Erie Canal Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
canal in New York State
About Erie Canal
In the colonial era, there was one big obstacle that kept American civilization from expanding westward from the coast: theAppalachian Mountains. While hardly impassable, the rugged mountains were not conducive to transport of goods, and no waterways crossed the divide; waters flowed east to the Atlantic and west to the Mississippi, with no connections between. But there was one break in the Appalachians, and it was in New York's territory. Geology and glacier had combined to create a valley between the AppalachianCatskillsand the separateAdirondacksto the north, and theMohawk Riverflowed through it, eastward into the Hudson, and from there toNew York City's Atlantic harbor. As early as the 1790s, there was talk of constructing a canal between Lake Ontario and the Mohawk River, bypassin
Erie Canal Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 6 sections including: