– By Nancy Papish with photographs by Jeff Slater

Adaptive access to paddling facilities are currently available at 26 locations along the Erie, Champlain, and Cayuga – Seneca canals. Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor has a listing of locations. Each layout has somewhat different depending on shoreline and land approach. All have a ramp on land, wide enough for a wheelchair. Parallel docks wide enough for a wheelchair are separated by a water slot wide enough for a kayak or canoe. The ramp in the water slot may have rollers or a simple, smooth slide. Either hinged or stationary at a slant, the water-side end is in the water. A variety of sidebars enables paddlers to pull a boat along the ramp into or out of the water. Overhead bars enable paddlers to lift themselves into a boat from the wide, side docks, or out of a boat back onto the docks or into a wheelchair. All docs are FREE.

Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway is fortunate to have an adaptive access launch at Crescent Park, Terminal Road, Halfmoon (photo here). This is also an Erie Canal Water Trail site. There’s also an adaptive launch on Freeman’s Bridge Road next to the NYSDEC boat and fishing access immediately across the Mohawk River at the junction of Erie Boulevard in Maxon Road Extension. The launch at Kiwanis Park on route 5S in Lower Rotterdam is not on Erie Canalway list yet, but is complete. Anyone may use these lunch sites. Check out one of these docks before they are removed for winter.