Lock 32 Canal Park

Lock 32 Canal Park is a recreation area along the Erie Canal near Pittsford where water drops over a 25-foot waterfall and flows through a 600-foot spillway. The site displays the working components of a historic lock system that manages water levels for canal navigation.

The lock was built in the 1800s as part of the Erie Canal to move boats between different elevations as a crucial trade route. The site was converted to a public recreation area in the 1990s while keeping the original structures in working condition.

The park offers a place where visitors can see how engineers shaped the canal system to move boats and water through the landscape. The working structures here remain part of the region's identity as a transportation corridor, even though most travelers today come for recreation rather than commerce.

The park sits east of Rochester and is reached via Interstate 490, then south on Monroe Avenue toward Clover Street. Visitors should allow time for walking along the waterway and watch for slippery surfaces, especially when water levels are high or after rain.

The water management system here allows whitewater kayaking within a human-made canal system, something most visitors do not expect when arriving. This blend of working infrastructure and recreational use makes it an unusual spot in the region.

Location: New York

GPS coordinates: 43.09242,-77.54547

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:23