Camping the Thousand Islands Region, Boldt Castle and Upper Canada Village | Episode 23

Boldt Castle

Located on Heart Island between the shores of Wellesley Island and Alexandria Bay, NY Boldt Castle is six story, 120 room castle, complete with tunnels, a powerhouse, Italian gardens, a drawbridge, alster tower (children’s playhouse) and a dove cote. Not a single detail or expense was spared.

Built by successful self-made businessman, and super rich guy George Boldt, who was most well-known as the owner of both the New York City’s Waldorf-Astoria and Philadelphia’s Belleview-Stratford Hotel (and to the chagrin of anyone who has ever had to work in retail) the phrase, “The customer is always right”

Though Boldt owned several hundred acres on neighboring Wellesley Island and summered with his family there, construction on the Caste began in 1900 as the ultimate show of love for his wife, Louise, but constructions was halted in 1904 when Louise dies suddenly, and Boldt never returned to the island. The mostly-completed structures were left to the mercy of the elements until they were acquired by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority in 1977 and began using net revenues of the castle operation to continue to restore the castle and grounds to their original state using the original castle plans.

What’s great about this is…

The castle Yacht house is located on Wellesley island and can be accessed by a free shuttle from the castle, though the tour is an additional fee (and recommended by us). Inside, there is a collection of antique wooden boats, courtesy of the Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, NY – and many of the boats are from the original Boldt castle fleet, including a 1892 Steam Yacht which were the hallmarks of the rich and famous in and about the Thousand Islands during the Gilded Age.

The Yacht house also includes the Boat Keepers Cottage, which in itself is ornately detailed and speaks to the level of detail on the property. The ceiling if the main living room in the Cottage is strips of wood positioned to resemble a ships wheel.

Visiting the Castle

Compared to the other historical homes we’ve visited, Boldt Castle is super inexpensive and worth well more than the posted price of $11.00 USD for Adult and $8.00 for Children aged 5-12 years. Children aged 4 years and under are free.

Yacht House:

Adult (13+) $6.00

Child (5-12) $4.00

BUT – you receive special package rate if you purchase tickets for Both the Castle and Yacht House and adults can visit both for $14.00, and Children for $8.00

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Getting There

Boldt Castle is accessible by watercraft only and Boldt Castle is an official Port of Entry in the United States. Visitors can access the castle via one of many tour operators or by personal watercraft for which there is ample parking at the Castle.

We opted to drive across the border via the Thousand Islands Bridge to the picturesque Town of Alexandria Bay and take Uncle Sam’s Boat Tours to access the Castle. The town itself is an adorable Harbour Town. There are a ton of cute shops, restaurants, wineries and distilleries to visit while staying in the area, which leads us to the next question:

Where to Stay

Camping opportunies abound in the 1000 Islands and In the immediate area surrounding Boldt Castle alone there are 4 State Parks on the US side, and Over 8 campgrounds within a 15-20 minute drive of the Castle.

Our original plan was to stay at the 1000 Islands/Ivy Lea KOA, but there was no availability, so we opted for the Ivy Lea Campground, located directly at the base of the 1000 Islands Bridge on the Canadian Side.

The Park is Operated by the Sr. Lawrence Parks Commission, who operates 15 Campgrounds in the immediate area and also run several historic sites, including Fort Henry and tours of the infamous Kingston Pen.

I’m going to digress for a moment to talk about Kingston…

Kingston, ON

Kingston is 35 Minutes West and is a fantastic daytrip if camping in the 1000 islands region. Kingston Penn is our version of Alcatraz or Sing Sing. Very famous, was the site of the last public hanging in Canada in 1962.

Kingston is old, founded in 1673 and has lots of cool little allies and shops to explore. In fact, Kingston used to be Canada’s First Capital but was moved due to its proximity to the USA and vulnerability to attacks. If you visit check out the Kingston Ghost tour which was one of my very favourites for getting an accurate history of the city, and you can hear about Kingston, and neighbouring Wolfe Island, which Dan and I will never visit again in Epsidoe 12 – The 5 Most Haunted Places We’ve Ever Camped.

The St. Lawrence Parks Commission also operates Upper Canada Village, which we visited this trip and will talk about a little later in the episode.

Ivy Lea Campground

There are a variety of sites available at Ivy Lea, from Unserviced, waterfront tent sites, to unserviced and partially serviced RV sites and basic cabins.

Fees range from $40 – $99 per night depending on the option you choose.

Operation Dates are May to Canadian Thanksgiving.

Amenities:

Small Beach, have to hike underneath the 1000Island Bridge to get there. Shallow and sandy.

Boat Launch – Seasonal and Transient Boat Docks

Activity Shelter

SportsField

Playground

That’s where I completely smoked Eila in the face with Tether Ball.

A Lot of Seasonal Campers

Impressions?

Top pick for CAN – 1000 Islands/Ivy Lea KOA

Top Pick for USA – Wellesley Island State Park Campground

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Upper Canada Village

Touring Upper Canada Village will transport you back to the 1860s and is one of the largest historical villages we’ve been to. There are over 40 buildings on site, arranged in a proper village format

Most of the buildings came from the “Lost Villages” of the St. Lawrence that were flooded to create the St. Lawrence Seaway

• Costumed Interpreters
• Working Mills
• Live Farming Technique Demontstrations
• Houses
• Tea Room
• Church
• Camp programs for kids

Located beside the Chrysler Farm 1812 Battlefield and memorial

Dining – Willard’s Hotel, The Harvest Barn, Village Café, Beaver Tails

Both Willard’s Hotel and The Harvest Barn are Licensed

At the entrance to the gift shop is where the village café is located and you cans top by daily and purchase Village Bread or Cheddar Cheese both made on site using traditional methods – get this early and keep in a cooler, because it will be gone at the end of the day.

Montgomery House – Located inside the park and available for Overnight guests.

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