Rock Island Lighthouse on a Glass Bottom Boat Tour

Rock Island Lighthouse Tour In Clayton, NY

Board the Night Heron, our incredible glass-bottomed boat, and get an unparalleled view of underwater life in the clean waters of the St. Lawrence River.

Travel to Rock Island and spend one hour visiting the island where you can climb up in the lighthouse tower and look over the St. Lawrence River. Visit the lighthouse keeper’s home that is now a museum and gift shop.

Walk the island and see the building once used to store whale oil for burning in the lighthouse. Peer through the unique glass bottom boat to see native fish of the St. Lawrence, as well as countless other natural wonders beneath the waves of the Saint Lawrence River. The tour is guided by our historical and naturalist narrators with unique knowledge of the Thousand Islands.

Rock Island Lighthouse is located in the Thousand Islands about 4.5 miles northeast of Clayton, Jefferson County, New York, off of Fisher’s Landing. Originally commissioned in 1847, it is one of six lights put up along the St. Lawrence River to guide traffic to and from Lake Ontario through the waterway.

The Rock Island station is the best preserved, as all of its structures still survive. It was refitted in 1855, rebuilt in 1882, and moved in 1903. The light was closed in 1955 after more a century of service. Today, the lighthouse and island are maintained by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation.

In 2010, restoration of Rock Island and its structures began, using federal and state funds. The goal of the work is to make Rock Island a tourist destination that describes the station and its keepers and gives a glimpse into life on the St. Lawrence.

2020 Schedule

Spring
May 16th to June 12th (Thur, Fri, Sat, Sun, and Mon) – 1:00pm
Memorial Day Weekend May 23rd, 24th and 25th, 2020 – 10:15am and 1:00p

Summer
June 13th to September 7th – 10:15am and 1:00pm

Fall
September 10th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 18th – 1:00pm
September 12th, 13th, 19th, and 20th – 10:15am and 1:00pm

Rock Island Lighthouse Closes on September 20, 2020 for the Season

Highlights Include:

• Shipwreck of the Schooner Elk – old sailing grain carrier sunk prior to 1860
• Clayton Waterfront
• Calumet Island – once home to Calumet Castle built by Charles Emory
• The Narrows
• Eel Bay
• Thousand Islands Biological Station – Governors Island
• Maple Island – “The Maple Island Mystery”
• Eagle Wing Shoal
• Bluff Island
• Picton Quarry – Picton Island
• Thousand Islands Park – Wellesley Island
• Native plants, fish and bird species
• Rock Island and Rock Island Lighthouse
• Isle of Pines – Once featured on “Ghost Hunters”
• Watch Island
• Frontenac Yacht Dock Cribbing – Round Island
• Hiawatha Lodge – Round Island
• Highest Point of the Frontenac Arch

Meeting Location

• Boarding takes place 15 minutes prior to departure.
• Meeting Address: 39611 Chateau Lane, Clayton, NY 13624
• FREE parking, buses, and RVs welcome

Concessions -Picnic lunches are available for any tour and may be ordered online with your tour tickets or call us at least one hour before departure and we will prepare your lunch fresh from our brand-new onsite kitchen.  Come early or plan to stop by after your tour to enjoy our picnic area and made-to-order menu.  All items are available to go and may be taken on-board our boats.  Breakfast also available daily.

Rock Island Lighthouse Admission Included

No pets are allowed on Rock Island, with the exception of service animals.

NO PASSPORT REQUIRED

OUR BOATS ARE SMOKE-FREE