The Canal System Today - Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor

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FortPlain_Chanticleer_E12_FFORTE_1800x569.jpg The Canal System Today HomeLearnHistory and CultureThe Canal System Today 200 years old and still going strong.

New York's canal system has been in continuous operation since 1825, longer than any other constructed transportation system on the North American continent.

Over the years, it has been enlarged three times to accommodate larger boats and more traffic. Today, pleasure boats, kayaks and canoes, and commercial vessels share the waterway. The NYS Canal System includes:

  • Erie Canal, which connects the Hudson River at Waterford with Lake Erie, 338 miles to the west;
  • Champlain Canal, which connects the tidal portion of the Hudson River with Lake Champlain, 63 miles to the north;
  • Oswego Canal, which follows the Oswego River from the Erie Canal 23 miles north to Lake Ontario;
  • Cayuga-Seneca Canal, which connects the Erie Canal to 92 miles of canalized rivers and lakes, including the Seneca River and Cayuga and Seneca Lakes.

The NYS Canal System links the Hudson River with Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie via the Niagara River, allowing boaters to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.

Go Through a Lock

It takes about 15 minutes to go through a lock, but you can experience it here in one minute.

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THE NEW YORK STATE CANAL CORPORATION

The New York State Canal System is operated by the New York State Canal Corporation. We recommend visiting the website for up-to-date Notices to Mariners. NYS CANALS >

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WaterfordFlight-Lock3_JMatulis.jpg What makes the canal so unique?

Locks, lift bridges, and aqueducts, built between 1905 and 1918, are still in use today. Many canal structures used in the 1800s are preserved in public parks along the canal.

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