• Black and white photo of a girl and her family on a canal packet boat in Rochester, NY

    Erie Canalway

    National Heritage Corridor New York

Operating Hours & Seasons

Operating Hours & Seasons
Most towpath sections of the Erie Canalway are open year around from dawn until dusk. The canal is closed to boat traffic during the winter. For more information on lock hours of operation contact the NY State Canal Corporation.

Be sure to visit the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Visitor Center, located at Peebles Island State Park in Waterford, NY.

Peebles Island State Park is open 7:30 a.m. to dusk daily. To contact them by phone or mail:
P.O. Box 219
Waterford, NY 12188
Phone:(518) 237-8643

Did You Know?

A horse, guided by its driver, pulls a canal boat carrying passengers.

Horses and mules powered New York's canal system until 1918. They walked on towpaths, connected to boats by a long towline. Animals and crews usually worked in shifts around the clock: six hours on, six hours off, resting in stables and bunks on board between shifts.