The City of North Tonawanda, in partnership with regional and state agencies, is advancing the expansion of the Niagara River Shoreline Trail and the Erie Canalway Trail, thereby improving connections to parks, neighborhoods, and other trail systems.
Recently, a 2.5-mile segment of the Niagara River Shoreline Trail opened, linking Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda to Griffon Park in Niagara Falls by way of Wheatfield. This effort, which has been in the making for over a decade, was led by the Towns of Wheatfield, North Tonawanda, and Niagara Falls, with support from the New York State Department of Transportation and the Niagara River Greenway Commission. The project was funded in part by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and supported by local organizations such as the Frontier Volunteer Fire Company.
In addition, the City has broken ground on a $2 million, 1.5-mile extension of the Erie Canalway Trail. When complete, this new section will extend the trail from Mayor’s Park to the North Tonawanda Botanical Gardens, creating a safe and accessible route for residents along Sweeney Street who currently lack sidewalks or pedestrian pathways.
This extension is part of North Tonawanda’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program and contributes to the statewide Empire State Trail system, which connects to destinations as far as Manhattan. It strengthens the City’s role as a critical trailhead within a 40-mile continuous trail network stretching from Buffalo to Lake Ontario, while also advancing goals of healthy living, waterfront accessibility, sustainable infrastructure, and tourism development.