The New York State Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor offer competitive grant funding to support tourism and recreation along the New York State Canal System (Canal waterways and Canalway Trail).
The program prioritizes support for tourism infrastructure and amenity improvements, and events. Funding is open to counties, municipalities, units of local government, not-for-profit organizations, and federally recognized Native American tribes.
Congratulations to all 2025 awardees!
Check back for updates and announcements for the 2026 Grants Program.
Award Range:
$5,000 to $24,000
Award Range:
$500 to $3,000
Projects submitted should demonstrate how they will achieve one or more program objectives:
- facilitate recreation and/or tourism
- enhance visitor amenities and/or improve the visitor experience
- encourage overnight stays
- commemorate the history, heritage, or culture of the canals
- make recreational and tourism assets more accessible for people with and without disabilities and expand audiences served
- improve and/or promote connectivity between recreation areas and communities or between waterways and land trails
2025 NYS Tourism Infrastructure and Events Grants Information Session
Watch the recording of the October 16, 2024 information and Q&A session.
Resources
General:
ECNHC Preservation and Management Plan
Tourism Infrastructure and Amenities:
NYSCC Wayfinding Signage Design Guide – Coming Soon!
Guidelines for Canalway Trail wayfinding signage located on NYS Canal Corporation Land
Empire State Trail Design Guidelines for Signage
Guidelines for Canalway Trail wayfinding signage on property that is owned by any entity outside of the NYS Canal Corporation.
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways
Guidelines for on-road wayfinding signage
Universal Design Principles
Guidelines to maximize access by everyone.
Hand-Launch Facility Design Guide
Best practices and guidelines for design, construction, and operation of paddle craft launches on the NYS Canalway Water Trail.
Events:
Erie Canal Bicentennial Marketing Toolkit
Adaptive Cycling Along the Erie Canalway: TRAID on the Trails
Fitness Inclusion Network (Fit-IN)'s guide to adaptive cycling and planning an inclusive recreational event along the Canalway Trail
Guide to Planning a Paddling Event
Rochester Accessible Adventures Inclusive Event Guide
Rochester Accessible Adventures guide to planning an event through a lens of inclusion
