From early colonial times, ambitious entrepreneurs dream of connecting waterways in the United States to facilitate travel and promote trade. George Washington was one of the first. Patowmack Company chartered in 1784 to build a series of five channels along the Potomac River to reach the valley virgin territory Ohio.

The America Channel Age lasted roughly from 1790 to 1855. Many major projects were under construction when the boom railroads become obsolete and unprofitable. Most canals were privately funded and financially hobbled until early 1900.

Some channels filled in abandoned, others drained and returned to nature. The old channels were becoming natural parks and are great places to take your dog for a walk. Roads towpaths are often left in its natural state or covered with gravel – not paved, and most abandoned railroads. Walking is always easy on the net, flat towpaths once trodden by horses and mules, and usually there are plenty of swimming for your dog.

When you travel, look for a channel park to enjoy with your dog. Here are a few to consider:

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Just 15 minutes south of Cleveland is a friendly dog Cuyahoga Valley National Park along twisting Cuyahoga River. There are 1,000 miles of canals in Ohio and navigable water link between Lake Erie and the Ohio River was the first priority. In 1832, the Ohio & Erie Canal became a reality.

The main path for hiking with your dog in the park is about 20 miles of Towpath Road over the historic canal route. Ten higher trailheads provide the path of crushed limestone in biscuit size pieces. The road is a mixture of meadows and forests and the remains locks and villages.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park: A canal that would connect the Potomac to the Ohio River 460 miles away, Pittsburgh will provide a continuous link of water from New Orleans to the Chesapeake Bay. The C & O Canal, nicknamed the "Great National Project" by President John Quincy Adams, was finally launched on July 4, 1828. It would take 22 years to complete – actually only stopped from building the canal route never Maryland came with only 184.5 miles excavated – and was obsolete before its opening. The trench fill survived through the efforts of the Supreme Court, William O. Douglas, who argued for the channel as "a long stretch of calm and piece".

The National Park Service has maintained towpath nearly 200 miles. There are several excellent places to experience this walk dogs – Great Falls tavern near Rockville, Maryland, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia and the station terminal in Cumberland, Maryland, are just three. On the Virginia side of Potomac River, you can hike with your dog through the remains of George Washington's Patowmack Great Falls Canal Park.

Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park: When the fever of building the Channel swept America in the early 1800s did not have much imagination to dream of a sea route between New York and Philadelphia in Central New Jersey. The vessels can navigate the Delaware River to Bordentown and New Brunswick in the east to that all that was required was to dig a trench between the two peoples. Construction began in 1830 and by 1834 the canal was opened. The main artery – 75 meters wide and seven feet deep and all dug by hand – stretched 44 miles and a power line ran along the Delaware River 22 miles from Trenton.

The Delaware and Raritan canals was one of the busiest United States and prevented competition from the railways at a profit until almost 1900. It remained open until 1932 until the last coal barge was grounded. The State of New Jersey took over the property as a water supply system and today the channel remains virtually intact. The state park is 70 miles of linear park that connects the fields and forests along its route.

Dog hiking along the old towpath Natural and uses crushed gravel surface. Several buildings of the windmills, wooden bridges and canal structures are reminders of that era that were once bustling routine here. The channel activity still abounds today – almost any time you can count on sharing the road with runners, fishermen, cyclists, horse riders – and other dogs. The canal towpath is accessible to many places, the office of the canal is 145 Mapleton Road, Princeton.

Doug Gelbert is the author of over 20 books, including The Canine HikerÂ’s Bible. To subscribe to his FREE Newsletter on hiking with your dog and receive a copy of Rules for Dogs in 100 of the Most Popular National Park Service Lands, visit http://www.hikewithyourdog.com In the warmer months he leads canine hikes for hikewithyourdog.com tours, guiding packs of dogs and humans on hiking adventures. Tours, ranging from one-day trips to multi-day explorations, visit parks, historical sites and beaches.

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