Genesee Valley Canal

Across the gorge from this spot ran the Genesee Valley Canal, a man-made waterway whose construction began in 1837 and took 25 years and $6 million to complete. Resting on the ledge of the cliffs hundreds of feet above the river, it linked the Allegany River and Erie Canal. Over its 124-mile length and through more than 100 locks, it carried lumber, farm products, and other materials to distant markets. Abandoned in 1878, it was replaced by a railroad, and remnants of both can still be seen on Trail #7 in Letchworth State Park.

Genesee Falls, New York · United States