Do you want to learn about Rouses Point, the most northern town in New York? In this post, find out everything you need to know about this unique lakeside town.
Where is Rouses Point located?
Rouses Point is located in Clinton County, New York, off of Interstate I-87, immediately south of the Canadian Border. US Highway 11 and US Highway 2 also lead to Rouses Point from the west and east, respectively.
Rouses Point is known as New York’s northernmost town.
What is there to do in Rouses Point?
Even though Rouses Point is a pretty small town, with a population of not even 2,500 people, there is plenty to do if you are looking for a peaceful, lakeside vacation. It is a small but active town with shops, a marina, a few places for lodging, a small public pier, and a couple of village parks.
There are only three or four restaurants, but you won’t find that they are too busy.
Rouses Point happens to have the northernmost trailhead on the Empire State Trail, an on-road and off-road bike trail that begins in New York City and goes all the way to the Canadian border.
You can put air in your bike’s tires here, and sit down for a bit of a rest. I have not biked this trail, but I had been curious about it. It doesn’t pass through the part of North Country where I live, so we would have to travel to access the trail.
If you are interested in history, you might want to take a look at Fort Montgomery, also known as “Fort Blunder”. You can’t access the actual fort because it is now privately owned and very unsafe, but you can read the interpretive display and see the roadside placard marking the spot.
In the photo below, you can see the fort off in the distance. This is as close as you can legally get to the fort on land, as there is no public access to Fort Montgomery.
When was Rouses Point founded?
Interestingly, Rouses Point was founded by a group of Canadians who were given land as a reward for their help in the American Reveolution in the 1780s. The town carries the name of Jacques Rouse, a French Canadian.
Below is an image from the US Federal Census in 1800, which was only the second census ever performed, showing Jacques Rouse as the head of household. He had quite a large number of people living in his home at the time – 19!
Rouse lived in Rouses Point and the town of Champlain until his death in 1822.
Due to its proximity to the Canadian border (more on this below), the town maintains a strong cultural connection with Canada. There are both Canadian and American flags flying outside homes and business in the town and surrounding areas, and Canadians are a common (and welcome) sight on a daily basis.
How far is Rouses Point from the Canadian Border?
Rouses Point is exceptionally close to Canada. From the Stewarts Shop gas station and convenience store located in Rouses Point where US Highway 11 goes as far as it can east and takes a sharp turn north, the border is almost exactly 2 miles (3.2 km) away.
My relative came to visit me while I was staying near Rouses Point and they said that they she and her husband missed the turn into the town after the border crossing because it was so close to the border. When they turned around to make the right turn, she said it felt like they were driving right back into Canada.
If you find yourself in Rouses Point for business or pleasure, you should definitely take the time to cross the border to Canada. Beautiful Montreal, a worthy rival to any major European city, is less than an hour away from Rouses Point.
How far is Rouses Point from Vermont?
Rouses Point is very close to Vermont. Since the border between Vermont and New York is located in the middle of Lake Champlain, downtown Rouses Point is only 1.1 miles away from the border, and 1.6 miles from the first place you could visit in Vermont, the Korean War Veterans Fishing Access Area.
The bridge between Rouses Point and Alburgh, Vermont is on US Highway 2. This bridge, which crosses a relatively narrow portion of upper Lake Champlain, is also known as the Rouses Point Bridge.
Is it cold in Rouses Point?
Rouses Point has cold winters and averages more than 60 inches of snow each year. However, you will find that there are four distinct seasons in this region, so if you don’t want to visit for winter activities, you will find the temperatures the rest of the year to be very nice.
This means that you can visit in summer and find warm summer temperatures for enjoying Lake Champlain and other activities in Rouses Point. Summer evenings are usually pleasant, which makes it very enjoyable.
Spring and fall are great in North Country, too!
Conclusion
I hope that you have enjoyed this article about Rouses Point. It’s really a neat little town, and worth the visit if you are going to be in the region.