“It’s called the Thousand Island Region but there are actually over 1,800 islands,” said Mark Spaulding, assistant regional director with state office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. “If you go by boat you can visit a lot of these places. There is a lot of older infrastructure, old homes and great scenic views.”
The region boasts 28 state parks across a variety of woodland, island and waterside settings. The largest is Wellesley Island State Park with 432 campsites, a full-service marina, a sandy beach on the river and a nine-hole golf course, among other attractions.
The Minna Anthony Common Nature Center sits on 600 acres within the park. The nature center features exhibits on wildlife and habitats that visitors might encounter on the nine miles of hiking trails around the site crossing varied landscapes including grassy meadows, wetlands, forests, rocky outcroppings and the shores of Eel Bay.
Grass Point State Park is another popular site with 77 campsites, 24 dock slips, picnic areas, a playground and a guarded swimming beach. The scenic setting also offers easy access to communities known for their shops, restaurants and more.
“The park is right on the St. Lawrence River,” Spaulding said. “It has a lot of amenities for families to enjoy while they’re camping. It's located in between Clayton and Alexandria Bay, which are two destination points in the summer.”
Grass Point is the launch site closest to one of the region's most unique attractions, Rock Island Lighthouse State Park. It’s just over a mile away by boat.
Historic Rock Island Lighthouse is the only lighthouse on the St. Lawrence River is open to tours for the public, according to Peter Kirk Hopper, senior historian on the island.
“It is a piece of real American history, special in its own way for saving many lives and ships through the decades,” Hopper said.
The island can be reached only by boat. Hopper said the commute approaching the historic lighthouse is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Many visitors make their way to the four-acre island by private craft or tour boats during the season, from mid-May to mid-September. Guides on the island share the history of the site and its 14 lighthouse keepers while admitting up to eight guests at a time into the lighthouse.
Visitors ascend a cast-iron spiral staircase in the center of the roughly three-story structure sitting off shore at the end of a walkway. There are three landings on which climbers can pause along the way. The lantern room at the top offers a glimpse into the past as well as fantastic, 360-degree views of the island and its surroundings.
“It is really beautiful, especially on a clear day,” Hopper said.
The first lighthouse on the island was a small structure built atop the original keeper’s house after being commissioned in 1847. A replacement lighthouse was later built separate from the house in 1882.
Subsequent construction of a two-story keeper’s house blocked the lamp from view, which led to a number of shipwrecks, according to Hopper. The cast-iron tower was finally moved to its present location in 1903.
It fell into disrepair after being decommissioned in 1956. The state took ownership of the island in 1977 and undertook a restoration project in recent years opening the site to the public. The keeper’s house has been converted into a museum and gift shop.
“It survived and was brought back to its former glory. I’m very happy about that. There’s so much to share about it,” Hopper said.
An automated light still shines from the lighthouse each night but is no longer used for navigation. It’s not nearly as bright as when Fresnel lenses and oil lamps were originally used, allowing the light to be seen more than 21 miles away.
Clayton Island Tours is the only tour boat company carrying visitors to the island. It offers various narrated tour packages highlighting the sights along the river and visiting other notable sites, including Boldt Castle on Heart Island. That site is also accessible by a shuttle from Uncle Sam Boat Tours.
Millionaire George Boldt, proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, had the castle built as a display of love for his wife beginning in 1900. Construction halted and the huge masonry structure was abandoned when she suddenly died four years later.
The six-story structure, rivaling the castles of Europe, and other stone buildings on the island fell into disrepair until being acquired by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority in 1977. Millions have been invested into restoring and preserving the historic site that is now an iconic tourist destination.
There’s much to see and do in the Thousand Islands Region — even for those who grew up in the area, such as Spaulding.
“I love working and being out along the river, seeing the natural scenery … getting out into the environment, spending time in the water and spending time in the natural environment,” he said.
If you go
ACCOMODATIONS: Advanced reservations for campsites and other overnight accommodations at state parks in the Thousand Islands Region are recommended and can be made online at reserveamerica.com
STATE PARK: Admission to Rock Island Lighthouse State Park for visitors by private craft is $3 for adults and $2 for children. Kids under 6 get in free
BOLDT CASTLE: Admission to Boldt Castle on Heart Island is $13 for adults and $9 for children. Children 4 and under get in free
ISLAND TOUR: Tickets on Clayton Island Tours' "Rock Island Lighthouse on a Glass Bottom Boat Tour" start at $32 for adults and $20 for children. Children 4 and under ride free. Package covers site admission fees
SIGHTSEEING TOUR: Tickets on Clayton Island Tours’ "Ultimate Sightseeing Tour" on the St. Lawrence River stopping at Rock Island Lighthouse and Boldt Castle start at $82 for adults and $50 for children. Kids 4 and under ride free. Package covers site admission fees
UNCLE SAM TOURS: Uncle Sam Boat Tours offers shuttles to and from Boldt Castle on Heart Island spring through fall. Tickets are $12.50 for adults and $9 for children. That does not include the cost of admission to the castle
