Recently, my parents have been loving exploring the Erie Canal by bike ever since the start of Covid. They found that the area that isn’t too busy, so it’s usually a very peaceful place to get outdoors and exercise (except for the Canadian geese encounters). Sometimes, they will just go for a short ride. But often times they tell me how they bike 17+ miles to Jordan and back!

I decided to join my dad for a (shorter) bike ride one day and it was such a nice ride. This is definitely one of them best places to bike ride in Upstate New York!

The Erie Canal is right near our house, about 20 minutes away and about 17 minutes away from the heart of Syracuse. Even though it’s super close to our house, this was my first time there!

In this blog, I’ll share some history of the Erie Canal, and also useful information for exploring it yourselves!

Where to Park

My parents normally park by Green Lakes State Park (coordinates for this parking spot will be at the bottom of this post!) and walk along the canal from that point, however, we parked inside Pools Brook State Park. This was about a 10 minute drive from the Green Lakes State Park access to the Erie Canal.

History of the Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is roughly 524 miles long today, and it originally covered a distance of 363 miles! For those unfamiliar with the Erie Canal, it is considered a very influential man made waterway and a critical piece of civil engineering and construction in North America. The Erie Canal’s original purpose was to transport goods from the east to the midwest. Additionally, it was apart of the Underground Railroad that brought slaves to Canada to seek freedom.

Nowadays, the Erie Canal is nearing it’s 200th birthday and it isn’t running anymore. However, there are paths next to it where you can walk along and enjoy its history and scenery!

Our Bike Ride

Before heading to the Erie Canal, my dad and I stopped at the gas station to fill up our bike tires with air. After our pitstop, we were on our way! When we arrived and took the bikes out of the bed of my dad’s truck, we were disappointed to find out that the front tire of his bike had lost ALL of it’s air! Though, I think he had forgot to fill it up, because they next day he filled up that same tire with air and it didn’t deflate. I still wanted to ride my bike, however, so we started off on the trail and I kept the same pace as my dad walking.

After we crossed the first bridge, I rode ahead of my dad so I could see more of the trail. I only passed about five people – it was very quiet throughout the canal!

I would definitely consider Pool Brooks State park a hidden gem, especially because this was the first time I’ve ever heard of it!

Locations & Coordinates

Parking lot to access the Erie Canal near Green Lakes State Park: 5850 Minoa Road, Kirkville, NY 13082.

Parking lot to access the Erie Canal from Pools Brook State Park : 43.073, -75.922.
– To access the parking lot, google maps will take you down an unpaved road, but don’t worry it’s not private property. Keep following the unpaved road until you reach the parking lot. This is apart of the Old Erie Canal State Park and is open to everyone.

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Have you visited the Erie Canal before? What did you enjoy about your experience? Let me know in the comments below!