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: July 11, 2021
Length: Champlain Canalway Trail: Fort Edward-Fort Ann; 12.1 miles
Feeder Canal Trail (including on-road detour); 7 ½ 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 [Champlain Canalway Trail & Feeder Canal Trail] 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 [Feeder Canal Trail]; 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 Feeder Dam in Glens Falls [Feeder Canal Trail & South Glens Falls Bike Trail]; Take exit 18 off of I-87 to Corinth Rd and head east. Turn right down Richardson St and take to its end at the Feeder Dam 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 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 to Canada and Buffalo to Albany, creating the longest multi-use state trail in the nation.
Four trails roughly intersect in this region, this page describes three. Starting from Fort Edwards you can follow the Champlain Canalway Trail to the Feeder Canal Trail. From the Feeder Canal Trail you can access the Warren County Bikeway, as well as, the South Glens Falls Bike Trail. The Warren County Bikeway travels north to Lake George.
Champlain Canalway Trail:
Note; The Empire State Trail is all on-road south from Schuylerville. See; Empire State Trail .
Starting from Mullen Park in Fort Edward;
Note; The 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.
The narrow, paved Champlain Canalway Trail travels northeast through Mullen Park (the canal is buried here) and out 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. Parking Area here. You come to the start of the Feeder Canal Trail after 1.9 miles.
Note; See
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 on-road 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 for 0.4 miles along Lock 9 Way. 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 for a 0.2 mile on-road section, 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.
Note; From Fort Ann to Whitehall the Champlain Canalway Trail is mostly all on-road. See Empire State Trail Map.
Feeder Canal Trail:
Starting from the intersection of the
Champlain Canalway Trail
& Feeder
Canal Trail; Travel northwest along the paved Feeder
Canal Trail 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. Pass by Lock 12, then
Lock 13
at 1.1 mile. Cross over Maple St
for a short paved section that doubles as a road for driveway access. The trail
returns to stone dust at 1 ½ miles. You then cross over Martindale Ave
where the trail continues on the opposite side of the canal next to a linear
park and parking lot. At 2 ¼ miles, the canals sides become concrete. You come
to a busy road crossing across Route 254 at 3 ¼ miles. No cross
light. You pass
under the first of 3 bridges at 3 ¾ miles. The second bridge is a railway
bridge and the third is a footpath over the canal. You travel through the Glens Falls Portland
Cement plant and come to Shermantown Rd after 4 ¼ miles in Glens
Falls. 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;
From here you can access the western end of the Feeder
Canal Trail
via an on-road detour, as well the Warren
County Bikeway and South Glens Falls Bike Trail.
Turn right and head up Shermantown Rd. Turn left on
Warren St.
Note;
Across the street after ¼ mile will be Platt St. That will connect you to the Warren
County Bikeway.
Continuing straight down Warren St
you pass an historic Armory, now used by the National Guard. You'll come to Glen
St
(Route 9) after a mile, turn left here. You cross over the canal at 1 ¼ miles
and pick up the Feeder Canal Trail on
your right.
Note; From here you can also access the South Glens Falls Bike Trail on-road less then ½ a mile away. See Below.
Heading west along the remainder of the Feeder Canal Trail you start out next to the Hudson River and Glens Falls. You'll pass by an old stone bridge abutment at 0.9 miles and come to the Bush St Bridge just shy of 1 ½ miles. This road takes you to the Haviland's Cove Park, along the banks of the Hudson River. You come alongside the river again and the trail finally ends at the Feeder Dam and Lock 14 after 1.9 miles. Cross over the footbridge to the Feeder Canal Park parking lot.
South Glens Falls Bike Trail:
From the Feeder
Canal Trail
off Route 9; Travel south over the Glens Falls Bridge into
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". Cross the road and look for a sign that
reads South Glens Falls Historical Park. Turn right down this road. This
brings you to the park and a gazebo. The South Glens Falls Bike Trail
starts at the top of the parking lot. The trail runs alongside the
Hudson River
and brings you to South Glens Falls Beach after a mile. 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
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