manicured parks with great views over the lake and river. The Shoreline Trail links with the Canalway Trail proper in Tonawanda, at the canal's present-day western terminus. If you're driving, take I-190 or I-90 north to I-290, then take exit 1 or 2.

North Tonawanda and Tonawanda[ edit ] Upstream, Downstream Tonawanda Creek flows westward into the Niagara River, but the Canal conceptually flows the other way, east from the River and Lake Erie before flowing down over the Escarpment in Lockport. This apparent contradiction is enabled by the modern canal's use of natural waterways for its channel and as feeder streams. The waters of the many intersecting waterways feed the Canal, allowing it to avoid being drained and to be quickly filled every spring. The modern canal starts out as Tonawanda Creek, which constitutes the border between Erie County and Niagara County . South of the border are the city and town of Tonawanda , part of Buffalo's Northtowns ; to the north is the appropriately named North Tonawanda , in Niagara County. Together, they're "The Tonawandas" . Right at the mouth of the creek, in North Tonawanda, there's a small island called Tonawanda Island. (No, not the big one! That's Grand Island.

Tonawanda Island is less than a mile long and about 1,000 feet wide.) There are a number of marinas in the channel that separates the island from the mainland, so this might make a great place to start your boat journey. If you're hungry, The Shores Waterfront Restaurant and Marina has pretty good sandwiches and seafood in a cozy but scenic atmosphere—and you can dock your boat right outside. There are four boat launches on this section of the creek, extending a bit past the Tonawandas' borders to Amherst . The third of these, a little over five miles in, is the West Canal Marina ; it's part of a 27-acre park, with tons of parking and four ramps. The fourth is at the Amherst Veterans Canal Park, and it's the last launch on the canal until you get to Lockport. If you have time to explore The Tonawandas, your can't-miss attraction is the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda. Almost half of the country's remaining antique hand-carved carousels were built right here.

And if you happen to be passing through in mid-July, you're in luck: the Tonawandas' annual Canal Fest is a weeklong affair and the biggest canal festival in the state. Amherst[ edit ] Amherst is Buffalo's largest suburb, but the stretch of canal that separates it from the rural Niagara County town of Pendleton is largely undeveloped. The Amherst Veterans Canal Park has a boat launch with a fair bit of parking. It's also in this stretch that the canal deviates from Tonawanda Creek, to head sharply north toward Lockport. The creek, on the other hand, continues its meandering eastward (upstream) course, continuing to separate Niagara and Erie counties. Canal travelers, though, might want to take a short detour up the creek's channel to the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village , just a couple hundred feet (less than 100 m) from the split. Formerly the Amherst Museum, this complex of ten buildings aims to show visitors what life was like when the Niagara Frontier really was a frontier. It's not directly accessible from the water, or from the Canalway trail, but it's so close by it's very much worth the brief side trip.

Lockport[ edit ] The source of Lockport's name: the old flight of five on the left, and the new double lock on the right. Sadly, the stretch of canal between the creek split and Lockport is not yet accompanied by a usable off-road trail. Trail users will find that the off-road trail follows Tonawanda Creek a short distance past the split before terminating at New Road. The next five miles (8 km) or so must be traversed via surface roads. The recommended route takes New Road north to cross the creek, where it becomes East Canal Road. The on-road route follows East Canal north to Fisk Road, where it turns west to cross the canal. Bear Ridge Road takes travelers north to the Lockport Bypass, which takes them back to the east bank. Finally, another turn north onto State Street heads into downtown Lockport. Once downtown, there are any number of routes available to get back to the paved off-road trail, which picks up on the northwest side of the canal at Exchange Street.

Lockport is a treasure trove for canal travelers—starting from the very name of the city, which commemorates the ten locks that were used to raise (and lower) the original canal up and down the 60 feet of the Niagara Escarpment. These two "Flights of Five" were among a handful of engineering marvels along the early canal. The southern flight was removed in the early 20th century to make way for a pair of wider, modern locks (E34 and E35, the westernmost locks on the canal), but the northern flight still exists, and they're being restored to full functionality after decades as nothing more than a set of stepped platforms. The restored Flight of Five is due to open in late May 2015, but will only be operational Fridays through Mondays from 10AM till noon. If you happen to be passing through in late morning on one of those days, you're in for an experience that's not much different from the 1860s, when the locks were built. At other times, you can still proceed through the newer locks.

The modern locks are the only two on the canal west of the Genesee River (in Rochester), so from Lockport east, you've got a 64-mile (103-km) distance with no locking required. While you won't find any locks on that stretch, you will encounter a total of fifteen lift bridges, starting with Exchange Street and Adams Street in Lockport. You can alert the bridge operator to your approach with three horn blasts. The locks, both modern and original, mark the center of Lockport canal attractions. In a building right above the modern locks, on Pine Street, is the headquarters for the Lockport Cave & Underground Boat Ride . This excellent tour shows visitors the locks, along with some history of the area's industry, before venturing into an old hydraulic tunnel for a boat ride through this man-made "cave". Just above the locks is a unique bridge; it doesn't lift, but it does carry Main Street across the canal. And Saxton Street. And Niagara Street. Due to the angle at which Main Street intersects the canal, the bridge is just under 400 feet wide; an entire football field could fit on the surface, aligned parallel to the canal.

Of course, there's no turf, just the three roads and a couple of parking lots in the empty spaces between. The Big Bridge was once the widest in the world, and is still considered the widest in North America. Two boat launches are available in Lockport: the Upper Terminal Launch is above (southwest of) the locks near the Stevens Street bridge, while the Goehle Public Marina (known locally as Widewaters) is a mile and a half (2 km) downstream (northeast). Widewaters features plenty of parking, a small pier, and a pretty good drive-in restaurant . Orangeport, Gasport, and Middleport[ edit ] East of Lockport, the canal continues tranquilly through rural Western New York, passing by little except the occasional canalside village. Many of these communities were named in such a way as to ensure that travelers and businesspeople knew they had access to the canal—America's first superhighway. These three in the town of Royalton are no exception. Orangeport is included here for completeness, but is really little more than a few houses on the outskirts of Gasport.

Gasport is considerably bigger; although not an incorporated village, it has several restaurants and amenities, as well as Royalton-Hartland Elementary School. A lift bridge carries Main Street over the canal. Originally called "Jamesport", the community was renamed after canal engineers noticed a natural coal gas spring in the area in 1826. Middleport , so named due to its location between Lockport and Albion , is an incorporated village right at the western edge of Niagara County. It's bigger than Gasport, but aside from a few restaurants and the Roy-Hart Middle and High Schools, there's not a lot to speak of here. The lift bridge on Main Street is claimed to be the widest lift bridge on the canal (though nowhere near as wide as Lockport's stationary Big Bridge). There's also a grassy park on the north bank of the canal with some picnic tables. There is a small marina east of Gasport with a launch ramp and limited docking facilities. There's also a lone ramp about a mile east of Middleport, but there's no parking or other amenities there. Medina[ edit ] Continuing eastward into Orleans County , canal travelers come to Medina .

In the middle of the village, the canal takes a U-bend to the south to cross Oak Orchard Creek on an aqueduct. Just north of the canal, the Medina waterfall spills over the Niagara Escarpment on its trip to Lake Ontario. This village has long played second-fiddle to Albion in local prominence, but Medina is starting to come into its own with a revitalized downtown area that still maintains its historic character. The most significant attraction, beyond simply browsing the downtown storefronts, is the Medina Railroad Museum , one of the largest such museums in the state. If you're visiting in August, Medina's Canal Heritage Day is usually held on the second Saturday at the canal basin near the creek crossing; there's entertainment, historical presentations, and plenty of food. Boaters can tie up right in the heart of the village at the Medina Canal Basin Park [6] , with all the usual amenities available—except gas. There's also a boat ramp at the eastern edge of the village, just off Bates Road on the north side of the canal, with a fair bit of parking. A lift bridge carries State Route 63 over the canal. The other bridges in the vicinity are stationary.

Two-and-a-half miles (4 km) east of Medina's canal basin, before you get to Knowlesville, you'll find a unique site. Here, Culvert Road passes through a tunnel, underneath the canal and its towpath. This is the only place on its entire length that the Erie Canal crosses above a road. Albion[ edit ] West of Albion are a couple of small hamlets, each with a lift bridge, called Knowlesville and Eagle Harbor. Neither has much in the way of amenities... though if you head a mile south from Knowlesville to State Route 31, you'll find yourself at the Orleans County fairgrounds. Between the two hamlets, near the Presbyterian Road high bridge over the canal, is a small lake that is connected to the canal; boaters can enter it and view some wetlands and assorted wildlife, though there's not much else to do there. The tower atop Mount Albion. Albion itself is the county seat and the largest village in the county. The historic downtown area is a bit rundown, but improving, as beautification efforts have started to take hold.

The centerpiece of downtown is Historic Courthouse Square, a grassy hill topped by the striking red walls and silver dome of the county courthouse. Within a block of Courthouse Square, you can find seven churches of various Christian denominations, each one a fine example of historic religious architecture. The park-like Mount Albion Cemetery on the east edge of the village along Route 31 is also worth a visit; on a clear day, the view from atop the Civil War memorial tower is unrivaled in the county. Albion has plenty of amenities for travelers, including the county's only Wal-Mart Supercenter. If you're looking for a bite to eat, there are a few fast-food and diner-style restaurants scattered along Routes 98 and 31. If you want more substantial fare, the Crooked Door Tavern is quickly becoming ubiquitous among locals, with its mid-scale entrees and neighborhood atmosphere. There's a boat launch just west of the village, and a marina at Canal Park near Main Street (State Route 98) with basic amenities (but no gas or pumpout service). The Park itself is nicely landscaped and is a great place to watch the boat traffic and the Main Street lift bridge.

In addition to Main Street, Ingersoll St. to the east also crosses the canal on a lift bridge. A few miles north of Albion is Childs , which makes a great detour if you're into historic architecture and have a car or bike handy. The Cobblestone Museum complex includes eight historic buildings; the three main structures are excellent examples of cobblestone construction, a style that was nearly ubiquitous in this area in the decades after the canal was built. The Village Inn in Childs is also a great place to grab a bite to eat. Holley[ edit ] The stretch of canal between Albion and Holley is quite rural and sparse. Or peaceful, depending on your point of view. Six miles (9 km) east of Albion, you'll pass through the tiny hamlet of Hulberton, but there's not much there beyond a lift bridge. After that, it's another couple of miles to Holley. The smallest of the three Orleans County canal villages was named for Myron Holley, who was a canal commissioner and helped oversee the original construction. Holley doesn't have the attractions or amenities of Medina or Albion.

It's got a small downtown business district, and a canal park where you can tie up and pump out your waste, but not much else. Interestingly, though, the canal park includes a small tents-only campground and access to the Holley Canal Falls, where overflow from the canal is routed over an old escarpment and into Sandy Creek. Despite being effectively man-made, the falls are quite picturesque and worth a stop. As in Albion, you can tie up on either side of the canal, but all of the facilities (including the falls) are on the south bank. There's one lift bridge in Holley, on East Avenue east of the downtown area, just northwest of the canal park. Finger Lakes[ edit ] The canal never actually approaches the Finger Lakes themselves—the eleven long, thin lakes that define this region sit many miles to the south. But the canal's presence makes the communities through which it passes similar in many ways to those that sit on the lakes' shores. The state's third-largest city, Rochester, provides urban amenities and world-class cultural events, but this region is all about the smaller communities and the wide-open spaces between them.

As the East Coast's answer to California's Napa Valley , there are scores of wineries along the Finger Lakes, and oenophiles traveling the canal would be remiss not to take a detour to visit them. But even if you stay close to the canal route, there are a number of little gems to discover throughout the region. Brockport[ edit ] As the canal enters Monroe County— the suburbs of Rochester —there's a park on the northern bank right on the county line called San Soucie Canal Park. It's got both a boat ramp and a dock for tying up, along with plenty of parking... but no boater services. Brockport is a college town, being home to a mid-sized state college, and the village's downtown has remained more vibrant than some of its neighbors' due to the youthful influence of the students. The village doesn't have much in the way of attractions, but the downtown area has lots of shops, restaurants, and bars for you to enjoy. In particular, be sure to check out Lift Bridge Book Shop , a longstanding icon of the village that's remained relevant even in the age of Internet booksellers.

Boaters arriving at Brockport are in luck, as their Welcome Center on the south bank just east of Main Street might be the best such facility on the entire canal. Fully staffed by volunteers, the Center offers just about everything a weary boater could want, from basic amenities like showers and laundry to an air-conditioned lounge and a book exchange. The volunteers can answer any questions you have, and give directions; they'll even lend you a bicycle (and a wagon for the kiddos, or groceries) for free. They do ask for a nominal nightly fee ($4-15, depending on boat length) for overnight stays, but only if you need access to the facilities; if you just want to tie up, no charge. Unfortunately, while there's plenty here for boaters, there's not as much for the boats themselves. There's no repair facility, and you can't get gas. But as long as your boat's in good shape, Brockport is a great place to stop, rest up, and explore. Lift bridges carry Main Street and Park Avenue over the canal.

Halfway between Brockport and Spencerport is the hamlet of Adams Basin; they've got a lift bridge there, too, on Washington Street, and the Adams Basin Inn is a bed-and-breakfast with a dock on the Canal. Between Brockport and Adams Basin you'll find Arrowhead Marina and Golf Club. Though primarily a golf course, the marina does offer weekend and weekly (and longer) rates for dock rentals. The boat launch costs $5. Spencerport[ edit ] Like Brockport, Spencerport also has a welcome center, in the form of the Spencerport Depot & Canal Museum . The depot was once a station on the long-ago interurban trolley line that ran between Rochester and Buffalo, but it's been moved to the south bank of the canal to provide amenities for canal travelers. If you're staying overnight, feel free to take advantage of the showers downstairs. For those traveling the trail, the museum houses artifacts related to the Canal and to Spencerport and the town of Ogden. Spencerport's downtown area, just south of the Canal on Union Street, is similar to Brockport's, though a bit smaller and without the college-town vibe.

There are a few excellent restaurants that have opened since 2010, most notably Bad Apples Bistro and Texas BBQ Joint. There's a lift bridge on Union Street in the village, and believe it or not, you've already reached the second-to-last such bridge on the canal. (The last one is 25 miles down the pike, in Fairport.) The reason for this is that while the Canal has been level—no locks since Lockport, remember—the surrounding land has slowly been getting higher, as the Canal transitions from below the Niagara Escarpment to above it. You probably didn't notice any sudden change in land elevation; the escarpment isn't well-defined in this region. But the Canal's been traveling right along its edge. To the east of Spencerport, as you transition into Greece, you'll find the 577-acre Greece Canal Park on the north bank. Those traveling the canal path will have easy access to the park's trail system; boaters are out of luck, though, as the park's dock is for canoe and kayak rentals. Just a bit farther, however, there's Allen's Canalside Marina if you do need to tie up.

Central New York[ edit ] Adductor canal | Article about adductor canal by The Free Dictionary Adductor canal | Article about adductor canal by The Free Dictionary Related to adductor canal: Adductor hiatus canal, an artificial waterway constructed for navigation or for the movement of water. The digging of canals for irrigation probably dates back to the beginnings of agriculture, and traces of canals have been found in the regions of ancient civilizations. Canals are also used to provide municipal and industrial water supplies. The drainage of wet lands may be accomplished by means of a canal; by this method the Fens Fens, the, district, E England, a flat lowland, W and S of The Wash. Extending c.70 mi (110 km) from north to south and c.35 mi (60 km) from east to west, it is traversed by numerous streams. ..... Click the link for more information. of England and the Zuider Zee Zuider Zee , former shallow inlet of the North Sea, c.80 mi (130 km) long, indenting NE Netherlands.

In ancient times Lake Flevo, it was joined to the North Sea by a great flood in the 13th cent. ..... Click the link for more information. in the Netherlands were drained. Canals can be used for flood control by diverting water from threatened areas into storage basins or to other outlets. In some cases canals are used to generate electricity; the Moscow-Volga Canal is used for this purpose. Navigation canals developed after irrigation canals and for a long time were level, shallow cuts or had inclined planes up which vessels were hauled from one level to the next; locks (see lock, canal lock, canal, stretch of water enclosed by gates, one at each end, built into a canal or river for the purpose of raising or lowering a vessel from one water level to another. A lock may also be built into the entrance of a dock for the same purpose. ..... Click the link for more information. ) developed separately in China (10th cent.) and Europe (Holland; 13th cent.).

Over the years canals have been expanded in width and depth in order to accommodate larger craft, and they have, in some cases, been constructed to form bridges or to pass through tunnels to overcome topographic difficulties. Movement on canals was long accomplished by animal tows or by poling; in the 20th cent. mechanized tows and self-propelled barges appeared. The Grand Canal Grand Canal, Chinese Da Yunhe [large transit river], longest in the world, extending c.1,000 mi (1,600 km) from Beijing to Hangzhou, E China, and forming an important north-south waterway on the North China Plain. The canal was started in the 6th cent. B.C. ..... Click the link for more information. of China (the longest in the world) was completed in the 13th cent. and is the most notable of the early canals. France, Belgium, Holland, and Germany were the first in Europe to develop inland waterway systems by using canals to connect rivers; these countries now have a dense network of waterways (see Rhine Canals Rhine Canals.

Among the chief canals linking the Rhine with other river systems are the Rhine-Rhône Canal, 217 mi (349 km) long (built 1784–1833, now unimportant), connecting with the Rhône River through the Saône River; the Rhine-Marne Canal, 195 mi (314 ..... Click the link for more information. ; Midland Canal Midland Canal, Ger. Mittelland Kanal, artificial waterway system of Germany, extending eastward c.200 mi (320 km) along the North German plain from the Dortmund-Ems Canal, Germany, to Magdeburg, Germany, on the Elbe River. ..... Click the link for more information. ). Canal building was widespread in the 18th and 19th cent. During that period England developed an elaborate canal network, and there was also a canal-building boom in the United States in the 19th cent., especially after the completion of the Erie Canal Erie Canal, artificial waterway, c.360 mi (580 km) long; connecting New York City with the Great Lakes via the Hudson River.

Locks were built to overcome the 571-ft (174-m) difference between the level of the river and that of Lake Erie. ..... Click the link for more information. . However, the rise of railroads brought a decline in the building and use of canals as inland waterways. Canals have been built to shorten sea voyages or to make them less hazardous, e.g., the Suez Canal Suez Canal, Arab. Qanat as Suways, waterway of Egypt extending from Port Said to Port Tawfiq (near Suez) and connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez and thence with the Red Sea. The canal is somewhat more than 100 mi (160 km) long. ..... Click the link for more information. , the Panama Canal Panama Canal, waterway across the Isthmus of Panama, connecting the Atlantic (by way of the Caribbean Sea) and Pacific oceans, built by the United States (1904–14, on territory leased from the republic of Panama) and expanded by Pamana (2007–16). ..... Click the link for more information.

, and the Kiel Canal Kiel Canal, artificial waterway, 61 mi (98 km) long, in Schleswig-Holstein, N central Germany, connecting the North Sea with the Baltic Sea. At sea level, the canal extends from Kiel on the Baltic to Brunsbüttelkoog at the mouth of the Elbe River. ..... Click the link for more information. . Canals improve conditions on natural waterways by bypassing falls (the Welland Ship Canal Welland Ship Canal, 27.6 mi (44.4 km) long, SE Ont., Canada, connecting Lake Ontario with Lake Erie and bypassing Niagara Falls. Built between 1914 and 1932 by Canada to replace a canal opened in 1829, it can accommodate (minimum depth 27 ft/8 m) the largest lake ships. ..... Click the link for more information. ), shallows, or swift currents (the Sip Canal in the Danube River's Iron Gate gorge).

Canals may provide inland cities with direct access to the sea (the Manchester Ship Canal Manchester Ship Canal, 35.5 mi (57 km) long with a minimum depth of 28 ft (8.5 m), connecting Manchester, W England, with the Mersey estuary at Eastham, above Birkenhead. Begun in 1887, it was opened in 1894 and changed Manchester from a river port to a seaport. ..... Click the link for more information. ), or shorten the distance between cities (the Albert Canal Albert Canal, waterway, c.80 mi (130 km) long, N Belgium, from the Meuse River to the Scheldt River; constructed 1930–39. The canal connects the important industrial region around Liège with the port of Antwerp, Belgium. ..... Click the link for more information. ). In the 20th cent. canals regained importance, as modern technology provided the means to overcome greater topographic obstacles and facilitated the construction of larger canals and the expansion of existing ones.

The Great Lakes Great Lakes, group of five freshwater lakes, central North America, creating a natural border between the United States and Canada and forming the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of c.95,000 sq mi (246,050 sq km). ..... Click the link for more information. – Saint Lawrence Seaway Saint Lawrence Seaway, international waterway, 2,342 mi (3,769 km) long, consisting of a system of canals, dams, and locks in the St. Lawrence River and connecting channels between the Great Lakes; opened 1959. ..... Click the link for more information. system, opened to navigation in 1959, is the world's longest deep-draft inland waterway. Including six short canals with a total length of less than 60 nautical mi (110 km), it extends from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, Minn. on Lake Superior, a distance of more than 2,340 mi (3,700 km), providing large oceangoing vessels passage into central North America. Bibliography See C.

Hadfield, World Canals (1986); R. Spangenburg and D. Moser, The Story of America's Canals (1992); R. E. Shaw, Canals for a Nation: The Canal Era in the United States, 1790–1860 (1993); J. M. Bracken, American Waterways: The Role of Canals in America (1997). Canal A channel or groove as in the recessed portions of the face of a triglyph. Canal in hydraulic engineering, a regularly shaped man-made channel (waterway) built in the earth, with nonpressured movement of the water. Canals are built in open excavations or in embankments (when crossing gorges or ravines) and sometimes half in excavations and half in embankments (a canal on a slope). According to purpose, a distinction is made among navigation canals (man-made waterways), power-engineering canals (diversion channels), irrigation canals, water-supply canals, drainage canals, lumber-flotation canals, fish-ladder canals, and general-purpose canals.

Connecting navigation canals join navigable rivers, lakes, and seas (for example, the V. I. Lenin VolgaDon Ship Canal, the Moscow Canal, the Dnieper-Bug Canal, and the Panama Canal). Bypass canals are built to improve navigation conditions and to avoid rapids in rivers and turbulent sections of large lakes and seas (the Ladoga canals, the Onega Canal, and the Gulf Intracoastal Canal). Straightening canals eliminate meandering of a navigation route and reduce the length of the waterway (the Khoroshevo Canal on the Moscow River and the canal on the Don River below the Tsimliansk Hydroelectric Power Plant). Approach canals provide an approach to large cities, inland port areas, and industrial enterprises from a sea, lake, or river (the Leningrad and Astrakhan sea canals and the Manchester Ship Canal). Navigation canals are also divided into open and lock canals. Open canals are built by joining waterways whose water levels are almost the same; canals with locks are used when there is a difference in levels or when the route of the canal crosses a high water divide.

Lock canals usually consist of several sections, called races, on different levels; locks or ship hoisters are installed between them. Bypass and approach canals are generally open; connecting canals have locks. The water in navigation (lock) canals may move by gravity flow (free-flowing canals), or it may be pumped by pumping stations (machine canals). Navigation canals are characterized by great length (for example, the coastal canal from New York to Florida in the USA is about 1, 800 km long, the Baltic-White Sea Canal is 227 km long, and the Dnieper-Bug Canal is 196 km long; among sea canals, the Suez Canal is 171 km long and the Panama Canal is 81.6 km long) and by broad transverse dimensions (the Suez Canal is 120–150 m wide across the top and 12–13 m deep). Diversion channels take water from a river, reservoir, or lake to a hydroelectric power plant or draw off water that has passed through the turbine.

Such canals are typically very short; delivery canals are usually not more than 5–10 km long (maximum of 30 km), and return canals are seldom more than a few kilometers long. The water flow (carrying capacity) of diversion channels varies; in some cases it is more than 1,000 m3/sec (for example, the carrying capacity of the diversion channel of the Montélimar Hydroelectric Power Plant in France is 1, 860 m3/sec). In the USSR the Zemo-Avchala, Rioni, and Kondopoga hydroelectric power plants and the Sevan grid have diversion channels. Irrigation canals are designed to supply water to irrigated lands. They usually form a system of main canals, distribution canals, the irrigation canals themselves, and drainage canals. Water enters irrigation canals by gravity flow or is fed by pumps.

In large irrigation systems the length of the main canals may be several hundred kilometers (the Karakum Canal’s first section, up to the city of Ashkhabad, is more than 800 km long, the North Crimean Canal is more than 400 km long, and the Bol’-shoi Fergana Canal is about 300 km long). The water flow at the head of these canals is 250–500 m3/sec. Agricultural water-supply canals deliver water to waterless and arid regions for the needs of agriculture (primarily for livestock raising). Examples are the agricultural water-supply canals in the lower regions of the Volga and the canals of the Terek-Kuma Water-Supply System. Since small, oasis-like irrigated areas are usually formed when water is supplied to arid lands, agricultural water-supply canals are often at the same time irrigation canals (for example, the Nevinnomyssk and Kuban’-Kalaus canals).

Drainage canals collect water that comes from a drainage network (on swampy or overly moist terrain) and conduct it to a river, lake, or sea by gravity flow or through the use of pumping stations. Drainage canals are usually routed along the lowest points of the territory being drained (along thalwegs). Water-supply canals deliver water from the source of supply to the place of consumption (an industrial region, city, or community). Among the large water-supply canals in the USSR are the Irtysh-Karaganda Canal, with a total length of about 460 km and a carrying capacity of 75 m3/sec at its head, and the Severskii Donets-Donbas Canal, which is about 130 km long, with a water flow of 25 m3/sec at its head. Operating conditions and public-health requirements sometimes necessitate the covering of water-supply canals (for example, the canal—about 30 km long—that delivers water from the Ucha Reservoir to Moscow).

Timber-flotation canals are built to float timber (as individual logs or in rafts), usually from the place where it is cut to a river that is suitable for flotation or to a sawmill. Flotation canals are also built in the area of hydraulic-engineering complexes to direct floating timber around hydraulic-engineering structures. Fish-ladder canals supply water to man-made breeding grounds, provide a connection between rivers and isolated bodies of water (lakes) in which fish are found, and supply fresh water to estuaries (for example, in the lower course of the Kuban’ River). General-purpose canals are built to accomplish several water-management tasks simultaneously. Such canals have been developed on a particularly large scale in the USSR in connection with multiple use of river resources. For example, the Moscow Canal delivers water for navigation and water supply for the city of Moscow, the V. I. Lenin Volga-Don Canal (together with the Tsimliansk Hydroelectric Power Plant) is a navigation-irrigation-water-supply and power complex, and the Irtysh-Karaganda Canal solves irrigation problems in Central Kazakhstan, in addition to its primary task of water supply.

The cross section of a canal depends on the purpose of the canal, the structural features of the ground, and the conditions for earthwork. The most common shapes of canal cross sections built in soft soils are trapezoidal and polygonal. The latter is usually used in building large navigational canals. A rectangular profile is advisable when canals are built in rock excavations. Sometimes (for example, when a canal route passes through populated areas or in sloping sectors) the rectangular cross section in soft soils is reinforced by constructing vertical retaining walls. The dimensions of a canal’s cross section are determined by hydraulic calculations for a given water flow and the current velocity that is permissible for the particular conditions; for navigation and timber-flotation canals the size of ships and rafts that will be passing through must also be taken into account. The ratio between the area of the clear section of navigation canals and the area of the midship section of the hypothetical ship should not be greater than 4:1 for canals on first-category waterways, 3.5:1 for second-category waterways, and 3:1 for the third and fourth categories. If the ratio is smaller, resistance to the movement of ships increases substantially.

The slope of canal walls is determined by the nature of the soil. Where excavations are very deep, and also under difficult geological conditions, the strength of the walls is checked through calculations. The velocity of water current in canals has maximum and minimum values: the maximum, to avoid erosion of the bed of the canal, and the minimum, so that the bed does not become silted or overgrown with vegetation. For example, for canals in soft ground (sand and sandy loam), with a water depth of more than 3 m, current velocities of 0.4−1.5 m/sec present no danger of erosion; in hard rock (marl or sandstones), the velocities may be 3.1−5.6 m/sec. Formulas based on the principle of the so-called alluvium-transporting capability of a current are used to determine silt-free water velocities. Minimum canal velocities for preventing overgrowth with vegetation are 0.3 m/sec for small canals and 0.5 for large canals.

The bed of the canal is lined to protect it against erosion by the current and waves, to reduce water losses from seepage into the soil, and to decrease the roughness of the bottom and walls (to increase the carrying capacity of the canal). Lining that serves only to protect the walls of the canal against erosion is made of rock paving, fill, and laying and of concrete and rein-forced-concrete slabs. This kind of lining is usually used on navigation canals. For irrigation, agricultural water-supply, and drainage canals, sod-brushwood, wicker, and other types of rein forcements are sometimes used. Antiseepage lining (screens) is usually made of clay, sandy loam, and well-decomposed peat. The screens are covered with a layer of sand or gravel to protect them against mechanical damage and the effects of temperature. Concrete, reinforced-concrete, and asphalt-concrete linings are the most versatile; they provide reliable protection against erosion for the canal bed, ensure its watertightness, increase its carrying capacity and, at the same time, make possible complete mechanization of construction work.

In addition to installing lining or screens, silt deposition, mechanical packing of the soil, and films made of synthetic materials are used to combat seepage in canals. Structures on canals. In addition to special structures related to the operation of canals, such as locks (on navigation canals), pumping stations (on machine canals), and flood gates, many other hydraulic-engineering structures for various purposes are also erected along all canals. Among them are structures in places where the canal intersects streams (pipes, inverted siphons, and aqueducts), at intersections with transportation routes (viaducts, tunnels, bridges, and ferry crossings), and in places where there is a sharp break in the relief of the terrain (knickpoints and races). Historical survey. Long before the Common Era, in the ancient states of the Southeast and East, the development of irrigation and water-supply canals became necessary as farming developed. For example, irrigation was known in the valley of the Nile River in Egypt in 4400 B.C.

Question: Which canal was constructed to link the Great Lakes Erie and Ontario, thus bypassing the Niagara Falls?
Answer: THE WELLAND CANAL