HikerWurtsboro: a canal is not a railroad
The D&H Canal and the O&W railroad tell different chapters of this valley’s working history.
The Delaware & Hudson Canal carried coal between Pennsylvania and the Hudson River during the nineteenth century. Sullivan County’s interpretive center and linear park explain the waterway, its locks and the people who worked along it. A canal towpath and a railway grade may look similar after vegetation returns, but they were built for different systems. While comparing a historic map with the present trail, notice curves, grades, water channels and embankments. These are clues, not proof: use interpretation and source maps to test an idea. Make this a separate history outing when time permits. Check the county’s current park and center information before visiting.
Updated 2026-10-02 · Area-level history story; no precise site coordinates are claimed. Consult the linked source for public visiting information.
