If you’re fascinated by historic engineering, scenic waterways, and one-of-a-kind travel experiences, exploring the most impressive canal locks in North America should be on your radar. Found throughout Canada and the northeastern United States, these remarkable feats of design changed how vessels move between waterways, allowing boats to navigate dramatic elevation changes with ease.
Once essential to trade and inland transportation, these canals now offer a unique blend of function, beauty, and history. Whether you’re a curious traveller, boating enthusiast, or history buff, visiting these locks provides a window into the past—and a surprising amount of outdoor adventure in the present. Paddle through peaceful waters, cycle along canal paths, or simply sit back and soak in the view.
How do canal locks work?
Imagine a lock as being a type of elevator for boats. A lock moves boats or other watercraft from one elevation to the next. Gates and chambers are used to navigate the difference in water levels.
A water vessel enters a lock, and then a gate closes behind it, creating a compartment. Water can flow in and out of the chamber depending on the need. The water lifts the vessel to the correct height to allow safe passage.
The front gate is opened to allow the watercraft to continue on its journey.
Ballard Locks in Seattle are one of the most impressive locks in North America. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Ballard Locks in Seattle are one of the most impressive locks in North America. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Ballard Locks in Seattle are one of the most remarkable locks in North America. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
The most scenic canal locks in North America
These seven interesting canal locks are engineering wonders in North America and offer a rare mix of scenic beauty, functional design, and rich history.
1. Coteau-du-Lac Canal National Historic Site, Quebec
The Coteau-du-Lac Canal was the first lock canal built in North America. Built by Loyalists, it opened in 1781 with three locks covering a distance of 100 metres, navigating the roughest rapids of the St. Lawrence River.
The locks and fort remains are found about 40 km from Montreal, Quebec, on the shores of the St. Lawrence River.
Find out more about this National Historic Site.
Blockhouse and features supporting the presentation of Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site. Photo: Parks Canada Chris Reardon©
Young people with a Parks Canada employee in period costume of the Royal Artillery doing the cannon workshop at Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site, the oldest canal lock in Canada. Photo Chris Reardon©
2. Ballard Locks, Washington State
The 105-year-old Ballard Locks, officially known as the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks National Historic Site, are the first locks built on the United States’ Pacific coast.
The locks are in the Seattle, Washington, neighbourhood of Ballard in the middle of Salmon Bay.
Hiram M. Chittenden Locks National Historic Site
The historic Hiram M. Chittenden Locks are also known as the Ballard Locks. The locks opened on July 4, 1917, and were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
The locks are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They are one of the busiest operating locks in the United States, moving around 50,000 ships and other nautical vessels, both commercial and recreational, between Lake Union, Lake Washington, and Puget Sound. Most of Alaska’s fishing fleet uses the locks to moor in Seattle.
The locks help protect saltwater from the sea by mixing it with the freshwater from the lakes.
A fish ladder, featuring a newly renovated viewing room, is built into the locks to enable salmon to migrate upstream and spawn. The best time to witness the migration of three types of salmon, Coho, Chinook and Sockeye, is from July until November. The fish ladder is drained yearly, usually in May, for two weeks or longer.
There are two small locks and one large one. From March 1 to November 30, free tours of the locks are offered.
The grounds include a Visitor’s Center, a Museum, and a botanical garden.
This location is a popular spot for picnics and weddings.
Learn more about these historic locks.
Seattle’s Ballard Locks are one of the most interesting locks in North America. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Seattle’s Ballard Locks are one of the most interesting locks in North America. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Seattle’s Ballard Locks are one of the most interesting locks in North America. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
3. Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site, Ontario
Sault St. Marie locks, once the longest in the world, opened in 1885. These locks, also known as the Soo Locks, were the first locks in the world to operate using electricity.
The canal is located on the St. Marys River between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. It runs between White Fish Island and Sault Ste. Marie, bypassing the St. Marys Rapids.
The locks closed in 1987 and reopened in 1998 for recreational use between May 15 and October 15.
Informational boards throughout the site provide the history of these important locks.
In the summertime, enjoy afternoon tea overlooking the locks, take a tour, learn about the history at the visitors centre, wander the trails or cycle on the new pathways, and rent a fat bike.
Find out more about the Sault St. Marie Canal Historic Site.
The Sault St. Marie Canal was once the longest canal in the world. Photo: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Top things to do in Sault Ste. Marie – enjoy a historic afternoon tea. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
View of the Canal from the International Bridge and Soo Lock Tours boat, Emergency Swing Dam, Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site. Photo: Parks Canada Scott Munn©
Red Chairs, Lock Side, Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site. Photo: Parks Canada Scott Munn©
4. Rideau Canal Locks USESCO World Heritage Site, Ontario
The Rideau Canal National Historic Site is one of Canada’s most beautiful canal locks. It is North America’s oldest continuously operating canal system and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
These locks first opened in 1832, and the entire route stretches 125 miles (km)
The 49 locks connect the Ottawa River, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River from Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, to Kingston, Ontario.
The Rideau Canal Skateway is noted as the world’s largest ice skating rink. It runs 7.8 km through Canada’s capital city of Ottawa and is open for an average of 50 days, depending on the weather.
When the season opens again in January 2026, the ice rink will celebrate its 56th year. Skating is usually allowed until the March closing.
Download a map of the canal.
In 2005, this skating rink appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest naturally frozen ice rink.
This North American canal is one of the best-preserved examples of a slackwater canal. The slackwater canal building method is based on European technology, which uses a series of dams to avoid large-scale excavation.
Rideau Canal in Ottawa, with Parliament and Chateau Laurier in view at dusk. Rideau Canal National Historic Site is one of the most beautiful canal locks in Canada. Photo Parks Canada David Snashall
Hartwell Lock Station, Rideau Canal National Historic Site. Photo Parks Canada Andre Guindon©
5. Welland Canal Locks, Ontario
A visit to the scenic Welland Canal Locks takes you through four Ontario cities: St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne. The Welland Canal Parkway Trail is part of the Greater Niagara Circle Route and is a great way to explore the area by bike or on foot. View the live locks map.
Each of the cities through which the Welland Canal runs offers viewing platforms and a variety of other activities.
The scenic Welland Canal Locks take you through four Ontario cities. Here is a view of the canal from St. Catharines, Ontario. Photo: City of St. Catharines©
The Welland Canal connects two Great Lakes, Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and is part of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The canal system was a necessary means of transportation for getting water vessels around Niagara Falls and the St. Lawrence Rapids.
The difference in elevation between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario is 326 feet (100 metres). Over the years, four Welland Canals have been built along almost the same routing.
- The first Welland Canal was opened in 1829, and a later extension in 1833 increased its length to 27 1/2 miles. The route consisted of 40 wooden locks, each 110 feet long, 8 feet deep, and 22 feet wide.
- The second Welland Canal was opened in 1850 to accommodate ships of increased size. This second canal improved upon the capacity of the first one and was rebuilt with stone. The number of locks dropped to 27, covering the same length, but the size of the lock increased to 150 feet long and 26 1/2 feet wide.
- The third Welland Canal was constructed between 1872 and 1887.
- The fourth Welland Canal was started in 1913 but was not completed until 1932. Delays in the canal’s construction were due to material and labour shortages, the Great Depression, and war.
The canal’s width is 200 feet. It has seven locks, each measuring 80 feet wide, and can accommodate a vessel up to a maximum of 765 feet. A ship can take up to eight hours to make the trip through the entire canal lock system, which runs 7 miles (11 km).
The Welland Canal usually operates from April through to the end of December.
Read more about the history of the Welland Canal and the best things to do in St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne.
View of the Welland Canal ships along the St. Catharines, Ontario pathway. Photo: City of St. Catharines.
6. Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site, Ontario
The Trent-Severn Waterway has two of the world’s highest hydraulic lift locks and the only marine railway of its kind in North America.
The historic waterway utilizes 45 locks to assist boaters in navigating through four Ontario regions, spanning 386 km from the Georgian Bay area of Lake Huron to Lake Ontario.
- The Peterborough Lift, Lock 21, is the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world. It took eight years to build and opened in 1904. The lift navigates a height of 65 feet (19.8 meters).
- Lock 36, the Kirkfield Lift Lock, is the second-highest hydraulic lift lock in the world, rising 49 feet (15 meters).
The Big Chute Marine Railway at Lock 44 carries boats up 60 feet or 18 metres.
The entire length of the scenic waterway provides a great recreational playground with endless possibilities. It is also part of the Great Loop canal system.
Cruise boat travelling towards the Peterborough Lift Lock in the Fall. View from the upper reach of the Peterborough Lift Lock. Trent–Severn Waterway National Historic Site. Photo: Parks Canada David Snashall©
Solo female paddler in the western tub of the Peterborough Lift Lock in the Fall. Trent–Severn Waterway National Historic Site. Photo: Parks Canada David Snashall©
7. Erie Canal, New York
The Erie Canal was the first canal in the United States to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the western waterways and Lake Erie. The canal ran 363 miles (584 km) from Albany to Buffalo, New York.
It took eight years to build, from 1817 until 1825. When the canal opened, it was the longest man-made waterway in North America.
Canal traffic was reduced drastically when the St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959.
See a more detailed map.
Today’s boating community is active on the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
This canal route is part of the Great Loop, a canal system that allows boaters to explore up to 7,500 miles (12,070 km) of waterways.
What an incredible journey for a great boating experience.
Fast Facts about Canals
- The largest canal lock opened in the Netherlands in January 2022. The Ijmuiden lock allows the Port of Amsterdam to receive larger cargo ships from the North Sea Canal. The lock measures 70 metres wide by 500 metres long. 110 feet wide and 1,000 feet long.
- Beijing–Hangzhou Grand Canal is the oldest and longest canal in the world, running 1,776 km (1,104 mi) from the Yellow River to the Yangtze River in China. It was built in the 5th century BC and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The world’s highest hydraulic lift lock is found on the Trent-Severn Waterway at the Peterborough Lift Lock 21.
- Rideau Canal Locks are the oldest continuously operating canal system in North America.
- The Rideau Canal Skateway is noted as the world’s largest ice-skating rink.
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About the Author:
Wendy Nordvik-Carr is a highly regarded travel writer who produces quality, well-researched articles with stunning photography and video.
She seeks out authentic experiences showcasing the people, culture and history that make each destination unique. Her focus is on solo, couple and multigenerational travel through cruising, air and road trip adventures.
Wendy is the editor & writer for LifesIncredibleJourney.com, an award-winning travel site that encourages exploration of destinations near & far.
She is a TMAC Director, Chair, National Governance Committee and Chair of TMAC's BC & Yukon Chapter, as well as a member of SATW, IFWTWA and NATJA.
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