Annual Canal Walk by Season

Our Annual Canal Walk has been updated for today’s towpath traveler. This year we are going to divide our it into sections based on the seasons.  Now, walkers can enjoy the variety of flora and fauna that change with the calendar.

The Spring Walks will focus on a few areas that we have not visited in a while. We will hike the towpath through the historic area of Smithtown and venture north to see the construction at High Falls Creek in Upper Black Eddy.

The Spring walk dates are:

• Our walk begins at Bridge Two in a neighborhood known as Smithtown, once a hive of industry. We will pass Lock 15/16, a combined lock with one of the deepest drops on the canal. Further north, we will encounter Lock 17 and Treasure Island, a former Boy Scout camp. The Golden Pleasant Inn, a renovated restaurant and inn with a few stories to tell, and the Sand Castle winery are on our journey. We will continue on to the hamlet of Erwinna, a charming spot with an illustrious past, before ending at Tinicum Park.

• We will travel from the new Smithtown Bridge 2 to the village of Lumberville. On the way, we will pass through Point Pleasant and walk across the Tohickon Aqueduct, the longest aqueduct along the canal. We will then explore the history of the infamous Point Pleasant pump, the 300+-year-old Mountainside Inn, and several locks before approaching the Lumberville aqueduct and learning about the reconstruction of this vital canal feature.

• Learn about the history of the Homestead General Store, the oldest operating general store on the canal before heading north to view the construction of the High Falls Creek sub-canal culvert.  Due to the pandemic and storm damage,  we have not walked this section since 2019. As we return to the Homestead, stop in for some coffee and a tasty treat.