Wellesley Island State Park/1000 Islands area - Must Do's ?

[Tsgarvey]

Hey all... we have a trip planned to 1000 Islands next month. Curious as to what your experience was like when you visited?

As the moment we are planning to relax, take in the scenery, canoe, fish, visit Boldt Castle and relax some more.

What else would you recommend doing in the area or surrounding area... within an hour or so drive?

 

[darsben]

If you have a passport or enhanced drivers license at trip along the Thousand Islands parkway (views of the St Lawrenence) to Gananoque which is a picturesque town (where I believe the best tour of the Thousand Islands departs from)and then to Kingston, ON. Visit the locks at Kingston Mills that are still hand operated and exactly the same as when built when Canada and the USA were at war. There is an interpretive museum on the site. Old fort Henry is nice to visit as is the downtown proper, Cookes Downtown has interesting foods from all over the world. Kingston farmers market open tuesday, thursday and saturday can be interesting.
In Clayton, NY the antique Boat museum and the 2 wineries (one near the base of the thousand Island bridge) and the  brewery just before you get into Clayton all make interesting stops While going towards Clayton just past Grass Point state Park is the GALS with huge ice cream cones reasonably priced,
Alternate way to get to Kingston is to go to Cape Vincent  and take the Horne's ferry to Howe Island then drive across the island to the Kingston ferry. Hornes ferry is a pay ferry. The Kingston ferry is free

More later

http://hferry.com/

 

[Tsgarvey]

Thanks..

We do not have enhanced ID and we procrastinated on getting passports... so we will be limited to the US side.

 

[massspike]

Its a pretty nice park (imho NY State Parks typically are). The beaches are nice...the water can be a bit cold. It is a big park though so you may want bikes to get around.

There is not much on the island apart from the park and a couple of golf courses. There is a pretty cool resort community on the Southwest edge of the island...it was built to service summer holidays for the NY rich back in the day so it has big summer houses that get rented out. If you have bikes, you can ride around the island on pretty quiet roads.

Off-island you have: Alexandria Bay (aka A-Bay); and Kingston (in Canada via the Heritage Highway). The former is notable for its partying, the latter for history.

If you are going to Boldt Castle and you are comfortable with boats, I'd consider renting a power boat for the day and then you can also tour around parts of the Thousand Islands and stop along the way for swimming or socializing with boats that will be anchored in the many quiet bays. If you do this, the St Lawrence is typically very calm first thing in the morning but you may be dealing with whitecaps later in the day. (I am sure there are Island tour boats out of A-Bay as well.)

The down side of the park if you are camping along the north shore is the noise from the trains on the Canadian side. Basically all the countries East-West rail lines converge there and they are moving freight all night long.

 

[massspike]

... is the GALS with huge ice cream cones reasonably priced,

I was thinking of this place but couldn't remember the name. There is also a (Amish?) sandwich shop nearby which I would visit again.

 

[Tsgarvey]

I am comfortable with boats.. as I have 3. I will look into rentals. I have a canoe that I will be bringing with us for the calm bays.  Thanks a million!

 

[darsben]

Fish the drop off in front of the cabins for Pike. Use worms to catch small Perch then hook the Perch through the back, put your weight of about an ounce an the bottom of your line and let the perch be about 12 - 15 inches up from that,  drift down river and let the action happen.

 

[Tsgarvey]

Thanks for the fishing tips! Assuming you're talking about the cabins at the camp ground?

Any other tips? I will be using this in whatever inlets I come across.... good bass fishing up there?

 

[darsben]

Yes the cabins in the state Park on Wellesley,  good fishing BUT the Canadian Border lies just off Wellesley Island so be careful to be sure you are in New York waters.

 

[Ro and Joe]

Need to visit this if you're into boats.  It's a great visit and fairly close.  Copy and paste:  The Antique Boat Museum is a museum on the St. Lawrence River, in Clayton, New York, United States, which displays the largest collection of antique and classic boats in North America

 

[Tsgarvey]

Need to visit this if you're into boats.  It's a great visit and fairly close.  Copy and paste:  The Antique Boat Museum is a museum on the St. Lawrence River, in Clayton, New York, United States, which displays the largest collection of antique and classic boats in North America

Thanks!