CHENANGO CANAL HERITAGE TRAIL:
BOUCKVILLE-HAMILTON, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: September 16, 2025
Length: Chenango Canal Towpath; 6.7 miles.
O&W Rail Trail; 1.4 miles.
Difficulty: Chenango Canal Towpath; Moderate. Flat trail with many different surfaces; Grass, hard packed dirt, cinder & woodchips and possible stone-dust.
O&W Rail Trail; Moderate. Flat trail with many different surfaces; Grass, hard packed dirt, cinder & woodchips.
Directions:
To Start from Montgomery Street in Hamilton for the O&W Rail Trail [Southern End]; Follow Route 12B into Hamilton from either the north or south. Travel west on Montgomery St. Parking is located at the Courthouse/Community Center. The trail starts directly across from the gas station by a brown hiking sign.
The Chenango Canal Heritage Trail follows the Chenango Canal Corridor. Because some sections of the Canal have been abandoned or returned to private ownership, some of the trail uses sections of the O&W RR right of way. The Chenango Canal was built and operated in the mid-19th century in Upstate New York. It was 97 miles long and for much of its course followed the Chenango River, from Binghamton Utica. It operated from 1834 to 1878 and provided a significant link in the water transportation system of the Northeastern U.S., connecting the Susquehanna River to the Erie Canal. The Chenango Canal was 42 feet wide at the top and 26 feet wide at the bottom and averaged 4 feet deep. It had 116 Locks, 11 Lock houses, 12 dams and 19 Aqueducts. The Chenango Canal was unique in that it was the first reservoir-fed Canal in the U.S. In this design, reservoirs were created and Feeder Canals were dug to bring water to the summit level of the Canal. In 1878 the Canal was abandoned with the arrival of the O&W RR. For more information visit; CHENANGO CANAL .
Three different trails are located here; Chenango Canal Towpath, O&W Rail Trail and Feeder Canal Towpath. Another trail along the Chenango Canal Corridor is located North, in Deansboro & Kirkland. See; Chenango Canal Towpath .
Chenango Canal Towpath:
Starting from Montgomery Street in Hamilton for the Chenango Canal Towpath [Southern End]; Map Board. The Chenango Canal Towpath travels North, alongside the Chenango Canal. The trail combines woodchips, grass and gravel surfaces as it heads through a wooded corridor before entering some fields, where it hooks left and travels West, past the end of the Hamilton Municipal Airport. (The old Canal is buried through the airport runway). This brings you to an *Intersection at 0.7 miles.
Note; Left, South, takes you along the O&W Rail Trail. See below.
Continuing right, North, along the woodchip trail, as you travel alongside the runway. Check out the wind turbines in the distance. At 0.9 miles you leave the runway behind and head into the woods, along a hard packed grass & dirt path. Back along the old Canal. Cross a culvert at 1.1 miles over a stream. The trail is now open as it follows the remnants of an old road. Cross dirt Eddy Rd at 1.4 miles and head past the gate along a grass lined gravel road. You'll return alongside the Canal at 1.7 miles. An informational sign here describes the Canals Feeder system. This was part of the West Branch Feeder Canal. Also, to your right is a small shed with a covered picnic table and bench. The hard packed grass trail follows alongside the cleared Canal, which is part of the Woodman Pond Wildlife Refugee. Occasional views of Woodman Pond on your right. Warning, watch out for sunken holes along the path, they'll jar your teeth. Cross Woodman Pond Rd at 2.2 miles.
Note; This section was planned for grading and a stone-dust surface North, to Route 46 in 2021.
Continue alongside the Canal where you'll find more informational signs. The trail veers away from the Canal and travels past a farmers field, on a hard packed dirt road, before crossing Route 46 over to Canal Rd at 3.5 miles. The soft grass trail then parallels Canal Rd on the right and the overgrown Canal on your left. Tough biking. I utilized Canal Rd along this section. The trail then passes a Map Board, before coming to the Canal Museum in Bouckville, just off Route 20 at 5.1 miles.
Note; You may take a quick detour right, East, along Route 20, to check out first, an 1850 stone Ye Old Landmark Tavern on the right, followed by the old Canal House on the left and finally the old Bouckville Depot at 0.2 miles. The old Canal House has beautiful original tin ceilings inside.
Cross Route 20 where Canal Rd continues. Below to your left the trail continues alongside the Canal as well. However, if biking, a set of stairs lead down to the trail and you'd have to carry your bike down. Instead continue along Canal Rd for 0.3 miles and just across from the Cider House Campground entrance will be a gravel path down to the Canal trail. Continue North, along the soft grass lined trail. Well shaded, but some tree root and divot issues. Pass by a Map Board as you come up to Canal Rd and Elm St at 6.5 miles.
Note; If you continue East, along Canal Rd, you'll come to a small parking lot on your right after 0.6 miles. From here you can check out the old Chenango Canal Lock 76. The region between this location and Lock 77 was called summit of the Chenango Canal, the highest region along the Canal.
The trail continues East, on the opposite side of the road, but abruptly ends after 6.7 miles.
O&W RAIL TRAIL:
From the *Intersection in Hamilton, head left, South. Follow the grass O&W Rail Trail 0.2 miles, out to Eaton Rd. Cross Eaton Rd and head left, a short distance, then turn right along the old rail bed. Map Board. Follow the tree lined corridor South, along the hard packed grass & cinder trail, with fields to your right and residential along the left You'll soon be following a gravel road past old factory buildings and the old "blue" Hamilton Depot, built in 1899, before coming to Lebanon St at 0.9 miles. Cross over to the wide, hard packed grass trail, that travels to the left of the big red building. Check out the informational sign about the O&W RR. The trail then ends at College St after 1.4 miles. Map Board.
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BIKE IT OR HIKE IT