The Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands region straddles the St. Lawrence River between New York State and Ontario, Canada, at the point where the river departs Lake Ontario. The 1,864 islands — an archipelago produced by a granite ridge exposed when glaciers stripped the overlying sediment — range from Singer Castle on Dark Island to rocky outcroppings barely wide enough to hold a single tree. The area became a fashionable summer resort for wealthy industrialists in the late 19th century, and the grandest legacy of that era is Boldt Castle on Heart Island near Alexandria Bay: a six-story, 120-room Rhineland-inspired castle begun in 1900 by Waldorf-Astoria hotelier George Boldt as a gift to his wife Louise. Construction halted abruptly when Louise died in 1904, leaving the castle unfinished for 73 years until it was purchased by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, which has been restoring it incrementally since. Visitors reach Heart Island exclusively by boat — tour boats depart from Alexandria Bay and Clayton throughout the summer season. The St. Lawrence River's fishing — particularly for muskellunge and smallmouth bass — is internationally regarded and draws anglers from across North America. Kayaking through the islands' channels provides the most intimate engagement with the landscape, navigating between private cottages, working lighthouses, and rocky shoals. The Antique Boat Museum in Clayton presents the world's finest collection of antique wooden watercraft on six acres of waterfront. Singer Castle on Dark Island offers guided tours of its 28 rooms of medieval-inspired architecture.