Kayak & Canoe Launches on the Erie Canal
50 along the canal, Troy → Buffalo
The Erie Canal is one of the most beginner-friendly long-distance paddles in the country: protected, flat water with frequent access and canal-town amenities the whole way. These are the hand launches for kayaks and canoes we’ve mapped along the canal corridor and the NYS Canalway Water Trail, Troy to Buffalo, ordered east to west.
Each launch links to its own page with location, parking, and any facilities on site. Use them to plan day loops and shuttles, or to break a longer expedition into town-to-town segments. Canoes and kayaks may lock through for free — stand-up paddleboards must portage around each lock.
One serious caution for thru-paddlers: the canal route crosses Oneida Lake, big shallow water where west winds build dangerous waves fast. Read the paddling guide before you plan that stretch, and always check the marine forecast.
