Champlain Canal
Construction started in 1817 and was completed in 1822. The Canal starts in Waterford at the junction of the Mohawk & Hudson rivers and allows for passage to Lake Champlain and on to Canada through the Richelieu Canal.
Today its path travels a little more than 60 miles to the southern junction with Lake Champlain. This Canal could best be described as a path through history. Before our countries independence this waterway played an important role in our countries formation. The British, French and Americans all traveled north and south through this stretch of the region. Forts were constructed such as Ticonderoga and Edward. The battle of Saratoga, George Washington etc. it’s all here on the Champlain
Before the construction of the Canal, the most widely used route from New York City to Canada was up the Hudson River to Fort Edward then by portage to Lake George, another portage to Lake Champlain and on to Canada. The completion of the Champlain Canal offered an all water route from New York to Canada and beyond.
No matter how you plan to visit the Champlain, whether by boat, car or bike, discover the communities that make up this part of the NYS Canal System, check out the all the historical sites associated with not just with the Canal, but also those that define the history of the nation.
