Go to pictures of the Old Erie Canal in Central NY.
The path ends in Cohoes. The Cohoes Falls is an impressive sight in the spring. We saw it in the summer
when it is dry as the water is diverted into a channel which bypasses the falls with six locks to reach
the Hudson River.
Panel 6 of the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway shows a route
on town streets to reach the falls lookout and a historic mill district of Cohoes along the river. From
Cohoes it is about a five mile trip to reach the locks which bypass the Cohoes Falls. They are located across the
river in Waterford. There are six locks in Waterford and three of them are close together with two
large flood protection gates nearby. This "flight of locks" is the highest in the world with a drop
of 174 feet. It is an impressive sight, well worth visiting. To reach the locks, cross the bridge on
Rt. 32, then go left on 6th St., then left on Washington St., then left on Flight of
Locks Rd. The traffic is heavy on Rt. 32 and since the canal drops 174 feet in the locks, there is a
good hill climb. It seems like there could be a good loop trip returning to Schenectady by way of
Waterford and the north side of the Mohawk River, but we did not have time to try it.
Go to pictures of the Old Erie Canal in Central NY.