Riverwalk Ramble and Heritage Hike map (click to enlarge)

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Download the Canalway Walk Brochure

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The Heritage Hike is one of four urban trails within Lowell National Historical Park. It follows the entire Northern and Western canals, so you can start at the mouth of either one. I hiked it in conjunction with the Riverwalk Ramble, a one-way trail that starts at Boott Cotton Mills and runs to the Guard Locks and Francis Gate on the Pawtucket Canal. About midway is the mouth of the Northern Canal and the turnoff for the Heritage Hike, so I caught this on the way back from the locks and gate.

In truth, the Heritage Hike is the least interesting of the four urban trails, and I only recommend it if you combine it with the Riverwalk Ramble as I did. It is a good alternative to walking all the way back to Boott Cotton Mills the same way you just came (who wants to see the same things twice?), and if the Visitor Center is your ultimate destination, it is definitely the way to go. Together, the two trails form a 5-mile walk that takes three hours. The official Heritage Hike itself is only a mile, but it is a .4-mile walk from the Visitor Center to get to its start on Dutton Street.

I am writing this review based on starting the Heritage Hike the the Northern Canal trailhead. There is no place to park, so you’ll most likely have to walk from Boott Cotton Mills along the Merrimack River, the route of the Riverwalk Ramble. When you reach Pawtucket Street you will find yourself at a red brick crosswalk with a high-rise building across the street to the left. Cross the street and then take a right towards the bridge. Just before the bridge are some steps on your left that lead down to the canal; take the steps.

Intersection of the Riverwalk and Pawtucket Street in Lowell, Massachusetts

Steps from Pawtucket Street down to the Northern Canal in Lowell, Massachusetts

When you get to the canal, take a left to begin the Heritage Hike or a right under the bridge to continue the Riverwalk Ramble. If your plan is to hike to the Guard Locks and Francis Gate and catch the Heritage Hike on the way back, when you return to the steps, pass them by and just keep walking along the Northern Canal.

Start of the Heritage Hike at the mouth of the Northern Canal in Lowell, Massachusetts

The Heritage Hike follows the Northern Canal to Wannalancit Mills where it dead ends into the Western Canal. The mill buildings originated as Suffolk Mills, which opened along with the Western Canal in 1831. The much larger Northern Canal was finished in 1848 to provide more water power for the entire canal system. It was the last canal built in Lowell.

While Suffolk Mills opened in 1831, the buildings you now see were constructed in the 1860s or later. During the Civil War, with the supply of cotton cut off, many northern mills closed and used the down time to renovate and install new technology. This resulted in most of the original buildings being torn down. Suffolk Mills remained in business until 1926, at which time the buildings were sold to other textile manufacturers. The last to operate was Wannalancit Mills, which closed in 1981.

Wannalancit Mills on the Northern Canal in Lowell, Massachusetts

Once at the mill, cross over Suffolk Street to get to the other side of the Western Canal. Notice the gatehouse to your left (walk up to it for a closer look). This controls the flow of water into the section of the canal between the gatehouse and the Merrimack River just a few blocks away.

Gatehouse on the Western Canal in Lowell, Massachusetts

The Heritage Trail now follows the Western Canal. From the gatehouse, cross the main road—Father Morissette Boulevard—and take the pathway on the eastern side of the canal (canal is on your right). As you walk along the canal, every time you come to another bridge at a road intersection, if you don’t see a walkway ahead, you’ll need to cross to the other side of the canal. There is always a walkway on at least one side.

Walk along the Western Canal in Lowell, Massachusetts

The main point of the Heritage Hike is to take visitors through the old neighborhoods, though most have been demolished in the name of progress. The neighborhood in this area was once home to Canadians, the largest immigrant population of Lowell in the 1800s and up through the mid-1900s. There were also large Greek, Polish, Portuguese, and Jewish neighborhoods.

Though the original tenement houses are gone, some of the churches remain. The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church was built in 1908, and across the street is the St. Patrick Catholic Church that was built in 1831 for the Canadian and Irish immigrants. Today, masses are held in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Burmese, which goes to show just how much the neighborhood has changed.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Lowell, Massachusetts

St. Patrick Catholic Church in Lowell, Massachusetts

Continue along the Western Canal until reaching the bridge at Dutton Street. On the other side is the Pawtucket Canal, which is where the Western Canal begins. Take a left on Dutton and continue until the next intersection at Broadway. The Visitor Center parking lot is directly across the street.

Western Canal near Dutton Street in Lowell, Massachusetts

While I enjoyed the walk along the canals, the point of visiting the old neighborhoods is lost since they no longer exist. You are essentially just wandering down city streets with a canal on one side. As I said earlier, the Heritage Hike is a great alternate route back to the Visitor Center if you are hiking the Riverwalk Ramble, but I don’t recommend it on its own.

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