CHAMPLAIN CANALWAY
TRAIL; FORT EDWARD-FORT ANN
FORT EDWARD-FORT ANN,
NEW YORK
FEEDER CANAL TRAIL:
HUDSON FALLS-GLEN
FALLS, NEW YORK
SOUTH GLENS FALLS BIKE
TRAIL:
SOUTH GLENS FALLS, NEW
YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: December
20, 2023
Length: Champlain Canalway
Trail: Fort Edward-Fort Ann; 12.1 miles
Feeder Canal Trail (including on-road detour); 7.4 miles
South Glens Falls Bike Trail; 1 mile. On-road detour from the Feeder
Canal Trail; 0.4 miles
Difficulty:
Champlain Canalway Trail; Easy. Flat stone-dust and paved trail.
Moderate; On-road section.
Feeder Canal Trail; Easy. Flat, stone-dust trail. One on-road detour (sidewalks).
Directions:
To start from Mullen Park in Fort
Edward for the Champlain Canalway Trail
[Southern End] & Feeder Canal Trail
[Southeastern End]; From the junction of Route 4 & East St in Fort Edward follow East St east
taking your 4th left up Wing St. Cross the RR tracks and turn right on Culver
St, left on McIntryre St and left on Factory St. Straight ahead is a small
parking area and the trailhead. Another parking area is north on McIntryre St.
To start from Feeder
Canal
Park
in Hudson
Falls for the Feeder
Canal Trail [Southern Section]; Take Route 4 through
Fort
Edwards
and into Hudson
Falls. Take a right down John St, then a left onto Burgoyne Ave
(Route 37). The park and parking lot will be on your right where the Feeder
Canal
crosses.
To start from the Route 9 parking lot Glens
Falls for the South Glens Falls Bike Trail [Northern
End]; Take exit 18 off of I-87 to Main St
and head east, which becomes Broad St
. Bear right on Hudson Ave to Route 9 and turn right. Cross Oakland Ave, cross
the canal and turn right into the parking lot.
The Champlain
Canalway Trail is a planned continuous trail from Waterford (where the Erie
Canal departs from the Hudson River) North to
Whitehall. The modern
day Champlain Canal follows the
Hudson
River North to
Fort Edwards where the man-made Champlain Canal branches away from the Hudson
River towards Whitehall. In Fort Edwards the Feeder
Canal Trail connects to the Champlain Canalway Trail.
The original 25-foot-wide Old Champlain Canal
was enlarged many times and the current Champlain Canal
parallels the
original canal from Fort Edwards to Whitehall at the foot of Lake Champlain.
The trail will mostly follow sections of
the
Old Champlain
Canal. For more
information visit; CANALWAY TRAIL
and 2018
CHAMPLAIN CANAL ACTION PLAN . The first
Feeder
Canal
was dug in 1822 in Fort
Edward
to direct water from the
Hudson River
to the Old Champlain
Canal. A flood destroyed part of the dam across the
Hudson, so in 1824, a new dam was built in Glens Falls
and a new Feeder
Canal was begun. In 1832, the
Feeder
Canal
was improved and 13 Locks were constructed. For more information visit; FEEDER
CANAL .
I have broken the Champlain
Canalway Trail into 5 Sections: Starting from the
Southern End; Champlain
Canalway Trail; Waterford-Mechanicville , Champlain
Canalway Trail; Mechanicville-Schuylerville , Schuylerville to
Fort Edward is all on-road, Champlain
Canalway Trail; Fort Edward-Fort Ann and Fort Ann to Whitehall is
mostly all on-road.
The
Champlain
Canalway Trail is
part of the Empire
State Trail , which will be a continuous 750-mile route spanning the
state from New York City North to
Canada and Buffalo East to
Albany, creating the longest
multi-use state trail in the nation.
Four trails intersect in this Region. Starting from
Fort Edwards you can follow the Champlain Canalway
Trail
Northwest
to the Feeder Canal Trail. From the Feeder Canal Trail you can
access the South Glens Falls Bike
Trail South,
as well as, the Warren
County Bikeway which travels North to Lake George.
Champlain
Canalway Trail; Schuylerville-Fort
Edward Section:
From Schuylerville
North to Fort
Edward the route is currently all on-road.
See;
Empire State Trail
.
Champlain
Canalway Trail; Fort
Edward-Fort Ann Section:
Starting from the Factory Street parking lot at Mullen Park
in
Fort
Edward [Southern End]; Playground,
sports field & sports courts. Follow the narrow, paved Champlain Canalway
Trail through Mullen Park past the playground where the trail
travels Northeast. Here the Old Champlain Canal
is buried.
Note; The Old Champlain Canal
continues West but
is not accessible. There are supposed to be remnants of Old Champlain Canal Lock 15,
which was built around 1862 as part of the Enlarged Champlain Canal.
After the Canal
was abandoned in 1918, this section was preserved to
provide access to the Glens Falls Feeder
Canal nearby. Also on this site
is a large dry-dock right next to the Lock (once part of the original 1822
canal), and next to that is the mouth of the Old Fort Edward Feeder Canal.
The site is heavily wooded and completely overgrown. I
have not checked out this site.
Come to McIntryre Street where you'll find a second parking
lot. Map Board & BIKE STATION.
The trail continues as stone-dust past a stone monument following alongside
the Old Champlain Canal out to Towpath Lane. Cross the road where the narrow trail travels between Towpath
Lane and the canal
to your left. This part of the Old Champlain Canal
is very overgrown and the trail a bit rough
so you may elect to utilize Towpath Lane (low traffic). After 1.1 miles you'll pick up a nice wide, smooth, stone dust trail where you enter the
woods. Canalway Trail parking here. You come to the Southeastern
End of the
Feeder
Canal Trail after 1.9
miles.
Note; See
Feeder
Canal Trail Below.
The Champlain
Canalway Trail
continues North and the Old Champlain Canal is more distinct with the added water from the
Feeder
Canal. You'll pass by an old stone bridge abutment at 2.3 miles,
informational sign. After 2.9 miles the trail is paved as you cross a bridge
over an Old Champlain Canal Lock,
followed by a bridge over Bond Creek before coming to Rabideau Lane. Turn
right, then left through a tunnel underneath Route 198 to Towpath Rd at 3.1
miles.
Note; Here the trail utilizes
Towpath Rd (Gravel Rd with washboard, rough) North alongside the Old Champlain Canal
Lock for 2.7 miles.
Come to New Swamp Rd at 5.6 miles and turn right. Cross the RR
tracks and pick up a stone-dust road on your left just before a bridge over the Champlain Canal.
This will take you down to the New Swamp Road parking lot at
5.8 miles in Kingsbury. The wide,
open, stone-dust Champlain
Canalway Trail now heads North alongside the Champlain
Canal. The trail becomes paved as you come to Champlain Canal Lock 9
at 7.4 miles. Picnic tables, Porto-Potty and informational signs. You then head
left out past the Lock 9 parking lot and travel on-road
along Lock 9 Way (low traffic). You'll pick
up the paved trail on your left again at 7.8 miles. This brings you to a
cross-light over Route 149. Here the trail crosses an inlet and continues North
along an open woodland corridor with an active RR line up on your left. Come
back alongside the Champlain Canal at
8.1 miles. Cross an iron arched bridge over a creek at 9.5 miles. Pull away from
the canal and come to the Baldwin Corners Road parking lot after 10.2 miles.
Picnic table and BIKE STATION. Head left, West,
for a 0.2
mile on-road
section (wide shoulder), crossing the RR tracks and picking up the trail
on your right. Here the open, stone-dust Champlain
Canalway Trail continues North atop the Old Champlain
Enlarged Canal Towpath. Active RR Line below right. Next you'll
pass through the remains of the Old Champlain
Enlarged Canal Combine Locks 16 & 17
before emerging at Ann St in Fort
Ann after 12.1 miles Informational
signs. Head right along Ann St, crossing the RR tracks and come to the Fort
Ann parking lot across the road at 12.2 miles. This sits next to the Champlain
Canal and has a gazebo, picnic tables and Map Board. The Empire
State Trail continues right on-road along Ann St crossing the bridge over the Champlain
Canal.
Champlain
Canalway Trail; Fort
Ann-Whitehall Section:
From Fort Ann
North to Whitehall the
Champlain
Canalway Trail is mostly all on-road. A
short paved trail follows along S Quarry Ln to Hawk Rd in Comstock.
In Whitehall, a 0.4
mile paved trail travels North
through Waterfront Park alongside the Champlain
Canal to Main St. If you then head left, West,
on-road along Division St it will bring you to
Route 22. The Route 22 BIKE LANE continues North
for 23.3 miles to Route 41. See;
Empire State Trail
.
Feeder
Canal Trail:
Starting from the intersection of the
Champlain Canalway Trail
& Feeder
Canal Trail in Hudson Falls [Southeastern
End]; The paved Feeder
Canal Trail travels Northwest
crossing a bridge to Lock
1. A picnic table is located
here. You then pass by the overgrown Locks 2 & 3
before passing by Lock
3 and Lock 4. Continuing along the trail you pass by
a reclaimed landfill on your right near the unseen Lock 5.
This begins the only hill climb on the trail. You pass by the descending Locks
that form the Five Combines, Locks 6-10. At the top you reach the Feeder
Canal Park parking lot in Hudson Falls at 0.6 miles. Historical signs here. Cross the
road to Lock 11 where the sluiceway begins. This brings extra water down
along the canal via its own channel. The trail stone-dust trail continues along
the North Side of the Feeder
Canal. Pass by Lock 12
before crossing Pearl St and
Lock 13
at 1.1 miles. Cross Maple St and look left to spot the old Feeder
Canal Coal Silos. Cross Martindale Ave.
Note;
Left across the canal is the Martindale Boat Basin Park.
The trail
returns to stone dust and brings you to Route 4. Head right to a
crosswalk, then left back across the canal to the Murray Park parking lot
at 1.7 miles. Here the trail follows the South
Side of the Feeder
Canal. The trail turns East before
crossing Warren St at 2.6 miles. Cross light over busy Route 254 at 3.2 miles. You
travel
underneath a road bridge, a RR bridge and then a 3rd bridge before coming to Shermantown Rd after 4.2
miles in Glens
Falls. Map Board. At one time
there were 83 lime kilns along the canal and if you look left you can see some
of the stone work ruins.
Note;
Past here the Feeder
Canal is not accessible because of industry and thus requires an
on-road detour.
Turn right, North and head up Shermantown Rd
to Route 32 (Warren St) and head left, East. Wide
shoulder and sidewalk available. Quickly come to Platt St at 4.5
miles.
Note; If
you travel North, on-road,
up Platt St (low traffic) you will quickly pick up the paved Warren
County Bikeway on your left.
Continuing East along Warren St
you pass an historic Armory, now used by the National Guard. You'll come to Glen
St roundabout (Route 9) after 5.2 miles. Travel left, South,
along the double-wide sidewalk. You cross Oakland Ave and the canal before
coming to the Route 9 parking lot on your right at 5.4
miles. Here you'll re-join the Feeder Canal Trail.
Note;
From here you can also access the South Glens Falls Bike Trail
by continuing South across the Cooper's Cave
Bridge. See Below.
The Feeder
Canal Trail starts out following the Western
Side of the Hudson River. Past the end of the parking lot the
trail follows a causeway South between the Hudson River
and the Eastern Side of the Feeder
Canal. You'll pass by a canoe/kayak launch before crossing
Pruyns Island Dr. Here the trail utilizes Pruyns Island. The trail turns
West before coming to Bush St at 6.8 miles. Bush Street parking lot here
along with a Map Board.
Note;
Left, East, Bush St takes you to the Haviland's
Cove Park, along the banks of the
Hudson River.
The trail then travels between the Feeder
Canal and Hudson River before coming to the Feeder
Dam and Lock 14. Cross the footbridge
over the canal to
the Feeder Canal Park parking lot and the end of the trail after 7.4
miles.
South Glens Falls Bike Trail:
Starting from the Route 9 parking lot in Glens
Falls [Northern End]; Head South
along Route 9 (wide shoulder/sidewalk available) across Cooper's Cave Bridge to South Glens Falls.
Notice at the bottom of the falls in the
Hudson River
the rock formation known as Cooper's Cave, a site made famous in James
Cooper's novel "The Last of the Mohicans". Take your first
right on River St. Come to the South Glens Falls Historical Park parking lot
on your right. At the end of the parking lot is the gazebo and the start of the South Glens Falls Bike Trail
after 0.4 miles.
[Re-zeroing Mileage] The trail travels South
through the park and alongside the
Hudson River before coming to Beach Rd at 0.9 miles. Head right on-road
(low traffic) and you'll come to the South Glens Falls Beach parking lot after
1.1 miles. Very
scenic and includes a viewing platform on the rivers bank.
HH
CLICK
HERE FOR HUDSON VALLEY GREENWAY MAP
CLICK
HERE FOR EMPIRE STATE TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR
GLEN FALLS-HUDSON FALLS MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE
SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND
DISCLAIMER
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