Material copied from RocWiki's Erie Canal Page.
Also known as Clinton's Ditch, the Erie Canal has had a tremendous impact on our city's development. Though it has been rerouted from its original path, bypassing the city now and cutting a modified route through the suburbs, several of the original Canal Locks still exist. Following its modifications in 1918, the canal was renamed the New York Barge Canal. Legislative action through the 1990's has returned it to its original name and restricted its use to recreation. That was not meant to include lock jumping.
You would have to be an idiot to drink water from the Erie Canal.
New York State is working to build a multi-use trail along the entire length of the Erie Canal, called the Erie Canalway Trail. Each year additional segments are built. One of the longest segments currently runs between Lockport and Palmyra, crossing through the southern portion of Rochester. Rich & Sue Freeman have written guidebooks that include many of the existing segments of the Erie Canalway Trail between Buffalo and Utica: -Take Your Bike - Family Rides in the Rochester Area -Take Your Bike - Family Rides in New York's Finger Lakes Region See more on these and other local outdoor recreation guidebooks at http://www.footprintpress.com
