Fall Trip to the St Lawrence River
Autumn in Northern NY
For the 3rd year in a row, we have taken a trip to the St Lawrence River to enjoy the fall weather, the foliage, and, of course, to take some photos. The second weekend in October, my wife and I and our two dogs loaded up in the car and headed north for a 5-day, 4-night trip.
This time of year, the sunrises and sunsets are absolutely stunning along the St Lawrence. The sunsets are over the water almost anywhere you can get a clear view of the river. Sunrises require looking around a little for islands, peninsulas, or bays with a more east-facing view over the water. Every year, when I come home and start going through my photos, I feel like I have too many of them with bright orange skies and not enough of the other sights. But it’s hard not to take a million shots of those views.
This year, we started with a stay in Ogdensburg, NY. We found a bed and breakfast on Water Street along the Oswegatchie River that provided a ton of space inside and had a large backyard.
Ogdensburg is an interesting place. It features a mix of old industrial infrastructure and newly restored waterfront, attracting tourists. One of the bridges to Canada is located here, so there is a US Customs facility for the border crossing.
The restored waterfront is beautiful, with a small lighthouse in view, with the sunset behind it. I got several sunset pics the first evening there. And then we went exploring the following day before leaving for our next stop. I found some interesting old and abandoned buildings.
After a night in Ogdensburg, our next 3 nights were spent in Clayton. Shout out to K’s Riverview Motel and Cottages. This is the second year we have stayed with them. Super comfortable room, and very dog-friendly.
We picked Clayton because it is centrally located. It’s close to Alexandria Bay and Cape Vincent. There are several state parks, including Kring Point, Wellesley Island State Park, Cedar Point, and Grass Point. In Cape Vincent, you can find the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse, Wilson’s Beach, and Lake Ontario. I’ll list some points of interest and links at the end of this post.
We spent one evening Friday watching the sunset over Lake Ontario at the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse. Last year we were greeted by storm clouds when we visited Cape Vincent. This year we were given a beautiful sunset.
The next morning, Saturday, I drove up to Kring Point before the sun came up. According to the website, the camping season had ended. However when I got there, there were still camp sites occupied, so I needed to find a spot to shoot without disturbing any of the campers. I was able to find a spot, and hopefully did not bother anyone.
Later on Saturday we all visited Grass Point State Park, and Wellesley Island State Park looking for some leaves and just letting the dogs get out and about for a while. Grass Point was closed for the season for camping, so we had that place to ourselves. Wellesley still had campers, although this was the last weekend of the season.
We also came back to Grass Point later that evening to watch the sunset. A little overcast, but there was still some nice color.
Sunday morning I stayed in Clayton and went down to the town marina a little before sunrise. Not a typical landscape location, but it did show a little more of the river, and it was another awesome sunrise.
Once again, I came home with quite a few images of orange skies. But I also tried to get a variety of subjects besides just landscapes and riverscapes. I have several photos that I am looking forward to printing, so as far as photography, the trip was a success.
Trips like this always recharge my creative batteries. As the fall colors fade and winter moves in, I’m already looking forward to sorting through these images, printing a few favorites, and planning where to chase the light next.
✅ Where to Find Me
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The St. Lawrence River valley is a beautiful drive. I've had the chance to visit it twice, both in the summer. And once in the winter. These are great! I recognised several names of the places you visited.