Champlain Canal Boaters Itinerary

An Itinerary on the Alfred Z. Solomon Cultural Heritage Trail

Historical trails, battlefields, bike trails, museums, and plenty of small businesses dot the landscape between Waterford (Lock 1) and Whitehall (Lock 12). Originally built as a feeder line for the Erie Canal, the Champlain Canal played a significant role in the growth of the Industrial Revolution in New York and America. The communities that dot the landscape are rooted in the economic opportunities that the natural and manmade waterways made available to them. As you boat upstream the Upper Hudson River and Champlain Canal, you will discover that many of these communities have not changed much since the boom days of the mid-nineteenth century. Row houses and high Victorian manors, rolling hills and calm waters, and the loud bells of canal boats and the soothing chirp of crickets all await mariners on America’s first highways. Best Times to Go
Late Spring, Summer

What You Should Know Before You Go
The New York State Canal Corporation is a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority. State legislation transferred responsibility and day-to-day operations for the 524-mile Canal System from the state Department of Transportation to the Thruway Authority in 1992. While Lakes to Locks Passage is happy to provide information regarding the Erie and Champlain sections of the Lakes to Locks Passage, questions regarding the operation of the canals should be directed towards the NYS Canal Corporation at 1800-4CANAL4 or www.nyscanals.gov.

What About this Experience is Distinctive or Authentic to the Character of the Region?
The New York State Canal System is not only rich in history, but also culture. Many immigrants worked long and hard to create this magnificent waterway. Folklore, songs and speech lingo emerged from those individuals working along the Canal. As the population grew and the Canal prospered, it became not only a transportation waterway, but also a vacation area.

Additional Notes
Lock 8,9,…11?

Original blueprints created for the Champlain Canal were varied, and rather than renumber the prints, which were hand-drawn, the lock numbers were omitted.

Don’t have a boat? See below for a list of canal cruises.

www.mohawkmaidencruises.com

Fees (if any)
www.canals.ny.gov/exvac/boating/index.html
Comments
Check out your www.eccboating.com link. It doesn’t get me to a canal boat rental.

Tom, 9/17/2017
Thanks for point that out Tom. Unfortunately, they are no longer in business.

Drew – Lakes to Locks Passage, 10/12/2017

Lock C-1

Lock C-2

Lock C-3

Lock C-4

Lock C-5

Lock C-6

Lock C-7