wellesley island

We got to visit this island a little bit when we were touring Boldt Castle Yatch House and Heart Island. We walked around a little bit and drove through some of the Island, Theres a park on the Island , Golf "course, homes and some restaurants...at least some signs for some. We couldnt see a lot but it seems worth going back for another trip to visit the Island. Nice photo opps. and easy to get around.

I consider myself a seasoned camper with 30+yrs tenting/trailers/cottages. You will LOVE Wellesley Island. It is a State Park that is one of the best! The campsites are well maintained, the cottage locations are breathtaking! I highly recommend camping in the Scenic Thousand Islands!!!

We spent a long weekend (but not long enough) at Eel Bay Cottages at Wellesley Island Park: they are a great bargain with lots of space and everything you need... except coffee so bring some... wish WE had! haha. No sign of the mice mentioned on another review, though it is an outdoor experience and such things shouldn't freak anyone out. Scenery was fantastic at Eel Bay and elsewhere on the island. Weather was pretty wet (rain AND hail) and cold nearly every minute we were there, but it was early October after all; the porch and the cabin itself was a joy to hang out and relax in. Full kitchen with table and chairs, propane fireplace, double and twin beds (bunk-style but surprisingly comfy) and of course the screen porch facing west on the St. Lawrence River. Sometimes nasty weather can ruin a trip like this but we loved the whole mini-vacation there. It's open all winter, so if you or we can GET to the the island it may be worth a visit. Our only regret was being a bit early for leaf-peeping, but the foliage change is a crap-shoot at best every year. We checked out out campsites at Wellesley Island State Park as well as DeWolfe Point and WOWZA : we saw so many terrific sites that I can hardly wait to return and set up my tent. These sites compare favorably with camping I have loved in New Hampshire and Colorado with lots of seclusion and beauty, especially on waterside locations. The rest of the island was cool too... big marina/boathouse areas (*read: "big money") and a quaint colorful group of homes at "Thousand Island Park" I heard referred to as 'a gingerbread community'; don't forget to check out the great views of Rock Island Lighthouse from the town of Fineview on your way to T.I. Park.Now if they can straighten out the mess with the so-called 'border check' on the bridge, coming in from Canada, we can use this as a starting place for exploring the Canookie side of the river.

We started our trip to Wellesley Island by visiting the nature center and looking at the various displays of animals, birds, and fish. From there we hiked along the trail that travels along the banks of the St. Lawrence River to the lookout point. There were lots of photo worthy spots and very scenic views. The hike is worth the effort, and I would recommend hiking shoes if you are going to hike the trail to the end. After returning to the nature center, we drove to the other end of the island where the victorian homes are. The homes are very pretty and worth the drive to see them. There is also a quaint, clean park in the village with a boat dock with benches where you can sit and can just relax and watch the river flow by.

On a recent weekend stay at one of the EEL BAY cottages, we were quite disappointed to see two mouse traps greeting us as we walked through the front door – each trap baited and waiting for their next victim. After having camped at the EEL BAY cottages over the past 6 years and having stayed in every single cottage at one time or another, we have never encountered a rodent problem except during the last two stays. Previously, during a one week stay, we heard what sounded like an army of mice in the bedroom walls – inches from my head. On a more recent stay, it appeared that the problem has now gotten out of hand. The people who clean the cottages informed us that a massive amount of complaints were received this past summer concerning mice in the cottages. Think mice droppings on the food, kitchen counters, beds, furniture, you get the picture. Our experience, was a dead mouse in one of the traps every single morning – great way to start the day. You would think that with all of the complaining, park management would be taking this very seriously and hiring a professional exterminator to fix the problem. No not really,…park management’s response has been to basically do nothing and even downplay that there is a problem. I asked the cottage cleaners if they could recommend a mouse free cottage – they could not reply to my query… If you talk to anyone in the park office it soon becomes clear that the mice infestation is not even on the radar.If you plan on using these cottages be warned that mice do carry a variety of diseases such as: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Hemorrhagic Fever, Lassa Fever, Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis (LCM), Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever, Plague, Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, Tularemia. These diseases are spread through mouse droppings or bites. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) **Anyone with small children should be very concerned.If you plan of going despite this warning, I would recommend bringing mouse traps, at least four and do not leave any food out anywhere as mice can climb walls and table legs easily. Oh, and by the way, they can climb unto beds as well – we saw mouse droppings on one of the single beds where children usually sleep. Sweet Dreams…As for us, we have cancelled a planned stay during the Christmas holidays. I hope a solution is found soon, as like many others, we enjoy camping at Wellesley Island State Park and we look forward to returning soon.

Wellesley Island is 7 miles long and 5 miles wide so - how do you review a whole island? Unless you plan on staying at one of the campgrounds I don't think there are any other accommodations. The park campgrounds are exceptional. I have stayed at the main Wellesley Island Park campground and also at the Wolf Point campground when the other was full. The main campground has all camping amenities (beach, childrens playground, nature center, sites with water and electric hookups, etc.); the Wolf Point does not have any hookups and no beach but it does have dockage for boats and usually a much quieter place for adults. There is a Wellesley Hotel at the western most tip of the island in a quaint little residential enclave I believe is called Farview. We were there midweek after Labor Day so the hotel was not open. There is also a golf course on the island that is open to the public. On the same grounds there is a restaurant called the Thousand Islands Club and a bar and grill in the golf course building. They both looked interesting but were not open when we were there.

Lovely drive about Wellesley Island, which hosts Boldt Yacht House too and pretty island. Diane B, London, On , Can

The island homes are a visual delight! The victorian homes decorated with gingerbread, wraparound screened porches and wicker furniture with striped canvas pillows make you crave an iced lemonade. Like stepping back into a more genteel era. Don't miss it!

Best state campground in NY. Lots of trails, breath taking views of St Lawrence. Recreation Hall outdated but at least they have something for the kids to do. Small beach, easy access to boat launch. The best part for me was the sites. They are spaced out nicely. U don't feel overcrowded. Parents make sure to bring bikes for the kids. Lots of space for kids to roam.

We visited Wellesley Island to check the Island out and have a picnic. I was surprised at the shear beauty. The island is a mix of New York state park and local property owners. There is a shock of the poverty in the area, while riding behind luxurious travel trailers pulled by $50 K pick-up trucks.Getting to the island requires that you open your wallet for at least $2.50 for the bridge toll. The toll is not covered by the Easy-Pass system like other Thruway expenses. The toll taker at our station was a pretty blond sour-puss that was hard pressed to answer the Easy-Pass question too. Approaching the apex of the suspension bridge, the view alone was worth the $2.50. The entire St. Lawrence river was visible for several miles. It was "picture postcard perfect", as my Aunt Martha would say.Our main reason for coming to Wellesley Island was for our picnic lunch. We drove through the Wellesley Island State Park. The park has a small entrance fee unless you have a NY state park pass. There was a variety of places for our picnic lunch from the lawns surrounding the marina and boat launch to trails passing between camping areas into the forest. There are several types of camping areas were available that we toured. Rustic tents, tents next to showers and bathrooms, RV sites with and without hook-ups, and cabins with propane and close to bathrooms. The camping areas had a variety of river views from hidden in the trees but on trails to the river and breath taking views from the tent site. No matter what site was selected, the views could be had by anyone.There were small grocery/variety stores to supply the forgotten item or milk. If you wanted to keep in touch with the world, there was great cell service and old fashioned newspapers. The marina had pull in areas with fast food including clean bathrooms and Perry's Ice Cream. For the golfing enthusiast there is a coarse I was told that was challenging. There are pretty big pine trees that would block seeing the street to say nothing about the flag. The kids can go to several areas for classes that sounded like fun to this "big kid". There were notices of activities on large white boards at the fast food sites. The park is very family friendly with many sites with paved side walks. Hiking on dirt trails however showed the budget issues plaguing many state parks. picnic tables are deteriorating with lots of vandalism in out lying areas. There were many families out biking as well. Other activities included canoeing, boating and swimming. A beautiful sandy beach with lifeguard was available. There is a local diving area located on a finger projecting area adjacent to the marina. Down some primitive trail and a high and deep area was a discouraged diving area with a large rock for sun bathing. I imagine lots of other things happen there too.Wellesley Island is also home to the Wellesley Island Lighthouse. It is the entrance to the great lake system with large and small boats passing close by. An International Hostel is present at the keepers home. The lighthouse is a functioning part of the Coast Guard system although there is no members present at the site. There is also a gift shop that is the headquarters of the non-profit that is restoring and maintaining the site. The history of the site is quite interesting and the staff is very friendly and helpful. The telescope alone is worth the trip. The telescope has sites clearly marked. While I was there I saw a vague stick at the horizon but with the telescope I watched a very large sailboat come and pass into the seaway. It was beautiful.While I was on Wellesley Island for just the afternoon, I was impressed with the community commitment to maintaining the area's historic gifts. These folks are incredibly friendly and willing to share their knowledge about the sites and the area in general.I couldn't give the island a five since there were needs for improvement to trails, signs and conditions due to the economy's impact on funding repairs and improvements for the handicapped and and very small children/infants.Issues such as changing stations and the lack of things such as first aid stations, public telephones (cells do die at the worst times) and obvious and dangerous trees that should be removed to protect roads and trails (many due to the pine tree beetle). I will return to this beautiful island in the future and look forward to seeing this beauty once again.

We stayed at this state park that is right next to the Canada border and the 1000 Islands. This camp ground is very family oriented!! A lot of kids were there. Of course it was a holiday and kids were out of school AND it was the dead of summer. The only issue I found was if you wanted to take a shower in the bath house you had to pay .25 cents for five minutes of shower time. Of course this is cheaper than compared to Canada. There you had to pay $1.00 for 8 minutes of shower time. But everything in Canada is more expensive. Why not shower time! Otherwise, it was a nice camp ground. I also thought it would be closer to Alexandria Bay.

The state park is very nice. There is a cute little beach with a lifeguard on duty. I recommend a drive through the Thousand Island Park to see the beautiful old homes.

It has been a couple of years since my wife and I toured Wellesley Island. On the west end of the Island is the "Thousand Island Park". The park dates back to the late 1800's and is an exquisite collection of some stunning old homes in fantastic shape. The park is seasonal and many families have been spending summers there for decades. It is kept in very good shape and a quiet and peaceful place to relax. There is century old Hotel & Restaurant in the park where diners sit on the verandah to eat. We haven't tried the hotel as yet but it is certainly on our "to do" list.

A river-view site is the best possible vantage point at this campground. Because it is so popular, there are just too many sites too close together. Facilities are usually clean and well maintained. Park personnel are helpful. Nose can be an issue at night, inasmuch as there is no enforcement of the quiet hours. And if you have camped a bit, you know that there are some people who just don't get it. The swimming area is clean, with alert and kind staff. Wood and ice are available at "Woody's" on the way to the Wellesley Island gate.

loved the drive around the island. Fairview was the most peaceful and beautiful place. check out the backdoor bakery