I’m thinking about a Thousand Islands NY trip in mid-September. I see that Canoe-Picnic Point State Park closes on 9/6. Anyone have any experience with “out of season camping?” If I were to pull up and grab a waterfront site when the park is closed, realizing the water and bathrooms would be unavailable, would they run you off?
TI adventures
I believe his number is 315 626 2500 or 2000. He sells necky and other kayaks in clayton,ny. Jan knows everything about where to paddle and when. Locals say TI instad of thousand islands. There is also a water trail. You might need ID in the boat becuase of 911. Wicked eddies downstraem of some islands. I live in ogdensburg,ny, about 44 miles from A Bay(Alex Bay). You might want to bring neoprene shorts and think about cool fall weather and fall paddling. Clayton Antique boat museum is a must, especially if it rains. I hope to do 90 miler canoe race that weekend
Use caution
We have paddled in the area a number of times, and a word of advice. This area is a shipping lane for international commerce, and you will see many ocean going ships. Give them lots of room. Also beware of the hot-shots in their cigarette boats. They scream up and down the channel and will be upon you before they know it. You will hear them coming for sure. I’ve seen some pretty big wakes here too.
Best guess
I’d guess it’d operate like the islands on Lake George, which are usable year round strictly speaking (though it’d take an ice-racer to get to them in the middle of winter) but services are diminished. Like the outhouses get locked up, that kind of thing.
But best bet would be to call and see what the Parks and Recreation folks say. (It’s Office of Parks and Recreation that runs this site.) NYS is going thru a major budget crisis as is everyone else, and there are still-moving lists of cutbacks in hours at parks as well as layoffs from state agencies. The first means that they may be more “official” about closing the site than in past years, the second means there may be fewer Parks staff who are going to bust a few kayakers for being there past the official date.
Why not the Canadian side?
its got the St. Lawrence National Park with many camping islands.
The shipping lanes are not on that side of Grindstone and it is a beautiful kayaking area. I am heading that way in May.
Admiralty and Navy Ialand groups are gorgeous.
http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/on/lawren/images/carte-map.pdf
Got to agree, as usual, with
– Last Updated: Apr-14-09 7:36 PM EST –
Kayakmedic.
Kayakmedic, hope to see you on the water, as I will paddling in Canadian Thousand Islands May 14th through May 18th.
Per Bob Dylan, I live "... in the North Country fair, where the winds blow heavy on the border line."
Even when I retire to the "sunny" south lands of Watertown, NY, I'll be paddling the bulk of my time in the Candaian Thousand Islands.
You have not lived until you've been cowering behind an all too small Nav Aid near Boldt Castle, as an all too large Great Lakes freighter pushes a big bow wave "oh so close"; and that was in May!
Check out these threads:
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=wtrip&tid=908280
http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?2087
Any other questions, you are welcome to e-mail me privately.
Even the American Canoe Association (ACA) has voted with it's feet; ACA owns and has it's summer encampment on Sugar Island - located, you guessed it, in the Candaian Thousand Islands.
Final words: "Oh, Canada!"
Mike
LOL
Long ago I lived in Black River
Longer ago I lived in Canton…
We are going back there for a wedding in May.
I hate weddings…might as well combine them with a paddle trip!
Crossing the US Canadian Border
We’ve had passports for so long that I neglected to mention the potential issue of crossing the US-Canadian border.
http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/crossingborders/
Also before 9/11, paddling across the US-Canadian border, and then landing, was no big deal. After 9/11, it a VERY BIG DEAL - don’t do it!
I carry my passport in a waterproof pouch when paddling on the St. Lawrence River - on either side of the border.
Mike