---
type: Civic Update
title: Erie Canal closes to boats for the season
update_kind: project
stage: ongoing-service
stage_date: '2026-05-15'
next_milestone: 'Canal closes to boats, Wednesday, October 14, 6 pm'
next_milestone_date: '2026-10-14'
plain_language: >-
  Boats and paddlers have until 6 pm Wednesday, October 14 to use the canal's
  locks and lift bridges this year. Trails stay separate; check trail alerts for
  those.
official_url: 'https://www.canals.ny.gov/Boating-Information/Canal-Alerts/Message?id=10335141'
checked_on: '2026-10-03'
tags:
  - canal
  - boating
  - seasonal
sources:
  - resource: >-
      https://www.canals.ny.gov/Boating-Information/Canal-Alerts/Message?id=10335141
    title: >-
      New York State Canal Corporation: Canal System Update: Hours of Operation
      & Last Day of Navigation
  - resource: 'https://www.canals.ny.gov/Boating-Information/Boating-Hours'
    title: 'New York State Canal Corporation: Boating Hours'
  - resource: 'https://www.canals.ny.gov/Boating-Information'
    title: 'New York State Canal Corporation: Boating Information'
generated:
  by: 'process:hm-schema-v2-p2'
  at: '2026-10-04T17:38:08.015Z'
superbee_updated_by: 'process:hm-schema-v2-p2'
topics:
  - canal
applies_from: '2026-10-14'
---
# Erie Canal closes to boats for the season

Boats have until 6 pm on Wednesday, October 14 to use the Erie Canal this year; that's when the canal system closes to navigation for the season. It opened May 15, and the Canal Corporation expects to reopen in May 2027 for the 203rd season, with dates still to be announced.