The Erie Canal has been lauded as "The Canal That Made America", completed in 1825 the Erie Canal was the engineering marvel of its time. The canal stretched across New York for 363 miles, and boasted 18 aqueducts which bridged rivers and ravines, and 83 locks used to raise and lower boats to accommodate the 568-foot change in elevation between the Hudson River Valley and Lake Erie in Buffalo.
The historic Erie Canal considered the engineering marvel of its time, live a new incarnation as the preeminent recreational path in the United States. With over 400 miles of cycling the ECT is the King of all bike trails!
Once the engineering accomplishment of the world, the awesome Erie Canal now has a new incarnation devoted to recreation.
Today along the canal, you'll find many of the original engineering marvels, historic canal features, and lively Main Streets, along with great recreational activities and hundreds of festivals and events. With more than 500 miles of navigable waterways, over 360 miles of cycling and recreation trails, and nearly 200 distinctive canal communities stretching across the full expanse of upstate New York, there is no shortage of fun to be found along the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. So grab your bike, and get started on an amazing journey!
For those looking to cycle this incredible trail, we offer 3 options. Our Full Erie cycles the entire 363 miles form Buffalo to Albany over the course of 12 days which include 9 days of cycling, a "down day" in the famous Finger Lakes, and 2 travel days for guests to travel to and from the tour.
Our Half-Tour options split the nearly 400 miles into the West Half - Buffalo to Syracuse and the East Half - Syracuse to Albany. These options allow you to complete this epic tour in 2 separate trips.
You can find complete details on cycling the awesome Erie Canalway Trail under our EPIC Tours.