St Lawrence River Glass-Bottom Boat Cruise and Rock Island Lighthouse Tour
New York State, New York
Trip Type: Day Cruises
Duration: 3 hours
Get a peek into the underwater world of the St Lawrence River on this 3-hour glass-bottomed riverboat cruise around the Thousand Islands area. Spend an hour on Rock Island exploring the historic Rock Island Lighthouse and its various buildings. Ascend to the top of the lighthouse to visit the former lighthouse keeper’s home, now a museum. Then get back on the boat and cruise the river and listen as the expert local guide, a naturalist, gives an insider’s view on the surrounding area.
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Get a peek into the underwater world of the St Lawrence River on this 3-hour glass-bottomed riverboat cruise around the Thousand Islands area. Spend an hour on Rock Island exploring the historic Rock Island Lighthouse and its various buildings. Ascend to the top of the lighthouse to visit the former lighthouse keeper’s home, now a museum. Then get back on the boat and cruise the river and listen as the expert local guide, a naturalist, gives an insider’s view on the surrounding area.
On August 17, 1889, the A.E. Vickery, a wooden three-masted schooner on its way to deliver 21,000 bushels of corn to Wiser’s Distillery, was cruising up the St Lawrence River when it struck a shoal in the American Narrows and sank. The boat is still at the bottom of the river.
This is just one of the many tales you might hear on this exciting 3-hour boat cruise along the Thousand Islands section of the St Lawrence River. Make your way to the dock in Clayton, board the Night Heron and prepare to be dazzled by the boat’s glass bottom, which gives you a peek into the underwater life of the river. An expert local guide, who knows the natural and cultural history of the area, narrates as you cruise along. You might see bass, pike, panfish and yellow perch.
Disembark on Rock Island to explore the historic Rock Island Lighthouse. The 50-foot (15-meter) lighthouse was one of six that guided boats through the Thousand Islands section of the river. Commissioned in 1847, today it’s a landmark. Ascend the lighthouse to visit the former light keeper’s quarters, now a museum dedicated to the structure. There are other buildings on the island to discover as well — in the
adjacent building, the keeper made oil for the lighthouse out of whale
fat.
After an hour or so, get back on the boat and enjoy the natural beauty of the Thousand Islands as you head back to Clayton.
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