National Trails Day Is Saturday, June 4

The New York State Canal Corporation, in conjunction and Parks & Trails New York, the Canalway Trails Association New York, observes National Trails Day Saturday, June 4, by encouraging the public to use the Canalway Trail this weekend.

In keeping with the theme of this year's National Trails Day, "Made With All Natural Ingredients," the Canal Corporation, Parks and Trails New York and the Canalway Trails Association New York, encourage the public to bicycle, walk or run on the Canalway Trail this weekend for health and recreation.

Brian U. Stratton, director of the Canal Corporation said, "New York's Canalway Trail holds the potential to help invigorate local economies and bring more tourism and revenue to communities across New York state. With more than 280 miles of developed trail, the Canalway Trail is fast becoming one of the nation's premier cycling and multi-use trail destinations. The Canal Corporation is proud to recognize this year's National Trails Day and we encourage residents from throughout New York state to come and take advantage of this tremendous recreational resource in your own backyard."

Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks and Trails New York said, "National Trails Day is the perfect time for New Yorkers, especially those living near the Canal System, to get out on the Canalway Trail on foot or bike and enjoy all that it has to offer. Those who have explored the trail before will want to return and become advocates of closing the remaining gaps in the trail. We also encourage residents and businesses in communities along the trail to consider ways to welcome the thousands of visitors who use the trail each summer so they will want to tell their friends what a wonderful resource we have here."

Alan Vincent, president of Canalway Trails Association New York said, "On National Trails Day, the Canalway Trails Association New York is extremely grateful to the dozens of groups across the state who participate in the Adopt-a-Trail program for the Canalway Trail as well as the hundreds of individuals who volunteer with those groups to help maintain the trail in top condition for the enjoyment of New Yorkers and visitors alike. We are honored to oversee this all-volunteer effort in collaboration with Parks & Trails New York and the NYS Canal Corporation."

National Trails Day is America's largest annual, single-day trails and outdoor celebration, observed each year since 1993 on the first Saturday in June, with more than 1,000 trail events nationwide.

The Canal Corporation, Parks & Trails New York, and the Canalway Trails Association New York thank the many volunteers who provide support for the trail throughout the year, and they encourage everyone to enjoy the many benefits of the Canalway Trail.

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The New York State Canal System is comprised of four historic waterways, the Erie, the Champlain, the Oswego and the Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Spanning 524 miles across New York state, the waterway links the Hudson River, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, the Finger Lakes and the Niagara River with communities rich in history and culture.

The New York State Canalway Trail System is comprised of a network of approximately 280 miles of multi-use, recreational trail that follows both active and historic sections of the Erie, Champlain, Cayuga-Seneca, and Oswego Canals across Upstate New York. When fully complete, the Canalway Trail will span more than 500 miles and connect numerous towns and villages, making it one of the longest multi-use recreational trails in the country. For more information regarding the New York State Canalway Trail, please visit www.canals.ny.gov/canalwaytrail/ or call 1-800-4CANAL4.

Parks & Trails New York is the only statewide not-for-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the health and quality of life of New Yorkers through the use and enjoyment of a growing network of parks, pedestrian and bicycle trails, greenways, and heritage corridors around the state. It also organizes an annual bike tour on the Erie Canalway Trail from Buffalo to Albany each July and promotes the use of the trail in other ways, including an interactive section of its website, www.ptny.org .

The Canalway Trails Association New York (CTANY) is a volunteer organization dedicated to making the Canalway Trail a world-class, multi-use recreational resource. CTANY acts as a coordination and communication group for Canalway Trail stakeholders, including state agencies, local municipalities, civic organizations, individual volunteers, and trail users. In cooperation with the NYS Canal Corporation, CTANY also organizes and guides participation in the Canalway Trail Adopt-a-Trail Program.

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