This year the Erie Canal will be celebrating its 200th birthday, and at Discover Seneca we want everyone to know all of the amazing, fun, family-friendly activities there are to do in and along the Cayuga-Seneca Canal portion of the Erie Canal! Whether you're looking for a relaxing walk with your kids and dogs, a fun activity in the water like paddle boarding or kayaking, or just a fun place to stop along the way on your boat ride, you're going to find something fun to do! Here are just four suggestions for things to do and places to see along the way in Seneca County, located in the heart of the Finger Lakes.

The Cayuga-Seneca Canal is part of the New York State Canal System and it connects the Erie Canal to Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. It's a total of 20 miles long and is also known as the Seneca River. There are a total of four locks in the Cayuga-Seneca portion of the canal; CS1 in Cayuga, CS2 and CS3 in Seneca Falls, and CS4 in Waterloo.

Kayaking is one of the most enjoyable activities when it comes to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. Cayuga Lake Boat Rentals offers both paddleboard, canoe and kayak rentals with paddles and equipment included. If you're staying more than one day, you can save money by renting them for multiple days! Finger Lakes Water Adventures at Stivers Seneca Marine offer kayaks and stand up paddleboard rentals for 1-2 hour durations and include lifejackets and safety whistles. The Waterloo Finger Lakes KOA offers kayak rentals and camping, and Canal Side Experiences offer rentals for kayaks, canoes and paddleboats, including sit-in, sit-on and tandem options. Singles are $15 an hour and doubles are $20 an hour. If you camp on the property, you'll get free use of the boat rentals!

One of the cool (and relatively new) things the Cayuga-Seneca Canal features is the Cayuga-Seneca Trail, which runs alongside the canal. You can choose to walk, jog, and even ride bikes along the trail. In addition to kayaks, Finger Lakes Water Adventures offers bike rentals for people ages 13 and up. They offer a Bike & Boat package that allows visitors to get their bike at 10:30 a.m. and ride to Waterloo Lock 4, where they can board the Seneca Lake Reel Tour boat and ride through the lock and canal. Finally, the boat will return to Stivers Seneca Marine around 1 p.m. for lunch at Tiki Bar North!

The trail is 4.5 miles long and runs from Route 96A in Waterloo to Fayette Street in Waterloo. Biking, fishing, mountain biking, walking and cross country skiing are all encouraged along the canal trail and the surface is made of crushed stone, dirt, and grass in various spots. The roadbed was originally the Seneca County Railway from 19896 to 1897 and was used until the early 1970s before the tracks were removed.

Boating along the canal is the  most immersive experience you'll get, and there are a number of ways to do that. You could opt to simply rent and drive a boat yourself from one of the many businesses that offer rentals, including Finger Lakes Water Adventures. They offer both a pontoon boat rental and a power boat rental for 8 hours. Operators must be 21 or older and the pontoons will hold up to 10 people, and the power boat will hold up to 8 people. For anyone uncomfortable with operating a boat, they can provide a Captain to drive the boat around.

Cayuga Lake Boat Rentals offers fishing boat rentals, sunset cruise rentals, and pontoon boat rentals for reasonable prices with plenty of room. All of their boats allow trained animals and are handicap accessible.

With the Cayuga-Seneca Canal stretching through so many different towns, it's easy to bike or boat somewhere along the way to grab a bite to eat! The canal closely aligns with Routes 5&20, which stretches from Geneva, to Waterloo, and to Seneca Falls where the canal spills into Van Cleef Lake in downtown Seneca Falls. There are so many wonderful options along the way for you to choose from and many diverse experiences!

Diners

There are a number of diners running between Waterloo and Seneca Falls! Tucci's Family Diner offers some really great breakfast and lunch options, with dinner and fish fry on Friday nights! They're located close to the start of the Cayuga-Seneca Trail, near the Seneca Lake State Park. A cute and cozy diner rich with Seneca County history, you'll get your fill! Another diner along the way located in Waterloo just before town is Star Diner, another delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner spot. Finally, in downtown Waterloo you'll find Connie's Diner, which focuses on delicious, home-cooked meals like their infamous Quickie (a burger and fries, smothered in gravy) or simple meals like roast beef sandwiches or meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Unique Restaurants

If a diner isn't what you're looking for, there are other types of food along the way like Mac's Drive-In, a retro burger and shake joint that offers drive-in and sit down options for their infamous burgers, fries, and honeybuns! You can also find a great meal in downtown Waterloo at the pizza place, Ciccino's, or have a fancier meal at Starr's Restaurant. Downtown Seneca Falls, right up against the canal, has a number of different options like Fall Street Brewing, which has great food and beer brewed on-site, Parker's on Fall, which offers delicious food and has a full bar, or even Flint & Stave, which has more of a sit-down, elegant vibe.