The 1000 Islands Region in New York State is known for its views of the St. Lawrence River and plenty of charming towns. When it comes to choosing your home base, there’s no place quite like Clayton. Chris and I loved our stay in this little town on the river, and I have no doubt that you will, too.

things to do in clayton — Views of the St. Lawrence River from the Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel

Chris and I have a long history with New York State. From my early days of being an educational tour guide for Canadian school groups in New York City to the memorable trips we’ve taken to places like the Finger Lakes, Rhinebeck, Buffalo, and countless other spots in the state, it’s a part of the United States that feels a bit like a home away from home for us.

So when we had the opportunity to visit the American side of the 1000 Islands, we were excited to see how it compared to the Canadian side, and get a taste for this part of the state for ourselves.

There are actually over 1800 islands in the Thousand Islands region, which are scattered across the American and Canadian waters on the St. Lawrence River. This region, along with so many border cities and towns across the USA, has always had a symbiotic relationship. When you visit the 1000 Islands, New York, you’ll find plenty of American flags, but a fair share of Canadian flags, too.

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How to Get to Clayton & Where to Stay

You can easily get to Clayton in a variety of ways. Most people either drive or rent a car on a visit to the 1000 Islands Region, since it’s so spread out. By car, the closest major city is Kingston, Ontario on the Canadian side of the border, which takes about one hour to drive to. On the American side, Clayton is about 1.5 hours by car from Syracuse, and 3 hours from Rochester.

If you’re coming from a further distance, Syracuse Hancock Airport (SYR) is the largest airport in the area. A little closer is the Watertown International Airport (ART / KART), which has some local flights, but won’t have as many options as SYR.

Clayton is an excellent place to base yourself if you’re planning a trip to the 1000 Islands Region of New York State in general. It’s a cozy, small town perfectly perched on the St. Lawrence River. It also happens to be home to a wonderful accommodation with plenty of comfortable rooms, making this the perfect place to find your home away from home.

Staying at the 1000 Islands Harbor Hotel

Chris and I loved our stay at this hotel. With just over 100 guest rooms, this hotel may feel on the larger side, but its intimate in spirit. It’s a four season resort on the St. Lawrence River with spacious guest rooms and suites, and truly comfortable beds—always a plus in our books when we spend so much time on the road!

Many of their guest rooms have river views, and some offer balconies with beautiful views of the river, too. If you’re able to book a room here on the east side of the hotel, you’ll be able to catch magical views of sunset over the St. Lawrence from your balcony. Chris and I stayed in a King River View room. We were immediately struck by how spacious the room was, and how beautiful the views were.

The hotel has several amenities too, like:

complimentary freshly brewed coffee on each floor every morning
nightly turndown service
indoor swimming pool
indoor hot tub
fitness centre

The communal spaces at the hotel and just beyond the grounds are really a delight. There’s water and dock access available from the back of the property to the Clayton Riverwalk, beautiful outdoor seating areas for the restaurant and bar, and outdoor fire pits perfect for watching the sun go down and enjoying quality time outside. A lot of people were meeting and chatting by the fire during our visit.

This was such a comfortable stay, and I’d highly recommend booking a room here for your trip!

What You Should Do During Your Time in Clayton

Despite being such a small town, there are actually so many things to do here in Clayton. This list outlines the experiences we enjoyed the most during our visit, plus there are a few nearby ways to spend your time in the region.

Walk Around Downtown & Along the Clayton Riverwalk

The Clayton Riverwalk is a beautifully planned walking path that runs along the St. Lawrence River. The town of Clayton isn’t very big—so it isn’t a long path that goes for miles and miles—but it’s connected to several docks and piers along the shoreline, and offers great views of the water.

Downtown, you’ll want to do a small loop. I’d recommend walking along Riverside Drive, cutting through one of the inner streets like Jane Street, and then taking the Riverwalk Path back around to the centre of town. This little loop will give you a taste of the town’s shops, some historic homes and quiet streets, and views of the St. Lawrence River.

Visit the Iconic Antique Boat Museum

I don’t think Chris or I were quite prepared for just how special this museum is! The Antique Boat Museum was originally founded in the 1960s, and it’s grown to become an impressive facility spread across seven buildings, and continues to expand.

The museum does a wonderful job sharing the history and importance of boating here in the 1000 Islands. Boats are essential in this region, so learning about the different models of vessels that have been used here over the years and seeing so many of them in person is a treat.

The main building is the conventional museum area, with information on the history of regional boating and several exhibits. The remaining buildings and docks are places to see antique boats up close in all their glory. There are boats from all eras of boating, from early skiffs to classic mid-century and racing boats.

There are a few ways that you can add on to your experience at the museum to make it more memorable:

Take a 30-minute guided tour of the infamous houseboat La Duchesse. It’s a 106′ houseboat built for hotelier George Boldt, manager of New York City’s famed Waldorf-Astoria hotel and the original owner of Boldt Castle in the region. La Duchesse is home to several state rooms, a full dining room, indoor fireplace, smoking lounge, outdoor sitting lounge and dance floor, and even a piano underneath a Tiffany & Co. stained glass skylight. It’s quite the eye into what luxury looked like at the turn of the 20th century!
Take a 45-minute “Ride the River” cruise in a historic replica boat. These tours can be booked in combination with your admission, pending availability. They are a great way to see some of the smaller corners and coves in the 1000 Islands that larger boats can’t reach, and are a luxurious way to get on the water. The 30′ triple cockpit Hacker Craft seats up to 6 passengers per ride (general admission), with a few different seating areas, pictured below.

For more information about the museum, you can head to their website.

Take a Boat Tour Through the Thousand Islands

You can’t quite say that you’ve visited the 1000 Islands unless you get out on a boat tour. After all, you’ll need to leave the shore to physically see what the full scope of these islands is like in person!

I’ve already mentioned the Antique “Ride the River” Boat Tour from the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton. This is a great way to intimately get a sense for the islands, inlets, cottages, homes and shoreline in and around town. If you’re visiting the region with a small group, you can also book out this experience for up to 6 guests for your own private tour. More details can be found here.
Another option from Clayton is Clayton Island Tours. These are larger tours on vessels that can accommodate up to 65 passengers. They have everything from 1000 Island tours taking you to Boldt Castle, or glass-bottomed boat tours out to Rock Island Lighthouse. Most tours depart just east of downtown Clayton from 39611 Chateau Lane.

Uncle Sam Boat Tours is also an option for tours of the islands, which is who Chris and I went with for our tour. Their tours depart from the town of Alexandria Bay, which is a short 15 minute drive east of Clayton. These tours are ideal if you are looking for more direct access to the famous Boldt Castle, which is on its own island directly across the water from Alex Bay. They have several types of tours to choose from, which you can learn more about on their website.

Grab Brunch, Coffee & Sweet Treat

I love finding a great local spot to start the day in a new town, and Bella’s stood out as my favourite place for just this reason! It’s a cozy spot in a historic building that’s the perfect breakfast and brunch spot.

Whether you’re taking a boat tour and looking for a quick grab-and-go coffee and pastry, or you’re planning on a slow start to the day and would rather opt for a sit down breakfast with gorgeous river views, Bella’s is the place. Their pastry and baked goods counter is full of familiar favourites like scones, cookies, pies and muffins with a variety of flavours. And if the weather is nice, their outdoor patio has unbeatable views of the St. Lawrence River.

Lyric Coffee House and Koffee Kove Restaurant are two other nice breakfast spots and coffee shops in town. Lyric has all sorts of sweet treats, too. But if you’re visiting on a hot summer’s day like we were, then you’ll want to head to The Scoop for ice cream at least once on your trip.

Make Sure You Dine at Di Prinzio's

Di Prinzio's Kitchen & Cocktails was our favourite dinner spot in Clayton, and it’s definitely worth making a reservation at during your visit. Their menu is excellent, and filled with Italian classics like bruschetta, homemade pastas, wood-oven fired pizzas and steak dinners.

They also have an incredible wine and cocktail list, making this a great place to come for appetizers and a drink after a day on the water. Their patio overlooking the pier and the St. Lawrence is beautiful but small—I’d recommend making a reservation here, especially if you’re hoping for sunset dinner & drinks.

Sample Beer from Wood Boat Brewery

The aptly named Wood Boat Brewery is just steps from the Antique Boat Museum, with a beautiful logo featuring an antique boat and a variety of craft beers to choose from. If you visit the museum first, you’ll realize that most of their beers here are named after famous boats from the museum!

Chris and I always enjoy the opportunity to sample a flight, and we liked the River Rye, Lyman & seasonal Lime Shandy. The Channel Marker and Pardon Me Pale Ale are also worth a try. They have a menu with different food options here if you’re looking for lunch or dinner, too, and we enjoyed their pizzas.

Visit One of the Nearby Towns

Clayton is a small and compact little town with so many things to see and do, and as much as we loved it as our home base in the region, it isn’t the only place worth visiting! We loved taking a short drive down to Cape Vincent. The Cape Vincent Lighthouse is right across from Wolfe Island on the Canadian side, and sits where the St. Lawrence meets Lake Ontario. There are some cute cafes, shops and a nice park along the main street, Broadway, too.

Alexandria Bay is also worth stopping by, especially if you take an Uncle Sam’s Boat Tour. They’re known for having some kitschy t-shirt and trinket shops, and a later night life than many other towns in the area.

Don’t Forget to Catch a Sunset Over the St. Lawrence

Golden hour in Clayton is special. Whether you find yourself a seat on one of the many Adirondack chairs along the waterfront and Riverwalk, cozy up by one of the fire pits at the 1000 Islands Harbour Hotel, or treat yourself to an evening swim in the summer off of one of the piers, taking a moment to slow down and appreciate a sunset here is a great way to end the day.

I can’t quite put my finger on it, but even though this was my first time visiting Clayton, something about watching the sunset here was nostalgic. It’s such a charming small town and a great place to put your feet up and rest after a good day out on the islands. So sit back, relax, and let the magic of this little town on the St. Lawrence take your breath away on a trip to the 1000 Islands.

I’d like to thank Visit 1000 Islands for hosting Chris and I as media for our trip to Clayton and the region. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Bri Mitchell

Bri Mitchell is a travel writer and content creator from Toronto, Ontario. She loves to highlight all things nature, food, wellness, sustainability and adventure in her work. Bri writes and shares her travel experiences from across Canada, the United States and around the world on Instagram and TikTok (@brimitchelltravels), and in her articles for travelingmitch, Ultimate Ontario, and We Explore Canada.

The Top Things to Do in Clayton, NY: A Charming Small Town in the 1000 Islands Region