In celebration of Great Outdoors Month, The New York State Canal System, including the Erie, Champlain, Oswego, and Cayuga-Seneca canals, is getting special recognition from the U.S. Department of the Interior as one of the nation’s newly designated National Water Trails. [Read more…] about Canalway Water Trail Added to National Recreational Trails System
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Coxsackie Boat Launch, Riverside Park Renovations Complete
Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the completion of a $3.2 million project to revitalize the Coxsackie State Boat Launch and Riverside Park on the Hudson River in Greene County. [Read more…] about Coxsackie Boat Launch, Riverside Park Renovations Complete
Study Calls For Champlain Canal Barrier To Control Invasive Species
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York District, in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) and the non-Federal sponsor, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission (NEIWPCC) have announced the completion of the Champlain Canal Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Barrier Phase 1 Study and the recommendation that a barrier be installed to limit the movement of invasive species into Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Study Calls For Champlain Canal Barrier To Control Invasive Species
Through The Fulton Chain of Lakes in 1877
The adventure began with an exchange of letters in the spring of 1877 between a sportsman in Syracuse, NY, and Byron P. Graves of Boonville, a town on the western border of the Adirondacks. The purpose of this correspondence was to hire a guide and transportation for a two-week hunting and fishing trip into the Fulton Chain of Lakes for the man and his 11-year-old son Ned.
The sportsman was Ansel Judd Northrup, a 43-year-old attorney who would later write the book, Camps and Tramps in the Adirondacks (1882), where this story was first told. The final communication from Northrup, in the form of a telegraph, simply read, “Engage Brinckerhoff, will reach Boonville, morning train, July 5th.” [Read more…] about Through The Fulton Chain of Lakes in 1877
Round the Mountain Canoe & Kayak Race Set For May 14th
The 2022 ‘Round the Mountain Canoe & Kayak Race takes place annually on the second Saturday of May in Saranac Lake — the unofficial kickoff event of the Adirondack paddling season. This year’s race will be held on Saturday, May 14th. [Read more…] about Round the Mountain Canoe & Kayak Race Set For May 14th
New Canal-Themed Itineraries Released for 2022
The Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has released seven new multi-day itineraries that make it easy to plan a trip along the New York State Canal System and Canalway Trail.
The itineraries feature cycling, paddling, and sightseeing options with plenty of opportunities for visitors to enjoy regional foods and beverages. Information about accessibility is included to make it easier for people of all abilities to experience the canals. [Read more…] about New Canal-Themed Itineraries Released for 2022
NYS Canal System Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide Available
In response to a dramatic increase in canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards on the NYS Canal System, Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has published the New York State Canal System Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide.
The free guide shares best practices for communities, businesses, and organizations looking to install or improve hand-launch facilities for paddlers. [Read more…] about NYS Canal System Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide Available
Boquet River Kayaker, Mt Marcy Hikers Among Recent Forest Ranger Rescues
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Boquet River Kayaker, Mt Marcy Hikers Among Recent Forest Ranger Rescues
Tivoli Bay Boat Launch Improvements
The newly improved Tivoli Bay Boat launch offers an updated tidal freshwater wetland experience.
Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area & Research Reserve extends for two miles along the east shore of the Hudson River between the villages of Tivoli and Barrytown, in the Dutchess County town of Red Hook. [Read more…] about Tivoli Bay Boat Launch Improvements
The Poestenkill: Mountains, Waterfalls and Waterworks
On the Hudson River along upstate New York’s eastern border, within the natural boundaries of river and mountains, lies the rough rectangle of Rensselaer County. It is bisected by the Poesten Kill,* a powerful stream that scours its way from the mountains to the sea level flats of the Hudson River at Troy.
The Poesten Kill splits the county across the middle into two pieces of roughly equal size, north and south. From its source at about 1,600 feet in the Petersburg Mountains, to the village which bears its name, it’s a smaller steam tumbling over forested rocks and ledges, and forming pools and small waterfalls. At the village of Poestenkill it begins to meander across a 10-mile wide plateau of farmlands before falling abruptly through a series of steep gorges at Troy to settle into the Hudson. [Read more…] about The Poestenkill: Mountains, Waterfalls and Waterworks