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Thousand Island Cruises

1000 Island Cruises in New York & Ontario

The 1000 Islands (French: Mille-Îles) actually consist of 1864 islands located in the Saint Lawrence River stretching out over 50 miles between Canada and the US border. (Northeast corner of Lake Ontario to Kingston Ontario.) The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario and the U.S. islands in the state of New York.

To be considered one of the Thousand Islands, one square foot of land must stay above water for an entire year and support a living tree. The islands range in size from over 40 square miles to smaller islands occupied by a single residence, or uninhabited outcroppings of rocks. Many of the islands are also publicly owned offering visitors, parks, campgrounds and rental cottages.

There are several communities along each side of the Canada / US border that offer outstanding amusements and tours such as Lighthouses, historic castles, maritime museums, world-class fishing and diving. Also you will find quaint downtown shopping and on-the-water dining. With million dollar views of the Canadian sunset and the American sunrise, 1000 Islands is a destination that has so much to offer that visitors find themselves coming back again and again.

Shoreside Communities include: Alexandria Bay, NY, Cape Vincent, NY, Clayton, NY, Henderson Harbor, NY, Sackets Harbor, NY, Southern Jefferson, NY, Watertown, NY, 1000 Islands Parkway, ON, Brockville, ON, Gananoque, ON, Kingston, ON, Prescott, ON.

Get to Know 1000 Islands

  • Thousand Islands also facilitates freshwater shipwreck diving. Numerous wrecks lay at the bottom of the seaway including America, Islander, and Keystorm. There are wrecks that are appropriate for all diving skill levels.
  • The 1000 Island region was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002
  • A group of 21 islands along the 1000 Island Parkway (Ontario) forms one of Canada’s oldest national parks east of the Rocky Mountains – the Thousand Islands National Park. The park is open to the public and hosts campgrounds, walking trails, several family events, and a national heritage building.
  • Wolfe, Howe and Simcoe islands (Canada) are reachable by ferries. 
  • Wolf Island is the largest island within the group,  and it’s entirely in Ontario.
  • The next larger islands in the archipelago Grindstone Island and Wellesley Island, located in New York.  Also Ontario’s Howe Island.
  • Wellesley Island (United States) is connected to the U.S. and Canadian mainland by the Thousand Islands International Bridge. 
  • New York’s Carleton Island, is the site of the ruined Fort Haldimand, built in 1779 by the British during the American Revolutionary War. The island was invaded by three American soldiers during the War of 1812 and still remains as part of the United States today.
  • Deer Island, about two miles (3.2 km) north of Alexandria Bay, is owned by the secret society of Skull and Bones.
  • A pair of islands southwest of Grenadier Island are collectively called Zavikon Island.  A popular but incorrect story is that the larger island is in Canada, and the smaller of the two is located in the United States.  The foot bridge between them is the shortest international bridge in the world.   Zavikon Island is entirely in Canada and belongs to the Leeds and Grenville municipal unit.
  • Ironsides Island is home to one of the largest great blue heron rookeries in northern New York State.  Over a thousand herons return to the the island to breed every April.  The uninhabited island is closest to Alexandria Bay, New York.  Owned by The Nature Conservancy the island has been listed as a National Natural Landmark since 1967.
  • Calumet Island is near Clayton, New York. This privately owned island was formerly a “castle” mansion belonging to New York tobacco tycoon Charles G. Emery, and was later a marina in the 1960s.
  • Longue Vue Island is the only artificial island in the region.
  • Just Room Enough Island is the smallest inhabited island in the United States
  • Thirty New York state parks are managed as part of the New York State Office of Parks, and the Recreation and Historic Preservation’s Thousand Islands Region, including many on river islands along the New York shore.  Among the largest parks are the Robert Moses State Park and the Wellesley Island State Park, which includes the largest camping complex in the region.
  • Dark Island is located along the Saint Lawrence Seaway, is lower (eastern) Thousand Islands region, near Chippewa Bay.  Dark Island is considered the Town of Hammond, in St. Lawrence County, New York.  Singer Castle on Dark Island, NY is privately restored and is open to the public. Frederick Bourne originally had the castle constructed with hidden wine cellars and secret passageways so he could spy on his guests while hiding his  liquor from prying eyes during the prohibition era.
  • The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton, New York features antique wooden boats that were built and used in the region.  The museum also offers exhibits on the area’s maritime culture and is home to La Duchesse, George Boldt’s luxury houseboat.
  • Thousand Islands Boat Museum in Gananoque, Ontario is a hands-on waterfront museum celebrating the heritage of the St. Lawrence River. 
  • Thousand Island Dressing “presumably comes from the Thousand Islands between the United States and Canada in the St. Lawrence River.”  Several versions of the dressing’s origin exist however Sociologists have not been able to determine the true origin of its inception.  One version describes how a fishing guide’s wife created the condiment for her husband’s seafaring dinner.  Later this recipe was shared with George Boldt, who built Boldt Castle and was the proprietor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel at the time.  George instructed the hotel to put the dressing on the menu in 1894.