Delaware and Hudson Linear Canal Park
Bova Road, Summitville, Sullivan County, New York

Directions:

US 287 west over Tappan Zee Bridge; US 87 north to exit for Route 17 (Quickway) north to exit 113 (Route 209) at small green mileage marker 14 15; turn right onto Rt. 209 North; drive about 5.5 miles to turn left onto Bova Road; the parking lot is straight ahead and to the right.

History:

The sign here says:

"The D&H Canal was first visualized by Maurice and William Wurts and financed through the influence of Philip Hone, Mayor of New York City .  The canal, which ran from Honesdale, Pennsylvania to Roundout, New York, was 108 miles long and contained 108 locks, 22 aqueducts, 136 bridges, 22 reservoirs, and 16 dams, and 14 feeders.  The canal was originally only 4 feet deep and 20 feet wide at the bottom and 32 feet wide at the top.  It was later enlarged to a depth of 6 feet and the bottom width to 32 feet to accommodate larger boats."

Another sign says:

D&H Canal Dry Docks
"Dry docks were located at frequent intervals, so that leaking or crippled boats could be repaired. This area was filled with water, the boat was pulled in, the water was let out through the lower end, the boat would settle down on braces so workmen could make the necessary repairs."

And still another:

"This is Lock #50 operated by P. O. Callahan. It was the end of the 17 mile summit level (hence the name of the town Summitville) and the beginning of the Ellenville section. This lock had a 12 foot elevation. "

Trail:

The D&H Canal Heritage Corridor (south section) starts at the parking area near the intersection of Short Road and South Road.  It heads north to the northern end of Basher Kill Lake and crosses Route 17 and heads up to Wurtsboro (along 1st Street).

It then passes Hornbeck's Basin Access (off Route 209 on the east side) at Wurtsboro.  From here the trail leads north along the old canal, past a second access point at the end of McDonald Road, to newly opened sections leading through Summitville, and heads for 6 miles north to a little park at Bova Road and Route 209.

8/23/03. On a glorious day weatherwise we walked a wide and beautiful canal path which is about one mile long.  Toward the end there is a small sign that says 3.6 miles to Wurtsboro.  We came to Station Road and the wide path ends.  There appears to be some rough informal paths leading south from here buy we did not go very far on them, so we will have to check it out on another day. 

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = 8/23/03, date plant found in bloom

Trees:
Acer negundo (box elder maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carpinus caroliniana (musclewood)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juglans nigra (black walnut) planted
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Pinus strobus (white pine)
Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Pyrus malus (apple)

Shrubs and sub-shrubs:
Alnus serrulata (smooth alder)
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Cephalanthus occidentalis (buttonbush)
Cornus amomum (swamp dogwood)
Cornus racemosa (gray dogwood)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Forsythia sp. (golden bells) planted
Ilex verticillata (winterberry)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow's honeysuckle)
Rhus glabra (smooth sumac)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Salix sp. (willow)
Sambucus canadensis (common elderberry)
Spiraea alba var. latifolia (meadowsweet) *
Toxicodendron vernix (poison sumac)
Viburnum lentago (nannyberry)

Vines:
Apios americana (groundnut) *
Clematis virginiana (virgin's bower) *
Cuscuta sp. (dodder)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Polygonum scandens (climbing false buckwheat)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis labrusca (fox grape)

Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (common yarrow)
Agrimonia gryposepala (agrimony)
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)
Amphicarpaea bracteata (hog peanut) *
Anemone virginiana (thimbleweed)
Antennaria sp. (pussytoes)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed)
Aster umbellatus (flat-topped aster) *
Bidens cernua (nodding bur marigold) *
Bidens frondosa (beggarticks)
Boehmeria cylindrica (false nettle)
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) *
Cichorium intybus (chicory) *
Cicuta bulbifera (bulb-bearing water hemlock) *
Conyza canadensis (horseweed)
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) *
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) *
Epilobium coloratum (willow herb) *
Erechtites hieraciifolia (pileweed) *
Erigeron annuus (common daisy fleabane) *
Eupatorium fistulosum (trumpetweed) *
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) *
Euphorbia maculata (spotted spurge)
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod) *
Fragaria virginiana (wild strawberry)
Galeopsis tetrahit (hemp nettle) ?
Galium mollugo (wild madder) *
Geum canadense (white avens)
Glechoma hederacea (gill over the ground)
Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed)
Impatiens capensis (orange jewelweed) *
Lactuca biennis (tall blue lettuce) *
Lemna sp. (duckweed)
Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort) *
Lepidium virginicum (poor man's pepper)
Linaria vulgaris (butter and eggs) *
Lobelia cardinalis (cardinal flower) *
Lobelia inflata (Indian tobacco) *
Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil) *
Ludwigia palustris (water purslane)
Lycopus virginicus (Virginia bugleweed) *
Lysimachia ciliata (fringed loosestrife)
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) *
Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) * dominates in some large sections
Medicago lupulina (black medick) *
Melilotus alba (whit sweet clover) *
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Pastinaca sativa (wild parsnip)
Penthorum sedoides (ditch stonecrop) *
Physalis sp. (ground cherry) *
Plantago major (common plantain)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain)
Polygonum hydropiper (water pepper) *
Polygonum sagittatum (arrow-leaved tearthumb) *
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Potamogeton sp. (pondweed) lots of it
Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil) *
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)
Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum (watercress) *
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Sagittaria latifolia (broad-leaved arrowhead) *
Saponaria officinalis (bouncing bet) *
Satureja vulgaris (wild basil) *
Scutellaria galericulata (marsh skullcap) * ?
Scutellaria lateriflora (mad-dog skullcap) *
Smilax herbacea (carrion flower)
Solanum dulcamara (bittersweet nightshade) *
Solidago canadensis var. canadensis (Canada goldenrod) *
Solidago rugosa (rough-stemmed goldenrod) *
Sparganium sp. (burreed) *
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Thalictrum pubescens (tall meadowrue)
Trifolium pratense (red clover) *
Trifolium repens (white clover) *
Urtica dioica v. procera (tall stinging nettle)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) *

Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex lurida (sallow sedge)
Carex stricta (tussock sedge)
Cyperus esculentus or strigosus (nut sedge)
Eleocharis sp. (spike rush)
Scirpus subterminalis (water bulrush) ?
Scirpus cyperinus (wooly grass bulrush)

Grasses:
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Digitaria sp. (crab grass)
Echinochloa crus-galli (barn-yard grass)
Elymus hystrix (bottle brush grass)
Eragrostis cilianensis (stink grass) ?
Leersia oryzoides (rice cut grass)
Phleum pratense (Timothy grass)
Phragmites australis (giant reedgrass)
Setaria sp. (foxtail grass)

Ferns and fern allies:
Equisetum arvense (field horsetail)
Asplenium platyneuron (ebony spleenwort)
Dryopteris marginalis (marginal woodfern)
Dryopteris sp. (woodfern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern)
Osmunda regalis (royal fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)