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Latest update: June 2025

Erie Canalway Trail... New York

Leisurely Biking and Touring along the Historic Erie Canalway

We enjoy visiting New York State with its diversity and beauty - from great cities to rural tranquility. We became interested in the Empire State Trail (EST) and have visited several sections. On these pages, we document our adventures to date along the Erie Canalway Trail which comprises almost half the EST. There's a lot to see and do, with 34 national historic landmarks, 24 state parks, and numerous historic canal cities and towns.

• As casual "Bike Trippers," we visit at a leisurely pace, visiting historic sites and places of interest and seeking out paved, easy-to-ride trail sections. We highlight some **Suggested Rides for like-minded bikers. (Click on the links in each section below for details, maps, and photos.)

Biking Map...
Erie Canalway Trail

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Interactive Map with all features and amenities

Location: Albany to Buffalo, NY (See map)
Distance: 360 miles
Surface: Various - paved asphalt, compacted stonedust, on-road

Bike Shops/Rentals:
View full list of bike shops

Biking and Touring the Erie Canalway Trail... Comments and Photos

• The Erie Canalway Trail runs about 360 miles from Albany to Buffalo, NY, along the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers , following the route of the Erie Canal, running on Canal towpath and along parallel rail routes; remnants of the old Erie Canal can be seen in spots. It passes through urban, suburban and rural areas, with paved asphalt and unpaved stonedust portions, and some sections on the road. The Canalway Trail forms the western leg of the Empire State Trail, and is part of the New York State Canalway System.
• We visit east to west, visiting places of interest and biking enjoyable sections of trail out-and-back. (Note: most trail end-to-enders travel west to east due to prevailing winds.) Biking the entire trail is a 9-10 day adventure, but we like most users visit in smaller increments to take in nature, history, interesting communities, and the many activities along the way. Accommodations are available in the larger cities, and camping in more rural areas and parks.

East Section - Albany to Little Falls

The first 88 miles of the Erie Canalway Trail runs from Albany to Little Falls. The biking route here is paved with just a few on-road sections. We visit historic and interesting sites along the way, enjoying several out-and-back bike rides

**Suggested Rides:

• Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail at Niskayuna - 4 miles
• Erie Canalway Trail from Amsterdam to Fort Hunter - 6 miles

View details, map, photos

East-Central Section - Little Falls to Syracuse

This report covers portions of the 84 miles of the Erie Canalway Trail from Little Falls to Syracuse. The biking route here includes paved and unpaved sections, with several longer on-road sections. This is an historic area with interesting sites we enjoyed visiting.

**Suggested Ride:

• Little Falls to Fort Herkimer - 7 miles

View details, map, photos

West-Central Section - Syracuse to Rochester

This section of the Canalway Trail covers 97 miles from Syracuse to Rochester. The trail runs mostly off-road along the canalway, including paved, stonedust and on-road sections with views of boats, bridges and locks. To date, we've visited the westernmost 15 miles, enjoying the scenic towns and Rochester's parks and trails.

**Suggested Rides:

• At Rochester's Genesee Valley Park, and nearby trails.

View details, map, photos

West Section - Rochester to Buffalo

The final 95 miles of the Canalway Trail runs from Rochester to Buffalo. The trail is mostly stonedust between Rochester and Lockport, then from Lockport to Buffalo is mostly paved off-road, with a few sections on-road. We enjoyed visiting many historic canal towns along the way, viewing portions of trail along the way.

**Suggested Rides:

• Lockport to Pendleton - 7 miles
• The Shoreline Trail at Tonawanda - 4 miles
• The Buffalo Industrial Heritage Trail at Buffalo's Outer Harbor - 3.5 miles

View details, map, photos

The Original Erie Canal

The original Erie Canal was completed in 1825, at 363 miles it was the second longest in the world. It was considered an engineering marvel, with an elevation lift of 528 feet over its route. Expanded over the years, in 1905-1918 a "barge canal" for larger vessels was built and half the original canal was abandoned (some segments of the original can still be seen).

• Active today, mostly for recreational use, the Canal is open from May to November - it's the longest ongoing transportation project in North America.

More Information and Resources

More Biking:
Empire State Trail - Manhattan to Albany, Canada, and Buffalo
Bike-New York - More bike trails and information about biking in New York State

Related Resources:
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor - Cycle the Erie Canalway Trail
New York State - Empire State Trail - Erie Canalway Trail

Support and Advocacy:
Parks & Trails New York
Erie Canalway Heritage Fund