BLACK RIVER FEEDER CANAL TRAIL:
BOONVILLE-FORESTPORT, NEW YORK
BLACK RIVER CANAL TRAIL:
BOONVILLE, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: March 28, 2024
Length: Black River Feeder Canal Trail; 9.5 miles
Black River Canal Trail; 10 miles
Difficulty: Black River Feeder Canal Trail; Western Section. Easy. Flat stone-dust towpath. Eastern Section; Moderate. Flat hard packed dirt & grass towpath.
Black River Canal Trail; Moderate. Flat hard packed dirt & grass towpath. Short section of crushed gravel in Boonville.
Directions:
To Start from Erwin Park for the Black River Feeder Canal Trail in Boonville [Western End];
From Rome follow Route 46 north to Boonville. Turn right on Schuyler St to Route 12. Turn right, south and Erwin Park will be on your left next to Route 12.
From Utica follow Route 12 north to Boonville. Erwin Park will be on your right next to Route 12.
To Start from the Boonville Black River Canal Museum for the Black River Canal Trail in Boonville [Northern End];
From Rome follow Route 46 north to Boonville. Turn right on Schuyler St then right on Main St. Cross the RR tracks and the museum will be on your left, just before Route 12.
From Utica follow Route 12 north to Boonville. Turn left on Main St. The museum is on your right before the RR tracks.
To Start from the Route 46 parking area for the Black River Canal Trail [Southern End]; From Utica follow Route 12 north 17 miles. Look right for a parking area along the road with a sign reading "BREA X-Country ski trail", just before you reach Pixley Falls SP where you can also park.
The 77-mile long Black River
Canal was an engineering marvel of the 19th century. Built
between 1837 and 1855, the
The Black
River Feeder Canal Trail [North of Route
12] follows the old towpath
of the Black River Feeder Canal
North from Boonville,
then South to Forestport.
The
Black
River Canal Trail
[South
of Route 12]
travels
South along the towpath
of the Black River
Black River Feeder Canal Trail:
Starting from Erwin Park [Western End]; From the parking lot travel through the 1796 covered bridge and turn right. This will bring you to the trailhead. No signs. The partially shaded, wide, stone-dust Black River Feeder Canal Trail travels North alongside the Black River Feeder Canal. Cross Sargent Rd at 0.7 miles and a steel bridge over a spillway a mile. Cross Moose River Rd at 1.4 miles where the trail becomes more isolated as it travels East. Cross Hayes Rd at 2.2 miles. I passed by some yellow Mile Markers that originate from Forestport every 0.5 miles. Cross Hawkinsville Rd in Hawkinsville at 3.3 miles. This was as far as I traveled. The hard packed dirt and grass trail continues South crossing Hayes Rd at 4.1 miles, Williams Rd at 4.7 miles, Millers Woods Rd at 5.1 miles and Edmonds Rd at around 6.2 miles. From here the trail appears to utilize the old dirt Canal Rd another 3.3 miles to Dutch Hill Rd in Forestport where it ends after 9.5 miles at Alder Pond.
Note; If you head left, East, along Dutch Hill Rd, then right along Pond Ave (dirt road) you'll come to River Rd. Straight ahead is the 200 foot Forestport Reservoir Dam. Turn right and you'll come to the start of the Black River Feeder Canal where it emerges from the Forestport Reservoir (Black River) after 9.8 miles.
Black River Canal Trail:
Starting from
the Boonville Black River Canal
Museum [Northern End]; Be sure to check out
the museum. Very impressive displays. It even has a full size mock-up of a canal
barge. Head out the parking lot entrance to Main St. Turn left along the sidewalk to the
Black River
HH
CLICK HERE FOR BLACK RIVER FEEDER CANAL TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR BOONVILLE BLACK RIVER CANAL TRAIL MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
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