Sunset History Boat Tours

Thousand Island Park Tour

We will be heading to Thousand Island Park which was established in 1875 as a Methodist Campground. The Park is now the site of many beautiful Victorian homes. Tom French will be guiding us around the park on a walking tour. He will pass along the history of what has been there since the beginning of the camp when people were living in tents for the summer. Boat will be leaving at 5:00 to allow more time to visit the park and the wonderful museum there.

You will have a chance to stop at the Guzzle and purchase an ice cream to enjoy on the boat ride home. This tour is limited to 40 people.

Heart Island / Boldt Castle Garden Tour

We will be heading to Heart Island, the home of Boldt Castle where we will be meeting the master gardener in charge of the beautiful flowers on the island. He will be doing a Garden Tour of the grounds of the castle passing on his vast knowledge of the plants and flowers which grace the island. You will also be able to tour the castle itself after the garden tour.

The boat will be leaving Clayton Island Tours dock at 3:00 as it takes about an hour to reach the castle. We can enjoy the grounds until their closing time of 6:30. Ticket price includes admission to the castle.

Picnic at a Lighthouse

A new tour this year will be a picnic at a lighthouse. We will be heading to Rock Island lighthouse, the only lighthouse you can climb to the top of. While there you can tour the lighthouse and the keeper’s house. We will enjoy a picnic lunch while being entertained by a representative of NYS Park Service who will pass along the history of the lighthouse. One of our visitors will be given a book “Lightkeeping on the St. Lawrence – The End of an Era”. A buffet lunch will be included on the tour.

Morgan Island Traditional Shore Dinner

Join us as we head to Morgan Island to enjoy a Traditional Shore Dinner put on by a local fishing guide. You will be served the meal that has been a staple of fishing guides for over 150 years. From the appetizer to the dessert, everything is delicious. The boat leaves at 4:30 as the trip to Morgan Island takes about an hour during which you can enjoy the beautiful scenery as we pass through the islands.

12,000 Years of a River and its First People

This special tour back by request sees us joined by Ken Knapp who describes himself as an avocational archaeologist. He has 40 plus years of fieldwork and has been working with several archaeologists over the years. He will be doing his talk on 12,000 Years of a River and its First People. Starting with the area covered with ice to the formation of the river and his knowledge of the first people who called the river home, this tour includes so much history of the area.

Admiralty Islands Tour

This tour heads to Canadian waters where we will pass through the Admiralty Islands. This popular tour goes by Hay Island, site of an unusual reference to Napoleon. You will learn the significance of Half Moon Bay as we visit there. We will also see a unique cable ferry among other sights. As we leave the Admiralty Islands, we will pass by Island 43B which is now a part of Parks Canada. Learn how the ownership of this island was gained simply by catching the largest fish in a contest at the New York State Sportsmen Show in New York City. This tour leaves at 4:30 and is limited to 40 passengers.

Ivy Lea Tour

Our second tour into Canadian waters and out last tour of the season, will see us headed towards Ivy Lea. Passing Grindstone we will head for the Gananoque Narrows and then on to Ivy Lea. We will return to Clayton through Smuggler’s Cove, the Lost Channel and Benson’s Rift. The boat will leave at 4:30.