Plan Your Erie Canal Trip
However you travel the Erie Canal — by boat, by bike, on foot, or by paddle — the planning comes down to a few essentials: when the canal is open, how the locks work, where to fuel and tie up, and how to handle the two big-water and low-bridge cautions along the way. These guides pull it together, sourced and mile-aware.
Boating the Erie Canal
Locking through, season and hours, fuel and pump-out, air draft and the low bridges, the Waterford Flight, and the Oneida Lake advisory.
Cycling the Erie Canal
The 360-mile Canalway Trail and Empire State Trail — surface, bikes, daily distances, lodging, e-bikes, and the supported Cycle the Erie tour.
Paddling the Erie Canal
The NYS Canalway Water Trail — launches, locking through vs. portaging, safety gear, and the serious Oneida Lake open-water crossing.
Navigation Season & Hours
The current-season opening and closing dates, daily lock and lift-bridge hours, extended peak hours, and fees at a glance.
Quick answers & where to tie up
Looking for a fast fact — how long the canal is, how many locks, whether it’s free? Start with the Erie Canal FAQ. Planning stops? See free docks & town walls, fuel docks, pump-out stations, and marinas with transient slips. Or explore the canal town by town from Troy to Buffalo.