Traveling by car?

The New York State Thruway offers an almost parallel driving route to the Erie Canal, and offers easy access to numerous Canal attractions and boat launches.  The Oswego Canal can be reached via the Thruway by taking Exit 34A.  Follow signs for Route 481 North toward Oswego; the Cayuga-Seneca Canal can also be reached via the Thruway; by taking either Exit 41 or 42 toward the Finger Lakes Region and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal.  To visit the Champlain Canal, take the Adirondack Northway-Interstate 87N and numerous smaller roads will connect you. For more specific driving directions, please consult a New York State map.

Cruising by boat?

All four Canals are easily accessible by boat. If coming from the south, cruising up the Hudson River will bring boaters to the eastern entrance of the Erie Canal in Waterford. If continuing north, boaters will then enter the Champlain Canal.  Traveling from east to west on the Erie Canal, boaters can also gain access to the Great Lakes by connecting with the Oswego Canal to enter Lake Ontario or continuing west to the end of the Erie Canal, where by traversing the Federal Black Rock Lock, one can enter Lake Erie. The Cayuga-Seneca Canal also connects with the Erie Canal in the central part of New York, allowing boaters to visit the Finger Lakes region as well.

The New York State Canal System is part of the Intracoastal Waterway that runs along the Eastern U.S. seaboard. For more information about the Intracoastal Waterway, please consult your nearest marine center for charts or the National Ocean Service, NOAA in Riverdale, MD., 301-436-8301.

Come and enjoy the beauty and history of the New York State Canal System. Come cruise the past and unlock the adventure!