Experience the best of Clayton

Clayton sits on the St Lawrence River in northern New York, in the Thousand Islands, a scatter of about 1,800 rocky, pine-topped islands strung along the river as it leaves Lake Ontario, shared by the United States and Canada. Once a lumber and shipping port, the town now has a waterfront of docks, small hotels and shops. The Antique Boat Museum has a large collection of wooden freshwater boats, from canoes and skiffs to luxury launches.

Boldt Castle on Heart Island, begun by the hotelier George Boldt for his wife and abandoned when she died in 1904, is reached by boat from Alexandria Bay, farther along the river. The Thousand Islands Bridge crosses to Ontario, and Wellesley Island State Park has a nature centre and trails. Cape Vincent lies to the west, and the river's shipwrecks draw divers.

Walleye, perch and muskellunge come from the river, and Thousand Island dressing is said to have been created in the area. Summer is boating season, autumn colour is bright over the water, and ice forms along the shore in winter.