Thousand Islands National Park - Canada

Thousand Islands National Park is a group of picturesque granite island with rugged shorelines along the St. Lawrence River.

Thousand Islands National Park is comprised of 26 islands and 90 islets that are located in the Canadian portion of the 1000 islands region of the Saint Lawrence River. The 1000 islands region is along the border between northern New York State (USA) and southeastern Ontario (Canada). The park’s land mainly consists of the islands but there is a visitor’s center at Mallorytown, Ontario on the mainland. It is Canada’s second smallest national park with a total area of 24.4 square kilometers (9.4 sq. miles).

Access to all National Park islands is by boat only and the park does not offer water transportation. The islands have a range of facilities such as docks, trails, shelters, toilets and campsites that vary from island to island. The park is ideal for water recreation including boating, fishing, and kayaking but there are plenty of land based activities to have a leisurely picnic, to walk along the nature trails and for camping.

Nature and wildlife

Each island supports its own little ecosystem ranging from lichen-covered rocks, short grasses and cattails to thick woodlands. This variety of ecosystem has become a home for reptiles, amphibians and a diversity of birds.

Kingston 1000 Islands Cruise

Many cruise companies offer scenic narrated boat tours that wander through channels, between islands from spring through fall. The Heart of the Island Cruise from Kingston is a perfect way to travel through picturesque channels, sail past small cottage islands and to discover the scenery of the 1000 islands that has made the region a popular vacation destination.

The Dust on My Shoes

There are a variety of ways to experience Thousand Island National Park. Explore the bay by using a private canoe, kayak or motorboat or go island hopping with a guide. Spend the day in the park hiking the trails and enjoying a peaceful picnic. For a longer stay, rent a cabin or camp in a tent and sit back in an Adirondack chair and watch the sunset over the Canadian islands. However, the easiest way to see the Thousand Islands National Park is to take a cruise tour.

We chose to take the easy way and go on a cruise tour. The cruise lasted for a few hours and it allowed us to see a beautiful area that we would not have been able to see if we tried to do it on our own.