1000 ISLANDS

The Thousand Islands is a resort community surrounded by Lake Ontario, the Adirondack Mountains and the St. Lawrence River. The native peoples once called this region the “Garden of the Great Spirit.” Today, people remark that this gorgeous garden of woods and waters that is the 1000 Islands is truly one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Others will tell you its the fresh outdoors and laid-back pace makes the 1000 Islands a place that inspires the spirit and renews the soul.

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century many distinguished visitors made the region widely known as a summer resort. Wealthy and middle-class summer residents built summer homes. Some masonry "castles" remain as international landmarks. The most famous example being Boldt Castle on Heart Island, which is slowly being restored. Today this area is world renowned among vacationers, campers, and boaters, and is often referred to as the "fresh water boating capital of the world".

The Thousand Islands Bridge connects New York State and Ontario by traversing Wellesley Island at the northernmost point of U.S. Interstate 81 in Jefferson County and meets Highway 137, which leads to Highway 401. The Thousand Islands Parkway provides a scenic view of many of the islands.

One town associated with the Thousand Islands on the American side is Alexandria Bay, New York. Dock space is available to come ashore and walk through the village. Souvenir shops, clubs, restaurants, ice cream parlors, pizza shops and arcades run the length of James St., the street directly adjacent to the docks.

Another popular American vacation spot is the Wellesley Island State Park on Wellesley Island, which sports hundreds of camping sites, both powered and non, and several boat ramps and docking facilities for a boater-friendly park.