Five Locks Walk
High Falls (Ulster County)
Why we love it
What this mile-long (out-and-back) amble lacks in distance, it more than makes up for in history. It follows the towpath along one of the most impressive portions of the Delaware & Hudson Canal, a 108-mile waterway constructed to connect Pennsylvania’s coalfields to the Hudson River and New York City. This quintet of locks dates from an 1847-1852 realignment of the canal, which initially opened in 1828. Built of locally mined stone, they enabled barges to make their way down (or up) a 60-foot hill.
More to explore
The nearby D&H Canal Museum features artifacts related to the waterway’s construction and operation while the surrounding streets contain many buildings dating back to High Falls’ days as a bustling canal town. And check out the waterfall on Rondout Creek for which the hamlet is named.
Highlights
- Short walk along historic canal remains
Directions, hours, etc.: https://www.canalmuseum.org/five-locks-walk
