South Glengarry.
South Glengarry sits on the north shore of Lake St. Francis at Ontario's eastern edge, with the Quebec border on one side and Cornwall on the other.
The Raisin Region Conservation Authority manages two destination-grade properties on County Road 2: Cooper Marsh Conservation Area, 673 acres of provincially significant coastal wetland with 9 km of boardwalks, viewing towers, and a visitors centre, and Charlottenburgh Park, 235 acres on Lake St. Francis with serviced and unserviced camping, a beach, and a boat launch.
Williamstown carries the township's heritage anchor — Sir John Johnson House National Historic Site, a 1784–1792 log-and-timber Loyalist farmhouse on the Raisin River, and the Glengarry, Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum, in an 1862 Georgian-style building. Over 45 km of paved waterfront cycling threads County Road 2 through Glen Walter, Summerstown, and Lancaster, and the annual Raisin River Canoe Race finishes in Williamstown each spring.
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- 01Cooper Marsh Conservation Area is a 673-acre RRCA-managed coastal wetland at 20020 County Road 2 in South Lancaster, part of the greater Charlottenburgh Marsh — one of Ontario's significant St. Lawrence coastal wetlands — with 9 km of nature trails and boardwalks, viewing towers and blinds, and a visitors centre open May to September.Source ↗
- 02Charlottenburgh Park is a 235-acre RRCA conservation park 19 km east of Cornwall on Lake St. Francis, with serviced and unserviced camping, a beach, a boat launch, and a covered picnic shelter; camping and day-use May to October, trails year-round.Source ↗
- 03Sir John Johnson House National Historic Site in Williamstown is a refined log-and-timber Loyalist farmhouse built between 1784 and 1792 by Sir John Johnson on his St. Lawrence mill site, designated of national historic significance in 1961.Source ↗
- 04The Glengarry, Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum has occupied an 1862 Georgian-style building in Williamstown since 1967, preserving and interpreting the United Empire Loyalist migration to Glengarry County and the Glengarry partners of the North West Company.Source ↗
- 05The Raisin River Canoe Race, run annually since 1973, is a 30 km canoe / kayak / SUP race from St. Andrews West (South Stormont) to Williamstown (South Glengarry), held during the spring melt and organized by the Raisin Region Conservation Authority.Source ↗
- 06The Township of South Glengarry has over 45 km of paved waterfront cycling trails on County Road 2 through Glen Walter, Summerstown, and Lancaster; the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail is a designated route through the township.Source ↗
9. activities
worth your time
StrongWalking & Strolling
The Cooper Marsh boardwalk system runs 9 km through the wetland on level surfaces with viewing towers, blinds, and self-guided interpretive signs from the visitors centre. Williamstown's compact village heritage walk passes Sir John Johnson House National Historic Site and the Glengarry, Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum on the Raisin River. The Glen Walter Waterfront Bike Parkette and Glen Walter Regional Park sit on the Waterfront Trail at the Cornwall end of the township and carry St. Lawrence views from the County Road 2 corridor.
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StrongCamping
Charlottenburgh Park, 19 km east of Cornwall on County Road 2, is the township's destination camping product — a 235-acre RRCA-managed park on Lake St. Francis with serviced and unserviced lots, cabin rentals, a swim beach, a boat launch, a play structure, and a covered picnic shelter. Camping and day-use access run from the May long weekend to Thanksgiving Monday in October; the park's 9 km of nature trails through hardwood forest, white pine and spruce plantations, and Lake St. Francis tributaries are accessible year-round.
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▲ SignatureNature & Discovery
Cooper Marsh Conservation Area is a 673-acre coastal wetland at 20020 County Road 2 in South Lancaster, part of the greater Charlottenburgh Marsh on Lake St. Francis. The Raisin Region Conservation Authority maintains 9 km of nature trails and boardwalks through the marsh with viewing towers and blinds, an interpretive sign tour, and a visitors centre open May through September that lends out binoculars and identification guides. Over 650 plant and animal species have been observed, with breeding wetland birds including osprey, American bittern, Virginia rail, sora, green heron, wood duck, sandhill crane, and least bittern.
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StrongCycling
The Township of South Glengarry has over 45 km of paved waterfront cycling on County Road 2 through Glen Walter, Summerstown, and Lancaster, with a designated paved shoulder from Cornwall to Lancaster. East of Lancaster, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail follows the South Service Road for about 10 km before rejoining County Road 2 to the Quebec border. The Glen Walter Waterfront Bike Parkette at the western end of the township carries a bike-repair station, parking, and a St. Lawrence viewpoint.
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StrongPaddling — Flatwater
The annual Raisin River Canoe Race is a 30 km canoe, kayak, and SUP race from St. Andrews West in South Stormont to Williamstown in South Glengarry, run since 1973 by the Raisin Region Conservation Authority on the spring melt. The 2026 edition was the 53rd. Outside the race window, Lake St. Francis paddling launches from the Charlottenburgh Park boat launch into the wide St. Lawrence pool — sheltered but wind-exposed flatwater between Cornwall and the Quebec border.
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StrongSailing & Boating
Lake St. Francis is the wide St. Lawrence pool between Cornwall and Valleyfield, and Charlottenburgh Park's RRCA-managed boat launch is the in-township launch point for power-boating and small-craft sailing. Open-water cruising runs east toward the Quebec border at Bainsville and west toward Cornwall, with the Akwesasne ancestral island Tsikatsinakwahere (Cairn Island) visible in the lake under co-stewardship by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, Parks Canada, and the Township.
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StrongSwimming & Beach
Charlottenburgh Park's swim beach on Lake St. Francis is the township's destination beach product — RRCA-managed, with a covered picnic shelter, barbecue pits, a play structure, washrooms, and a canteen on a 235-acre park 19 km east of Cornwall. Day-use access runs the same May long weekend to Thanksgiving Monday window as the campground; the boat launch and beach share the park's Lake St. Francis frontage.
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StrongFreshwater Fishing
Lake St. Francis along South Glengarry falls within Ontario Fisheries Management Zone 20 and supports muskellunge, smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, northern pike, and yellow perch. The Charlottenburgh Park boat launch is the in-township access point onto the lake. Inland, the Raisin River and tributaries fall under FMZ 18 with separate seasons and limits — the same Raisin River corridor that hosts the spring canoe race.
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▲ SignatureHeritage & Culture
Sir John Johnson House National Historic Site sits on a hill overlooking the Raisin River in Williamstown — the original five-bay log-and-timber Loyalist farmhouse was built between 1784 and 1792 on Sir John Johnson's mill site, and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada designated it of national historic significance in 1961. A short walk away, the Glengarry, Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum has occupied an 1862 Georgian-style building since 1967, interpreting the United Empire Loyalist migration to Glengarry County and the Glengarry partners of the North West Company. The two sites together form a tight in-village heritage cluster on the Raisin River.
Read field guide arrow_outward14. more outings
surveyed.
Activities supported across South Glengarry without a featured write-up.
- 01
Hiking
family-friendly-walking - 02
Trail Running
Cooper Marsh trails - 03
Mountain Biking
Available - 04
Paddling — Whitewater
Raisin River (race-day spring-melt rapids and dam portages) - 05
Diving & Snorkeling
Lake St. Francis open water - 06
Cross-Country & Nordic
classic-xc - 07
Snow Adventure
snowmobiling - 08
Seasonal Phenomena
fall-colours - 09
Wildlife Viewing
raptor-eagle - 10
Motorized Touring
scenic-drive - 11
Indigenous Experiences
Tsikatsinakwahere / Cairn Island (Lake St. Francis — Akwesasne ancestral island under co-stewardship with Parks Canada and the Township) - 12
Food & Drink
Available - 13
Arts & Craft
Available - 14
Outdoor Education
Cooper Marsh Visitors Centre (interpretive lending library, free guided strolls May–September)
Local operators.
Trusted outfitters, guides, and experience providers in South Glengarry.
Pat Briere's Muskie Charter Guide Services
Guided muskie fishing charters on the St. Lawrence, Ottawa, and Rideau Rivers out of Cornwall, Ontario.
View on AER arrow_outwardSt-Georges Equestrian Centre
Dressage and jumping boarding, training, and lessons on a 30-acre farm near Cornwall, Ontario.
View on AER arrow_outwardSummerstown Trails
Non-profit trail network near Williamstown, Ontario with groomed XC skiing, snowshoeing, fat biking, and lessons
View on AER arrow_outwardTurquoise Compass Wellness
Certified yoga, doula, and fertility support from a St. Andrews West outdoor studio serving Cornwall, SDG, and Ottawa
View on AER arrow_outwardOn the map.
South Glengarryand the local operators we've mapped nearby.
Key resources.
- rrca.on.caCooper Marsh Conservation Area — trails, visitors centre, free guided weekend strolls — Raisin Region Conservation Authority
- parks.canada.caSir John Johnson House National Historic Site (Williamstown) — Parks Canada
- waterfronttrail.orgGreat Lakes Waterfront Trail — South Glengarry community page
- rrca.on.caRaisin River Canoe Race — Raisin Region Conservation Authority
- rrca.on.caCharlottenburgh Park — camping reservations, beach, boat launch — Raisin Region Conservation Authority
- glengarrynorwestersandloyalistmuseum.caGlengarry, Nor'Westers and Loyalist Museum (Williamstown)
- southglengarry.comTownship of South Glengarry — parks and natural areas
- ontario.caOntario Fishing Regulations Summary — Fisheries Management Zone 20 (Lake St. Francis)