New York's Remote State Park Close To The Canadian Border Is A Serene Camping Location With Ethereal Views

Nestled on the shore of Chaumont Bay on Lake Ontario in New York's scenic Thousand Islands region, Long Point State Park is a serene camping retreat with fantastic outdoor recreation and panoramic lake views. Spanning 23 acres, this peaceful peninsula park is mostly surrounded by water, making it an ideal destination for lakeside camping, boating, fishing, and swimming. Located in the hamlet of Three Mile Bay, the park is under an hour from the region's main towns, like Cape Vincent, Clayton, and Thousand Islands' wildly charming old-world village, Alexandria Bay.

While the park is somewhat off the beaten path, getting to Long Point State Park is an easy, pleasant journey. From Syracuse, take Interstate 81 north towards Adams before continuing the journey towards Three Mile Bay for a total driving time of around 2 hours. From Rochester, take Interstate 90 east toward Syracuse and follow the same route, or take the Great Lakes Seaway Trail (Route 104) through Oswego. Since cell service in the region can be spotty, it's a good idea to use GPS and download your route ahead of time.

Constantly refreshing lake breezes and a true sense of remoteness are rare in public parks, yet Long Point has the perfect amount of both. This peaceful park has 87 grass-covered and lightly shaded campsites available, many of which have electric hookups for campers and RVs. The park is open for camping from mid-May through Labor Day each season, and reservations can be made through Reserve America for the New York State Parks system up to 9 months in advance. Nightly camping fees range from $17 to $35, depending on the campsite and whether it has electric hookups. Note that the park limits the number of pets allowed at campsites and day use areas. Visitors can have up to two pets and must monitor and keep them leashed or crated at all times.

Park facilities include flushing toilets, accessible showers, picnic areas, a laundromat in one of the bath houses, and a playground. So you'll have all the amenities needed for a relaxing family vacation or a solo summer getaway. Long Point's location on Chaumont Bay provides excellent access to water activities both in the bay and on greater Lake Ontario.

While there's no official swimming beach at Long Point State Park, most campers can access the water and swim directly from their campsites. This is a unique feature of the park, as many of the most beautiful beaches in the Great Lakes have designated areas only for swimming, but always be safe when sharing the water with boats. The protected harbor of Chaumont Bay makes for incredible boating opportunities from Long Point. Water access is available from docks and boat launches for kayaking, canoeing, and boating on beautiful Lake Ontario. At the time of this writing, docks are closed for repairs until further notice, but boat launches remain open and accessible to campers and day-use visitors. The entire park is open for day use from sunrise to sunset, and the boat launches are open year-round from dawn to dusk.

Fishing and wildlife viewing are among the other popular park activities. Anglers can hope to reel in species like king salmon, rainbow trout, Northern pike, small and largemouth bass, walleye, and carp. For wildlife lovers, Long Point offers excellent birdwatching. Great blue herons, common terns, and Arctic terns are some of the rare bird species that like to make a pit stop in the park on their migration from Canada and the Atlantic Coast. Whether you're angling from the dock, watching sunsets over the bay, or exploring secret villages hidden on Lake Ontario's shores, this corner of the Thousand Islands allows visitors to truly enjoy the serene side of lake life.