Clayton is a lovely summer resort town on the New York side of the Thousand Islands. There’s some pleasant running in Clayton, combining the attractive waterfront and pleasant residential neighborhood. We also have a longer option out to Zenda Farms Preserve.
Clayton Village. Put together your own route exploring this lovely waterfront village, staying inside Rt. 12. There’s ~1 miles along the waterfront, combining a short dedicated path to Riverside Dr., as well as the scenic Washington Island Causeway out to Washington Island. There some fun shops & restaurants along here as well. Add by exploring the attractive residential streets, which are tree-shaded, quiet, and feature some nice homes.
Zenda Farms. Photo: Mark Lowenstein
Zenda Farms Preserve. This preserve, features lovely trails around pastureland, grassland, and woods. One can put together ~3 miles at Zenda Farms, including the farm roads and the 1.35 mile MacFarlane Trail. Especially pretty in early or late light! Run to Zenda Farms from Clayton or do it standalone. INFO & MAP
Run to Zenda Farms from Clayton: It’s 2 miles from Clayton to Zenda Farms. Start with ~1 mile along the waterfront road, and then head west out of town on Rt. 12E (State St). There’s a decent shoulder. Then enjoy the Preserve trails. Overall, a route from Clayton and around Zenda Farms can be 6.5-8 miles out & back.
Rivergate Trestle Trail. A relatively new addition to the running scene in the Clayton area. This rail-trail runs for 11 miles between Clayton and Philadelphia (NY), with an additional spur between Rivergate and Redwood. The trail is a mix of surfaces — dirt, grass, and gravel — and can be more of a trail run in sections. The landscsape is a nice mix of farmland and woods.
In the Clayton area, a highlight is the 140-acre S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve, where 2 miles of the trail pass, including a restored railroad trestle that can be run across. . It’s 7.5 miles between Clayton and La Fargeville.
Access from Clayton: Take East Line Road to Black Creek Road. The trail access is about 1 mile down the road on the left. You can also park at the S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve.
Clayton is a lovely summer resort town on the New York side of the Thousand Islands. There’s some pleasant running in Clayton, combining the attractive waterfront and pleasant residential neighborhood. We also have a longer option out to Zenda Farms Preserve.
Clayton Village. Put together your own route exploring this lovely waterfront village, staying inside Rt. 12. There’s ~1 miles along the waterfront, combining a short dedicated path to Riverside Dr., as well as the scenic Washington Island Causeway out to Washington Island. There some fun shops & restaurants along here as well. Add by exploring the attractive residential streets, which are tree-shaded, quiet, and feature some nice homes.
Zenda Farms. Photo: Mark Lowenstein
Zenda Farms Preserve. This preserve, features lovely trails around pastureland, grassland, and woods. One can put together ~3 miles at Zenda Farms, including the farm roads and the 1.35 mile MacFarlane Trail. Especially pretty in early or late light! Run to Zenda Farms from Clayton or do it standalone. INFO & MAP
Run to Zenda Farms from Clayton: It’s 2 miles from Clayton to Zenda Farms. Start with ~1 mile along the waterfront road, and then head west out of town on Rt. 12E (State St). There’s a decent shoulder. Then enjoy the Preserve trails. Overall, a route from Clayton and around Zenda Farms can be 6.5-8 miles out & back.
Rivergate Trestle Trail. A relatively new addition to the running scene in the Clayton area. This rail-trail runs for 11 miles between Clayton and Philadelphia (NY), with an additional spur between Rivergate and Redwood. The trail is a mix of surfaces — dirt, grass, and gravel — and can be more of a trail run in sections. The landscsape is a nice mix of farmland and woods.
In the Clayton area, a highlight is the 140-acre S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve, where 2 miles of the trail pass, including a restored railroad trestle that can be run across. . It’s 7.5 miles between Clayton and La Fargeville.
Access from Clayton: Take East Line Road to Black Creek Road. The trail access is about 1 mile down the road on the left. You can also park at the S. Gerald Ingerson Preserve.
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Essentials
Create your own 3-4 mile route in Clayton inside Rt. 12. Zenda Farms can be standalone or a longer run from Clayton (it's 2 miles from Clayton to Zenda Farms); Rivergate Trail is up to 30 miles
Surrounded on three sides by the St. Lawrence River, Wellesley Island is one of the largest of the Thousand Islands. Lovely running in historic Thousand Island Park and some nice waterfront roads.
This cute town on the St. Lawrence River offers some nice waterfront running. Up to 6.8 miles out and back, with great river views. Interior farm roads a good add-on. Also the location of the Hope Ferry to Wolfe Island.
If you fancy some languid, flat, open running on nearly traffic-free farm roads, head to Wolfe Island. Accessible via ferry from Cape Vincent (NY) or Kingston (Ontario). Miles of pastoral roads for running.
The 6.7 mile loop around Point Salubrious is a lovely, flat run with great views of Guffin Bay and Chaumont Bay. The entire route is on the lightly trafficked Rt. 125. Water views, the Point Salubrious Historic District, farm fields.
A worth-it drive to Sackets Harbor to do a scenic run combining a nice waterfront road and trails around a historic battlefield, the site of an important battle in the War of 1812.
This 1,000-acre state park in Henderson is the former estate of Robert Wehle, and consists of 10 miles of wide, scenic trails along Lake Ontario, and around the estate grounds. We've mapped a 4.7 mile loop along the Snakefoot Trail.
Gananoque is the western gateway to the Thousand Islands area in Ontario. There's some nice running along the water, around pretty residential streets, and a 12 km trail system, with various loop options.
The 37 km paved multi-use trail along the Thousand Islands Parkway is a great running option in Thousand Islands NP. Some sections feature great water views. Also trail running at Landon Bay and Jones Creek Trails.
A nice run in this small city on the St. Lawrence River, considered the eastern gateway to the Thousand Islands area in Ontario. Combines waterfront paths, small parks, and the Brock Trail. Includes the unique railroad tunnel trail!
A great run on the Ontario side of the Thousand Islands. The Waterfront Trail runs for 9.4 km from Upper Canada Village to Ingleside, and the famous Long Sault Parkway features a wide shoulder and scenic views as it crosses 11 islands.
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Essentials
Create your own 3-4 mile route in Clayton inside Rt. 12. Zenda Farms can be standalone or a longer run from Clayton (it's 2 miles from Clayton to Zenda Farms); Rivergate Trail is up to 30 miles
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Share your feedback on this route and see that of other Great Runs users. Click on the image icon to upload a photo. And please let us know if there are notes or changes we should incorporate!