The Five Combines on the Black River Canal

We have visited portions of the Black River Canal towpath before. This time, after a brief visit to Pixley Falls, we decided to look for the 5 combines.


The Black River Canal was designed to connect the Erie Canal to the Black River. From Rome to Boonville, a distance of 25 miles, 70 locks were built to lift the boats and water 693 feet. From Boonville to Lyons Falls, where the canals met, 39 locks were built over a distance of slightly over 10 miles lifting their cargo 386 feet.


From the park, we drove south on Rt. 46, to the parking lot to the end of the towpath. We could have walked the 1.6 mile trail to get there were it not for the mosquitoes. After walking a short distance from the parking lot. the Five Combines can be seen.



This portion of the canal required 5 consecutive locks to handle the sharp incline of the land, as seen in the illustration.