Free
Otter Creek Preserve
A free Thousand Islands Land Trust trail of about two miles, within walking distance of Alexandria Bay, through forest and wetlands with a stretch that is accessible.
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Thousand Islands, New York
Alexandria Bay and Clayton
Two villages on the American shore of the St. Lawrence, with free land-trust trails, state parks on the islands and the point, and Boldt Castle on Heart Island, reached only by boat.
Photo: The shoreline at Wellesley Island State Park, Yinan Chen, Public Domain
Alexandria Bay and Clayton sit a short drive apart on the New York side of the Thousand Islands, where the St. Lawrence is a maze of granite outcrops and summer cottages. From either village you can walk a free Thousand Islands Land Trust trail, then take a boat into the river.
Boldt Castle, on Heart Island just off Alexandria Bay, is reached only by water. It is in the United States: cruises that land there from Canada require a passport. In Clayton, the Antique Boat Museum holds a major collection of freshwater recreational boats, and a rail-trail trestle leads into the village from the Rivergate Trail.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Rivergate Trail and the Ingerson Preserve
A free rail-trail through woods and fields just south of Clayton, including a restored trestle over McCarn Creek, open daily from dawn to dusk.
Season Open daily, dawn to dusk (check before you go).
Free
Clayton waterfront
Frink Park and the riverwalk on the St. Lawrence in the village, a place to watch the shipping channel and walk to the docks.
Cheap
Wellesley Island State Park
The largest state park in the New York Thousand Islands, with shoreline trails, a beach in summer and the Minna Anthony Common Nature Center. A vehicle fee is typical. Open year-round.
Season Open year-round; trails sunrise to sunset. The swimming beach in 2026 is roughly late June–early September (check before you go).
Cheap
Grass Point State Park
A sandy point into the American Channel near Alexandria Bay, for a swim, a picnic or a look at the shipping lane. A vehicle fee is typical.
Season Open mid-May through mid-September (check before you go).
Cheap
Cedar Point State Park
One of New York's older state parks, just west of Clayton, with a sheltered beach, a fishing pier and an overlook of passing ships. A vehicle fee is typical.
Season Open early May through Columbus Day (check before you go).
Paid
Uncle Sam Boat Tours
Sightseeing cruises among the islands from Alexandria Bay, including landings at Boldt Castle in season.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Downtown Alexandria Bay
A short, walkable village of docks, shops and restaurants facing Heart Island.
Cheap
Antique Boat Museum
A large collection of freshwater recreational boats on the Clayton waterfront, including historic wooden craft on the river.
Season Open May–October, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (check before you go).
Paid
Boldt Castle
A vast, unfinished Gilded Age house on Heart Island, reached only by boat. A passport is required if you land from Canada.
Season Seasonal, recently mid-May–mid-October, 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. (check before you go).
Paid
Singer Castle
A stone castle on Dark Island, reached by boat from the river towns.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Downtown Clayton shops and cafés
Independent shops, galleries and restaurants along the riverwalk in the shipbuilding village.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Antique Boat Museum
Admission to the freshwater boat collection on the Clayton waterfront.
Season Open May–October, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. (check before you go).
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Uncle Sam Boat Tours Tour
- Boldt Castle Tickets
Part of our Thousand Islands guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- A castle landing and a long boat tour are half-days; the two villages each deserve an evening.
- The state parks and the land-trust trails are better when you are not racing a boat timetable.
- Gananoque is just across the bridge, but a border crossing makes it a poor last-hour errand.
Nearby and worth the drive
Gananoqueabout 40 min · Guide ↗
Boat tours and the Canadian villages, over the Thousand Islands Bridge. A passport is required.
Brockvilleabout 50 min · Guide ↗A stone river city, the railway tunnel and the Aquatarium, on the Canadian shore. A passport is required.
Kingstonabout 60 min · Guide ↗A limestone city at the head of the river.
Ready-made trips with Alexandria Bay and Clayton
Good to know
- Border: Heart Island is a U.S. port of entry. Anyone landing at Boldt Castle from Canada needs proper identification. The Thousand Islands Bridge is the road crossing to Gananoque and Kingston.
- Boldt Castle: The island is reached only by tour boat or private boat. See boldtcastle.com and the boat operators for landing times.
- State parks: Wellesley Island, Grass Point and Cedar Point typically charge a vehicle fee. Trails at Wellesley Island are open year-round, sunrise to sunset.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: The shoreline at Wellesley Island State Park, Yinan Chen, Public Domain
Photo: Shoreline forest at Wellesley Island State Park, Yinan Chen, Public Domain
Photo: The Island Duchess, an Uncle Sam Boat Tours vessel, on the St. Lawrence at Alexandria Bay, Dirk Ingo Franke, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Boldt Castle on Heart Island, Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Singer Castle on Dark Island, Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The Antique Boat Museum on the Clayton waterfront, AntiqueBoatMuseum, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: The harbour and docks at Alexandria Bay, looking out toward the St. Lawrence, Dirk Ingo Franke, CC BY 3.0