|The Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail is a proposed nineteen-mile multi-use trail that will follow the Cayuga-Seneca Canal from Seneca Lake to the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The trail will link natural and historic sites of statewide and national importance and pass through picturesque Finger Lakes scenery. It will serve the recreation and transportation needs of residents and assist visitors in exploring the regions tourist destinations.
Why Develop a Canal Trail?
Governor Pataki recently announced a $50 million Canal Revitalization Program that includes funding to complete 348 miles of the Canalway Trail along the historic Erie Canal. This trail will be one of the longest and most historically significant recreational trail corridors in the United States. Just as the development of the Seneca Falls Canal Harbor created a destination that attracted boaters to explore the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, so will the Canal Trail invite trail users to enjoy the history, culture and beauty of the Finger Lakes region.
The destinations along this nineteen-mile corridor are one-of-a kind resources: - a national park with a Womens Rights theme, a national wildlife refuge, two Finger Lakes each with their own state park, a burgeoning wine industry and beautiful scenery. Studies show that trails enhance tourism by attracting visitors and extending the length of visits. The Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail will be a valued regional resource, enhancing the quality of life for residents and providing another destination for tourists to visit and enjoy.
What is the Trail?
The proposed trail will be a 10 wide multi-use trail surfaced with compacted limestone dust. It will be designed for a wide range of users including walkers, hikers, joggers, bikers, and parents pushing strollers, persons in wheelchairs, and other mobility-impaired users.
How Will the Trail Be Built?
The Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail is being planned and constructed in phases. Small sections of the trail are constructed in the City of Geneva (Lakeshore Park Trails) and the Village of Seneca Falls (Frank J. Ludivico Sculpture Trail). The Village of Waterloo has received funding and is developing plans to construct trails linking the village center to the Canal. In October 2002, Seneca County received $420,000 in TEA-21 Enhancement Program funding to construct the first phase of the trail between Geneva and Waterloo. Cost for construction of the ten miles of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail from Geneva to Seneca Falls is estimated at $1.5 million dollars, not including property acquisition. Funding for future phases linking the Villages of Waterloo and Seneca Falls to the main line of the Erie Canal will be sought in the future. The Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail Association is coordinating trail development efforts.
The Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail Master Plan: Geneva to Seneca Falls, describes trail development and management plans for a ten-mile section of Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail between the City of Geneva and the Village of Seneca Falls. The majority of the trail is proposed to be located on an abandoned railroad corridor currently owned by New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) that runs parallel and adjacent to the Canal.