July is a month of big journeys and great events along the canals and Canalway Trail. Whether you like to cruise, cycle, paddle, walk, or drive, we encourage you to take advantage of all that the National Heritage Corridor offers this summer.
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Choose from engaging historic sites and museums, boat tours, music along the waterfront, local cuisine and farmers markets, and cycling, boating, and paddling adventures. You can't beat the beauty of Upstate New York along the canals. If you're not sure where to begin, try one of our multiday itineraries, road trips, or Best Bet Day Trips for cycling and paddling. Each trip includes a mix of sight-seeing, heritage, recreation, and a taste of local flavor.
Trips for all abilities
There are numerous places along the canals that are accessible to people of all abilities. Several outfitters provide adaptive equipment rentals and guidance to help you safely paddle or cycle. Our itineraries provide information on accessibility to help you decide which trips are best for you.
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Cycle the Erie Canal is Coming to a Community Near You |
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One of summer’s biggest highlights is the annual Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour! From July 10-17, more than 750 riders from 40 states and Canada will cycle from Buffalo to Albany. Nearly 200 riders have made the journey more than once, with three riders joining for their 10th Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour! Cyclists cover 40 to 60 miles per day, setting their own pace and stopping along the way for lunch and to visit local sites as time allows. Thanks to Parks & Trails New York for organizing an outstanding tour!
Cycle the Erie Canal is supported in part by a grant from the NYS Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
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TOUR SCHEDULE
Sunday, 7/10: Buffalo to Medina
Monday, 7/11: Medina to Fairport
Tuesday, 7/12: Fairport to Waterloo/Seneca Falls
Wednesday, 7/13: Seneca Falls to Syracuse
Thursday, 7/14: Syracuse to Rome
Friday, 7/15: Rome to Canajoharie
Saturday, July 16: Canajoharie to Schenectady
Sunday, 7/17: Schenectady to Albany
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ROLL OUT THE WELCOME MAT!
Let's show riders what hometown hospitality is all about:
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Offer water. This is one of the simplest ways to welcome riders. Long miles and hot days make for thirsty riders.
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Give plenty of notice. Cyclists moving at 12 to 20 mph need some advanced notice about what's ahead if they are going to have time to consider a stop. Place multiple signs along the trail in advance of your attraction or community to entice riders to stop.
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Put up a sign! If your community is a scheduled rest stop or daily destination, be sure that businesses know to expect riders. Display a Welcome Cyclists! sign prominently to let riders know you're glad they're visiting.
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Be prepared to answer common questions. Know where the nearest bike racks, restrooms, ATMs, snack bars, and restaurants are located.
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Entice riders to return. Cyclists are on a fairly tight schedule and may not be able to stop and explore all the places they'd like to. Celebrating the ride and making riders feel welcome will entice them to return and tell their friends about sites that intrigue them.
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'Tis the season to get outside and get moving with the Canalway Challenge! Pledge your miles then cycle, walk, run, paddle, or roll along 500 miles of water and trail to achieve them. You be rewarded with a great time along the way and with a mileage magnet, sticker, and bandana when you finish.
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ERIE CANALWAY MAP & GUIDE
Although digital content is king, it is still nice and often quite useful to have printed information to hold in your hands. Pick up a copy of the Erie Canalway Map & Guide at visitor centers and historic canal sites near you. Or call our office to request a copy at 518-237-7000.
The guide is available thanks to generous support from the NYS Canal Corporation, National Grid, Brookfield Renewable, EDR, Boat US, Stewarts, and Wegmans.
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While you are out along the canal, watch for the smiling faces and blue t-shirts of NYS Canalway Water Trail Stewards. Sixty-five volunteers are participating in the Stewardship Program, a volunteer effort to take care of all 450 miles of the NYS Canalway Water Trail. With training and support from Erie Canalway, stewards are helping to ensure that the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Champlain, and Oswego canals are beautiful for all to enjoy. Say hello!
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Stewards Jennifer Loviglio, Jane Weerasinghe, and Julie Glynn recently cleaned up the packet boat shaped jungle gym at Lock 32. Many people stopped by to thank them and shared that their kids grew up climbing on it.
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Kids + Canals = A Smart Combination
School's out for summer, but we're thrilled to report that our Ticket to Ride program supported field trips for 1,211 students in 2022. We also worked with educators at MiSci in Schenectady and Explore & More in Buffalo to develop new education programs. Funding for field trips next school year will be available in September.
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ALONG THE TOWPATH: UPDATES, EVENTS, AND HAPPENINGS |
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Paddle the Canals: ON the Erie
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 9am to 1pm
Baldwinsville to Syracuse
Join Erie Canalway for a guided half-day paddle on the Erie Canal/Seneca River from Mercer Memorial Park in Baldwinsville, through Lock E24, to Onondaga Lake Park. We’ll paddle 5.5 miles and celebrate at the end with a picnic lunch at the Willow Bay Shelter. Kayak rentals are available through Oswego Expeditions. $30 registration includes shuttle and lunch.
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Parks & Trails New York is seeking volunteers to perform manual counts along the trail and submit the results for inclusion in its Who’s on the Trail report for 2022. Trail counts help organizational partners across the corridor to demonstrate the value of trails and secure funding for future amenity improvements. Register for more information.
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Buffalo Maritime Center (BMC) has unveiled a new exhibit, “The Haudenosaunee and the Erie Canal,” at the Longshed at Canalside. The exhibit acknowledges the history of the Indigenous peoples who were displaced by the building of the Erie Canal and the increased development that resulted. The Buffalo Maritime Center is currently building a replica of the Erie Canal Boat Seneca Chief, which Governor DeWitt Clinton traveled aboard as he officially opened the Erie Canal in 1825. While construction of the replica Erie Canal Boat itself is a major goal of the BMC, so is increasing awareness of the history surrounding the creation of the Erie Canal and its many impacts. The exhibit was sponsored by the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, New York State Canal Corporation, and the Conable Family Foundation, a fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo.
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The waterfront is a lively place to be this summer with concerts along the canals at multiple locations, including Seneca Falls, Newark, Buffalo, Fulton, and more. The Albany Symphony's TrailBlaze series in celebration of the Empire State Trail wraps up with free concerts in Schenectady on 7/1, Albany on 7/2, and Amsterdam on 7/3.
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Try your hand a working the historic lock lock gates at Lockport's restored Flight of Five locks and learn about their remarkable construction during a 45-minute walking tour. Departs at 11 am weekdays from the Erie Canal Discovery Center. Registration required.
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Visit eriecanalway.org for a full calendar of events. |
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PHOTO CONTEST OPEN
Share your favorite places, views, and people enjoying the canals for our annual photo contest. Submissions due 8/26.
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HEAR THE LATEST NEWS
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for news, fun photos, event announcements, and more.
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GREAT GIFTS!
Find shirts, hats, hoodies and more for the canal lovers in your life. Net proceeds support Erie Canalway Programs.
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GIVE THE GIFT OF HERITAGE
Your donation helps us preserve our extraordinary canal heritage, promote the canal Corridor as a world-class tourism destination, and foster vibrant communities connected by more than 500 miles of waterways and trails.
If you are an Amazon shopper, you can support the Erie Canalway Heritage Fund when you shop through Amazon Smile. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible smile.amazon.com purchases to charities selected by customers.
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Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor
PO Box 219 | Waterford, NY 12188
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