Are you planning to visit Jacques Cartier State Park on the St. Lawrence River in New York? In this post, learn everything that you need to know to plan a great trip to the park.
The first time my family and I visited Jacques Cartier State Park, it took my breath away. With stunning views of the river, wide open grassy spaces to play, and a beautiful forest surrounding the campground, what more could we possible want in a park?
You will learn:
- Where the park is located and how to get there
- Whether (and where) swimming is allowed at the park
- All about the two camping areas at the park
- Where to eat and get groceries
- How to fish the St. Lawrence at Jacques Cartier
- And more!
This article is about the Jacques Cartier State Park located in upstate New York. There is a park across the border in Canada called the Jacques-Cartier National Park which is located near Quebec City, Quebec.
While these names are almost identical, the two places are very different and are not located in the same area.
Where is Jacques Cartier State Park NY?
Jacques Cartier State Park is located on Old Mills Road in Morrisville, NY, off State Route 12. The name of the county where this park is found is St. Lawrence County, New York’s largest county.
Morrisville is a small town with only about 2,200 residents. However, there are a few larger towns close by where you can obtain items that you might need during your stay at the park.
Directions to Morrisville, NY and Jacques Cartier State Park
If you click the Google Maps link below, you can open the coordinates on the map to get directions to the park from your location:
How much does it cost to get into Jacques Cartier State Park?
It costs $7 per vehicle (passenger car or truck) to access the Jacques Cartier State Park during the off-season, and $8 during peak season. This access fee is separate from the nightly charges for camping.
Are dogs allowed at Jacques Cartier State Park?
Up to two dogs are allowed while you are camping or using the park for the day, but you should definitely remember to bring proof of your pet’s rabies vaccine, just in case they ask to see it. Of course, leashes are always required.
There are a few areas in the park where pets are not allowed, and they are usually marked with signs. Pets are not allowed in buildings or on the playground.
What is there to do at Jacques Cartier State Park in NY?
Visitors to Jacques Cartier State Park will find lots of activities for those who enjoy spending time in nature. From hiking, camping, and fishing to boating, hunting, and taking in the sights of the beautiful St. Lawrence, everyone will find something that they love to do here.
Camping at Jacques Cartier State Park
One of the most popular activities at Jacques Cartier State Park is camping. There are at least 89 camping sites at the park, with some sites located on or near the river, and others in a wooded part of the park.
The sites near and on the St. Lawrence (on the Lower Loop) have electricity hookups, are relatively close together, and are closer to the beach and playground areas. Even though the sites in wooded campground (located on the Upper Loop) do not have electric hookups, most campers report that they have more privacy since the sites are a bit more spread out.
Both the river campsites and the woods campsites have bathrooms nearby. Campsites on the Upper Loop are closer to most of the short hiking trails, which you will read more about below.
If you choose to camp here and love to ride your bike, definitely bring it! The roads on the campground are beautiful and would be a great place to ride a bike.
How much does it cost to camp at Jacques Cartier Beach State Park?
Camping at the park is very affordable, especially considering how nicely maintained the property is. Nightly rates start at $15 a night for non-electric sites, and $28 nightly for sites with electricity.
If you reserve a stay by the week, the rates are slightly lower. It’s also important to know that there is a $5 nightly surcharge added to campers who are not residents of New York, which is something you will find at most New York State Parks.
Jacques Cartier State Park is a popular place to camp, and people who camp there usually love it so much that they want to come back again. The result is that it can be a little difficult to get certain camping sites, so I highly recommend planning your trip to this park as early in the year as possible so you can make your reservations when there are plenty of spots to choose from.
To make your camping reservations, you should visit the Reserve America website at the link below:
Maybe you will become a yearly camper at the park, too!
Are there cabins at Jacques Cartier State Park?
There are no cabins for camping on the state property Jacques Cartier State Park. However, there are many private vacation rentals in the area that range from small cabins to large, luxurious homes.
Is there hiking at Jacques Cartier State Park?
Yes, there are six short hiking trails at the park. They range in length from .13 miles to .65 miles, which means that all trails are less than one mile long.
Apple Wood Trail (Abbreviation: AW) – 0.26 Miles
First Falls Trail – (Abbreviation: FT) – 0.31 Miles
Hemlock Trail – (Abbreviation: HT) – 0.65 Miles
Krooked Kreek Trail – (Abbreviation: KK) – 0.58 Miles
Maple Trail – (Abbreviation: MP) – 0.13 Miles
Rock Ridge Trail – (Abbreviation: RR) – 0.25 Miles
These trails pass through various parts of the park and will allow you to see streams, creeks and small ponds that are not visible from the main roads in the park. Some of these trails are popular with locals – especially the Hemlock Trail, which can be accessed near the small parking area before the contact station (tollbooth) at the main entrance.
Can you swim in the St. Lawrence River at Jacques Cartier?
Yes, there is a beach for swimming in the St. Lawrence River at Jacques Cartier State Park. During the busiest part of the season (July and August), the park tries to have a lifeguard on duty.
The St. Lawrence River is a very large river, so swimming should be done with caution, even when there is a lifeguard on duty. There is no swimming allowed from the shore of the camping areas.
The beach is in a protected inlet that is surrounded by sand on one side, and grass on the two other sides. When we visited, there were many Canada Geese enjoying a peaceful swim during a stop on their yearly migration.
Is there a pool at Jacques Cartier State Park?
No, there is no pool at Jacques Cartier State Park. However, there is a pool at Keewaydin State Park, which also has great camping on the St. Lawrence River, a 25 minute drive from Jacques Cartier.
Can you visit Jacques Cartier State Park in the winter?
Yes, Jacques Cartier State Park is open for ice fishing, cross-country skiing, as well as snow shoeing during the winter. This part of New York gets a substantial amount of snow each year and the ground is usually covered with at least some snow from the end of December to sometime in late March or even early April.
I have not visited the park in the winter, so I don’t know personally whether the parking lots and park roads are plowed. However, I plan to get out there soon in order to see for myself, and I’ll update this post when I have some winter photos to upload.
History of Jacques Cartier State Park in New York
This area of St. Lawrence County, where we find Morristown and Jacques Cartier State Park, is full of rich history that goes back many hundreds of years – to before the arrival of Europeans to North America.
How Jacques Cartier State Park got its name
Jacques Cartier State Park is named for the maritime explorer of the same name. Jacques Cartier, a French navigator who lived from 1491-1557, led expeditions to document the Saint Lawrence River.
This particular Frenchman is important to the region because he gave the country of Canada its current name, as well as named the Gulf of St. Lawrence which led to the river being called the Saint Lawrence River.
As we know, the park sits right on the river across from Canada. This makes the name Jacques Cartier State Park an apt name.
It should be stressed that there were already people living in upstate New York at the time of the arrival of the Europeans, including the French. This means that the river (and other locations in the area) already had a name.
There are a few different names for the Saint Lawrence River in the Mohawk language (Kanienʼkéha), spoken by a large number of people in the United States and Canada. One such name for the river is Roiatatokenti.
Jacques Cartier State Park Boat Launch
There is a hard surface boat launch at Jacques Cartier State Park, as well as nearby parking for up to 10 cars and trailers. The boat launch is located near the riverfront campsites (lower loop), and is easily accessed by the well-maintained park roads.
You can open map coordinates to the boat launch at the park (link opens in Google Maps) in order to get directions to the boat launch from your location by clicking the following link:
Things to do near Jacques Cartier State Park
It is unlikely that you will get bored during your visit to Jacques Cartier State Park, but there is plenty to do nearby if you want to explore other activities.
Below are just a few ideas of places to explore within a 30-minute drive of the park:
- Black Lake
- Keewaydin State Park
- St. Lawrence State Park Golf Course
- Eil Weir State Park
- Langbrook Meadows Golf Course
- Cedar Island State Park (only accessible by boat, rentals are available, only open late May-September)
There are also restaurants located nearby the park, such as Ella’s On the Bay and The Bedrock Cafe. Ogdensburg, about 20 minutes away, has an airport, shopping, and eateries.
If you are the adventurous type and you have a passport, don’t forget that Canada is right across the river from the park. There currently are border restrictions, so be sure to check those out before you plan your trip.
Ottawa, the capital of Canada and a world-class city, is less than 1.5 hours away from Jacques Cartier State Park. There is an endless supply of entertainment in Ottawa and surrounding areas.
Fishing at Jacques Cartier State Park
You can fish at Jacques Cartier State Park if you have a New York State fishing license. The St. Lawrence River, along with other great spots to fish in northern New York, offers some of the best fishing in the country.
The fish that you might be able to catch in the St. Lawrence River at Jacques Cartier State Park are as follows:
- Largemouth bass
- Smallmouth bass
- Walleye
- Northern Pike
- Rock bass
- Black crappies
- Bluegills
- Pumpkinseeds
- Bullhead catfish
- Yellow perch
- Muskellunge
We have tried fishing from the shore during late fall and didn’t have much luck – even though I had just caught a pretty big (30″) pike in a nearby river only a week before. Our plans are to try again in the spring – I’ll post an update about the fishing here once we have.
Conclusion
I hope that this article has helped you learn all that you needed to know about how to enjoy yourself while visiting the park. It’s truly a gem, so I do hope you get the chance to experience it yourself.
If you have any questions about something that you read here, or if you want to suggest something that I missed (like an activity to do while visiting the park!), please join in the discussion below.
Thanks for stopping by today!