OTHER AREA ATTRACTIONS: ERIE CANAL
Erie Canal | Niagara Falls | Finger Lakes | Sports | Recreation | Arts

The Erie Canal cuts across New York State, connecting the Hudson River and the great cities of the East with Lake Erie and the upper mid-west of America.  Once the economic engine for New York State and the entire Great Lakes region, the Erie Canal today provides an unparalleled recreational resource!

In the early 1800's, visionaries such as New York State Governor Dewitt Clinton were seeking a way to link the growing cities of the east with the western frontier. The Erie Canal was  completed in 1825 at a cost of $7 million.

Within just 9 years of its opening, the tolls collected on the canal had exceeded the cost of construction!

Canal boat entering Erie Canal Lock #29 at Palmyra, NY.
 

Curling on the Canal at the Port of Palmyra Marina.
 

Dubbed "Clinton’s Ditch" in shortsighted mockery of the Governor's dream, the Erie Canal brought tremendous economic prosperity and growth to the towns and cities along its banks throughout the 19^th century.

Its commercial benefits largely past, today the Erie Canal provides bountiful recreational opportunities all year round.  Pleasure boating, hiking, cycling, picnicking and more await a whole new generation of "canawlers."  And each winter the grand old Scots game of curling take center stage for a day of outdoor fun.