Augusta Canal
1359 Broad St, Augusta, GA
Augusta, GA
A nineteenth-century power canal still carrying water past old brick mills, now a National Heritage Area laced with towpath trails and quiet boat tours.
The Augusta Canal is a rare survivor: a nineteenth-century industrial canal that still carries water and still powers mills today, more than a century and a half after it was dug. Built in 1845 to bring water power, transportation, and drinking water to the growing city of Augusta, it became the engine of a textile industry that turned the town into a manufacturing center of the South.
Today the canal is the centerpiece of a National Heritage Area, and its old towpath has become a beloved trail for walking, running, and biking beside the water. Covered boats called Petersburg boats carry visitors on quiet tours past the old mills and along the Savannah River, and an interpretive center inside a historic mill tells the story of the water, the machines, and the people who worked here.
What Guests Love
- Gliding the still water on a covered Petersburg boat tour
- Walking or biking the shaded towpath along the canal and river
- The interpretive center inside a historic textile mill
- Spotting herons, turtles, and other wildlife along the quiet water
Worth Knowing
- Boat tours run on a seasonal schedule, so check availability before you go
- The towpath is long and mostly flat, good for an easy walk, run, or ride
- Bring water and sun protection; much of the trail is open along the river
- The interpretive center is the best starting point to understand the canal
Details
Augusta, GA
Learn about Augusta Canal
Why the canal was built
In the 1840s Augusta's leaders dug the canal to harness the fall of the Savannah River, drawing water off above the rapids and running it along a controlled channel to power mills and factories. Completed in 1845 and later enlarged, it gave the city cheap, reliable water power at a time when steam was expensive and coal had to be hauled in.
The canal made Augusta an industrial powerhouse. Textile mills, a paper mill, and other factories lined its banks, and during the Civil War the Confederacy built a large gunpowder works along the canal, one of the biggest in the world at the time. A tall brick chimney from that powder works still stands as a landmark of the era.
The boat tours and the towpath
The signature way to experience the canal is aboard a Petersburg boat, a long covered vessel modeled on the flat cargo boats that once worked these waters. The tours drift quietly along the canal, with guides explaining the history of the mills, the engineering, and the wildlife, and moving slowly enough to let the scenery unfold.
On foot or by bike, the towpath offers miles of level trail between the canal and the river. Shaded by trees and lined with old stonework, it is a favorite for locals out for exercise and for visitors looking to see the mill district up close. The path connects trailheads through the city and offers views of the water at every turn.
The mills and the interpretive center
The canal's interpretive center is housed inside the Enterprise Mill, a restored brick textile mill that still turns a working turbine. Exhibits inside explain how water power drove the machines, what daily life was like for the mill workers and their families, and how the canal shaped the city over generations.
The mill district around the canal remains a striking landscape of tall brick buildings, some repurposed for new uses and some still tied to the water. Together the center and the surrounding structures give a vivid sense of an industrial age powered not by steam or electricity but by the steady pull of moving water.
Wildlife and the seasons
Despite running through a city, the canal corridor is surprisingly wild. Great blue herons stalk the shallows, turtles bask on logs, and ospreys and kingfishers work the water. The wooded banks shelter songbirds, deer wander the greener stretches, and the still water mirrors the trees.
Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons to walk or paddle here, mild and green. Summer along the river is hot and humid, best enjoyed early in the day or from the shade of a boat, while winter is quiet and cool, the bare trees opening up longer views across the water.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Augusta
Downtown Augusta
About 2 miles, a 5 minute drive
A riverfront downtown with Broad Street shops, the Riverwalk along the Savannah River, and deep golf and music heritage.
Riverwalk Augusta
About 2 miles, a 5 minute drive
A landscaped promenade on the levee above the Savannah River, with overlooks, gardens, and event space.
Confederate Powder Works Chimney
Along the canal
A tall surviving brick chimney from the Civil War era gunpowder works that once lined the canal.
Morris Museum of Art
About 2 miles, a 5 minute drive
A downtown museum devoted to the art of the American South, from portraits to contemporary work.