The New York State Canal System (NYSCS) is actually comprised of (4) major and distinct canal systems:
- The Champlain Canal running North from Waterford, NY to Lake Champlain.
- The Oswego Canal running North from Three River Junction to Lake Ontario.
- The Cayuga-Seneca Canal running South and West from Montezuma, NY to Seneca Lake.
and of course the most well known
- The Erie Canal running West from Waterford, NY to Tonawanda, NY.
There are a total of 57 locks and 16 lift bridges stretching over the entire 524 miles of the system.
Passage information includes distances, estimated transit times, lock information, and phone numbers. Also included is information on the Federal Lock at Troy, NY.
Navigation Season
The navigation season for the canal system runs from early May through November with hours of operation between 0700 and 2200 daily. However, prior to Memorial Day and after Labor Day these hours are typically restricted to 0700 to 1700 daily.
NYSCS Passes
The easiest locations to purchase Canal Passes are at the first and last locks of each of the canal systems. Locks C-1 and C-12 on the Champlain Canal, E-2 and E-35 on the Erie canal, O-1 and O-8 on the Oswego Canal, and CS-1 and CS-4 on the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. Cost of the permits can be found in the sidebar to the left.
You can complete and print or download for future use The NYSCS Recreational Vessel Pass Application here.
Navigation
New York State Canal System lock chamber waypoints for the Cayuga-Seneca, Champlain, Erie, and Oswego Canals in both Garmin (.gdb) and Adobe PDF format are available for download.
NYSCS Lock Chamber Waypoints - DownloadCommunications
All lockmaster's throughout the entire canal system maintain a watch on VHF channel 13. Phone numbers of each lock can be found in their respective sections.
Lock Chambers
All lock chambers on the canal system are 328 feet long and 45 feet wide and are designed to accommodate vessels up to 300 feet LOA and a 43.5 foot beam.
Speed Limits
Where NYS navigation law dictates it is 5 mph. Lakes-no speed limit. Rivers- 45 mph. Land cut's / rock cut's - 10mph. Speed limit signs are posted at various locations throughout the canal system including every lock indicating the maximum speed limit ahead for that section of the canal.
Transit Times
As a general guide, allow 5 days for Albany to Buffalo and 3 days for Albany to Oswego.
