Our visit to Burnham Point State Park was a last-minute surprise camping trip that we were invited to. Consequently, we had no idea what the park was like, nor what the campsites looked like, for that matter. We were flying blind. We learned a valuable lesson about first impressions on this trip that we won’t soon forget.
Initially, our impression of this small state park wasn’t very positive. However, we were quickly captivated by the breathtaking beauty of the shoreline in front of our campsite and the wide range of activities available to us. We discovered that, despite its size, this park truly offers a wealth of opportunities. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here and wholeheartedly recommend it.
Camping
We arrived at our campsite after dark, which is never an ideal way to start a camping trip. Setting up in the dark is quite a hassle. It was hard to get a good sense of the layout, and the park felt overwhelmingly crowded. Fortunately, we had a site right on the water, but we still felt cramped due to the number of campers around us. This isn’t typical of New York State campgrounds, and we were initially quite disappointed with our experience. We decided to set up our site and go to bed, not feeling very optimistic about this particular park.
When we woke up in the morning and could see our campsite clearly, we were able to assess our situation more accurately and realized that it wasn’t as bad as we had initially thought. We discovered that, aside from the site next to us, which seemed to have set up their tents on our space, we had plenty of room to spread out. The campsites were quite open, so true privacy was not an option.
The campers who were encroaching on our site noticed their mistake and moved their tents back to their own site without us having to say anything. This is one of the wonderful aspects of camping in state parks: 99 times out of 100, you encounter genuinely good and courteous people. Campers typically respect each other’s space and keep to themselves, creating a positive atmosphere for everyone.
This campground is exceptionally small, especially by New York State Parks standards. I was initially unsure how the small shower and bathroom building would accommodate 42 campsites. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that bathroom traffic flowed fairly consistently, and we rarely had to wait for an occupied restroom—no more than twice, in fact. Additionally, the campground featured almost brand new facilities, which was a nice bonus.
On The Water
The park has a very limited selection of actual waterfront campsites. These sites are situated directly on the St. Lawrence River. While there is a lack of privacy, the views are amazing, and you have the opportunity to swim and fish right in front of your campsite, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The water along the waterfront is fairly shallow and exceptionally clear, allowing you to see straight to the bottom. We brought a large raft that we anchored to the riverbed and spent our time floating on the river, which was very relaxing. We noticed other visitors doing the same with various floating devices.
The boat launch at Burnham Point State Park has limited docking space on the pier. We observed many people fishing from this dock. My son had a great time fishing from the rocks right in front of our campsite. While this area is known for bass, walleye, pike, and muskellunge, he managed to catch only a few perch and a large number of gobies. There isn’t a lifeguarded swimming area at the park, but we saw people wading and swimming near the dock.
A pavilion in the park is available for daily rentals, along with several picnic tables and grills located near the shore by the pier.
Gorgeous Views and Magnificent Sunsets
One of my favorite activities when camping is sitting back and enjoying a good book. I loved relaxing in front of our fire, which faced the river, or sitting among the rocks directly by the water. It was incredibly peaceful. The setup of the campfire pit is perfect for anyone looking to unwind and take in the beautiful scenery. We were treated to magnificent sunsets while sitting by the fire. One night, we witnessed the most colorful sunset, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes playing somewhere along the shore. I couldn’t help but feel emotional and teary-eyed as I watched the sunset with that built-in soundtrack.
Getting to Burnham Point State Park
GPS Coordinates – 44.161236, -76.263924
340765 NYS Route 12E, Cape Vincent
Google Map Link
Have you camped at Burnham Point State Park before? What did you think? What is your favorite Thousand Island State Park? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.