Western Erie Canal

B

bcassal

New member
I am planning a two week cruise on the Erie Canal in mid August and am finally getting down to working on the details. I would like to launch on the western end and travel east. I will meet some family on Cayuga Lake and maybe take the Oswego Canal up to Lake Ontario. I am not finding many Ramps on the western canal and I wonder if y'all might have any suggestions? I'm looking for secure truck and trailer storage. It seems most people use Seneca Falls State Park, but I would like to keep backtracking to a minimum. Any suggestions on finding public transportation back to the launch would be helpful, we have always made round trips. I know lots of Brats are familiar with the canal and your accounts of your travels have made it very appealing.

Thanks in advance for your imput!
Bruce Cassal
"Carpy"
 
We did the Erie Canal East to West, but here are our thoughts. You could launch in the Buffalo area and find a storage unit facility to hold your truck/trailer. Then the Amtrak runs between Buffalo and Albany with a few stops along the Erie Canal.

We put launched in Schenectady, NY and parked the truck/trailer at a public parking garage that was staffed most of the day. We then cruised to Buffalo and took the Amtrak back to Schenectady.

The western part of the Erie Canal is must see area - at least for us.
 
I would contact the Erie Canals website and purchase The Cruising Guide an Erie canal Guide. They used to be 19 dollars. www.canals.state.ny.us or you can call them at 1 800 422 6254. It looks like the town of North Tonawanda has a boat ramp. There also is another boat launch owned by the state of New York in North Tonawanda near the North Tonawanda botanical gardens. Most use the services of a rental car company like Enterprise to get back to the trailer rigs. There are no less than six marinas in North Tonawanda. Here is one and I have no idea about the parking but maybe these folks at Placid Harbor Marina can help 716 693 6226. The Canal Cruising guide is the hot set up, get one. The people up along that canal are of the nicest we have ever met. Might be a tad warm in August but the canal is a blast.
D.D.
 
We have a home on Rochester and a cottage on L. Ontario halfway to Buffalo. We regularly put into the Erie Canal at Lockport: there is an excellent launch, and parking area (both free) at Widewaters Marina.
 
We have used a NY State Park at the North end of Lake Seneca. I can't remember the name of the park , but it would be shown on road maps. It may be called Seneca Lake State Park. They have a good ramp and a storage lot for long term cruisers. We have left our rig there for 6 to 8 weeks several times. Just check in at the park office and they will direct you. I think we paid a small launch fee. You can also but your permit at Barrett Marina just about one half mice on the canal from the park. Try to get the Canal cruising guide SAP it is the bible for the canal system. If you have any other questions about the canal please just E Mail us.
 
The State Park at Seneca Lake is a good place to launch. One can leave truck and trailer parked there indefinitely at no charge.

I have recommended Lockport (Widewaters) as a possible starting point near the west end of the Canal.

Recently my wife and I visited the inner harbor area of downtown Buffalo. We spotted a public launch with transient trailer parking. There are also several marinas in this area.
 
It looks like these folks are from Indiana and they want to leave the tow vehicle on the western end. I too would vote for Seneca Lake State park. Just drop the boat in at North Tonawanda dock it up drive the rig to Seneca State Park, (used to cost 6 dollars to enter the park) get a one way car rental (Enterprise will pick u up) back to the boat and start the ole canal adventure. Middleport, Spencerport, Brockport, Fairhaven, and Newark were some of our our favorite places. Good cheap vittles everywhere. :mrgreen:
D.D.
 
In my first post I did not rant and rave about Newark. Now that it has been mentioned-------Go to the Newark Diner for breakfast. Their special is the Belly Filler, 2 eggs, toast, home fries and coffee all for $1.99. What a deal and good. Also docking with electric, water, free laundry and a good shower is FREE for the first 3 nights. There is a low cost movie house within walking distance of the docks and two other fine restaurants. A Super Saver grocery store is close.

My favorite stop on the canal is Fairport. The dock area is very nice, has good showers, and is only $7.00 per night with electric and water. A good ice cream shop is on the docks and several good resturants within walking distance. Concerts happen several times per week.

We have done every mile of the canal and the western end is by far our favorite area.
 
Thanks everyone for your Erie Canal recomendations.
The trip seems to have come together and it looks like we will be cruising almost the entire canal. We will launch at East Basin Marina at Buffalo. We can leave the truck and trailer there. We will take about 2 weeks to find our way to Amsterdam. There is an Amtrak station in Amsterdam and in Buffalo. Both are in walking distance from the water. We'll take the train back to buffalo and fetch the trailer.
The more I research the trip the more excited I get. Thanks for all your suggestions and, as always we'll have an eye out for C-Dories.

Bruce Cassal
"Carpy"
 
We plan to do the entire canal plus the Trent Severn and Rideau and surrounding waters next year and sure would like to hear about your experiences. We hope you have a great time.
 
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