Guests who crave views of the water will find Keewaydin State Park one of the most beautiful waterside campgrounds in the area. The park sits on the New York side of the St. Lawrence River, a waterway that is a route for ocean-bound ships. The river shares its shoreline with Canada, so guests can camp in the United States and look across the river to Canada.
The park is located in a part of New York known as the Thousand Island Region, an area known for its woodlands and waterways. The Thousand Island Region stretches from Lake Ontario along the St. Lawrence River to Lake Champlain and has some of the best boating and fishing in the area.
Keewaydin State Park provides RV campers and recreational seekers with some of the most spectacular scenic outdoor areas. Whether you walk along the paved walkway and take respite in one of the riverfront gazebos or spend time searching for different wildflowers and wildlife, you won’t run out of things to see and do. The park’s day use areas feature picnic tables, grills, a playground, and a rental facility for group activities and events and beckons for visitors to spend more time outside.
Keewaydin State Park is located just under 100 miles north of Syracuse and 195 miles from Albany, New York. Depending on the direction you travel you may have to drive on toll roads.
Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Prices vary by location and season. Additional fees added to the daily use fee and the camping fee may apply. Contact the park for more information.
For guests bringing dogs or cats, proof of current rabies vaccinate is required in the form of a certificate or dated collar tag.
The Keewaydin State Park Campground is a pet-friendly campground that sits next to the St. Lawrence River. The campground is a seasonally operating facility that closes during the colder months. Each space has a back-in driveway and accommodates RVs and campers up to 40 feet in length. There are no hookups available, but these primitive-style sites do have a fire pit and a picnic table. The campground has modern bathhouses with flushing toilets and showers and a dump station on the premises. Quiet hours are from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am, and all campers must be quiet enough not to disturb your closest neighbor during these hours. Generator operation is permitted between the hours of 9:00 am and 11:00 am and again between 5:00 am and 9:00 pm.
During the peak season, the park opens its Olympic-sized pool. Guests who love swimming can have a fun and safe day in the water. When the pool is open, the lifeguards on duty maintain a safe environment for swimmers of many abilities. The pool is located near modern restrooms and a bathhouse, and it is also close to the first aid station and a playground. Swimmers must pay a day use fee to enter the pool grounds. Contact the park for more specific information about the pool.
After a long day of driving in the RV, nothing feels better than setting up camp and heading out to the trails to stretch your legs. The Keewaydin State Parks trails are short pathways that mainly run along the banks of the St. Lawrence River. People who have dogs must keep them on a leash no shorter than six feet and be mindful of other guests on the trails. If you pass a picnic area while out on your walk, remember that dogs are not permitted near or around the picnic tables or shelters. Campers don’t have far to travel to get to the trail. It’s accessible from the campground near site 17.
The St. Lawrence River is known for its water recreation. For visitors who want to spend a day on the water, the park has a boat launch to put your boat in the water. If you don’t have a boat, or you need boating supplies, then head over to the marina. The park’s marina is a seasonally operating facility that provides the amenities boaters need to have a fun and safe day on the water. Boats less than 36 feet long can dock near the marina. There is gas, shore power, a launch ramp, as well as fishing boat and engine rentals available during operating hours. The facility also has ice cream, fishing gear, showers, restrooms, and a pump out. For details on the marina, launching boats, or boat rentals, contact the marina or the park office.
Geocaching, a family-fun, electronic scavenger hunt, is an activity that people of many ages can participate in. Bring your GPS unit and your other caching materials and spend time searching for what’s hidden underneath the brush and the rocks. There are caches inside and outside of the park’s boundaries. The cache hidden in the park is a hole punch style cache that must stay with the cache; it is not a trade item. For information on geocaching and the latest cache information, visit the official geocaching website.
The fish in the St. Lawrence River are abundant during every season. Whether you prefer fishing when the water flows or fishing through the ice, you will find the Keewaydin State Park the ideal location to spend time in nature with your fishing pole. During the warmer months, guests can fish from the shoreline or from a boat and have access to the marina and fishing supplies. During the winter, bring your ice fishing gear and ensure you are following ice safety precautions when you venture out onto the ice. New York state requires fishing licenses for people 16 years and older. Because the St. Lawrence River has shorelines in both the United States and Canada, ensure you follow all of the proper fishing protocols for both countries.
Keewaydin State Park is a facility that is mainly known for its summer activities, but when the weather turns colder, and the snow begins to fall, the park doesn't stop its operations. Even though some of the facilities are closed during the winter, the park is open for recreation. When the conditions are ready, the hiking trail converts to a cross country trail, and visitors who have their own skiing equipment can spend time traversing past the frozen river while experiencing the silence of the woods.