Thousand Islands

The popular salad dressing got its name from the nearly two thousand islands on the St. Lawrence River in northern New York. The pristine water is dotted with islands of varying sizes, from tiny land-masses just large enough to hold only a tree or two, to residential areas with houses and parks. Boaters and fishermen love the Thousand Islands area for its excellent fishing and water sports. There are also miles of forests and trails along the waters' edge. The water is so clear in some areas, that the rocky river bed can be seen 80 feet below. Each island has its own character, with features such as stately granite cliffs, soft sandy bays, tall dark pines and vibrant maple trees. Some islands have old masonry castles that you can tour and museums where you can learn more about the area.

The Thousand Islands have attracted wealthy tourists since the 19th century, and many of the islands, developed with stately homes, are privately-owned. Still, the region is accessible to a wide range of visitors. Boldt Castle, built on Heart Island as a testament of George Boldt's love for his wife, is now slowly being restored and can be visited by boat or tour cruise. Tour the 120-room castle and surrounding grounds, and bring a picnic lunch so that you can savor the beauty of the area. The castle is available as a venue for private wedding ceremonies. After your tour, take a shuttle from Heart Island to the Yacht House and check out Boldt's amazing collection of antique wooden boats, housed in the Clayton Boat Museum. Though not as famous as Boldt Castle, Singer Castle on Dark Island has been privately renovated and is open to tourists. Frederick Bourne had his castle constructed with secret passageways so that he could spy on his guests. For a change of pace, one of the smaller islands, named Just Room Enough, contains a single house.

The town most associated with the Thousand Islands on the American side is Alexandria Bay, New York. Here, free dock space is available to all boaters to come ashore to walk through the village, right alongside the docks. Souvenir shops, clubs, restaurants, ice cream parlors, pizza shops and arcades run the length of James Street. The Wellesley Island State Park on Wellesley Island has hundreds of camping sites, both powered and non, and several boat ramps and docking facilities. Potter's Beach, on American Grindstone Island, is one of the only beaches in the Thousand Islands. With its graduated, shallow, sandy bottom, the beach is perfect for boaters that want to stretch their legs or relax and socialize.

Because of the diversity of geography in the area, there are a multitude of special spots throughout the Lawrence River. A popular location for swimming and anchoring is Lake of the Isles, a secluded area cut off from the rest of the river by Wellesley Island and neighboring Canadian Hill Island. The only way in or out of the calm "lake" is through one of two narrow passages. Known for its fishing, Eel Bay is a shallow bay just southwest of Wellesley Island. The Thousand Islands area offers excellent bass and muskie fishing, as well as pan fish such as yellow perch, smallmouth bass, walleye, and great northern pike. If you are interested in casting, trolling, or bait fishing, you came to the right place. Bring your own boat or rent one on the river. Half-day, full-day, and complete fishing packages are offered by local fishing services. T.I. Adventures in Clayton Island offers instruction, tours, and rentals around the Thousand Island waterways. Numerous boat tours navigate around the waters and islands, offering many ways to see the natural beauty. A great way to visit the many islands is by venturing from island to island with someone who knows how to navigate them all. If you want to explore on your own, you'll find the shores of the river dotted with marinas, boat launches and bait and tackle shops where you can get outfitted with everything you need.

Divers will enjoy diving to the wreckage in the waters of the Thousand Islands. Some wrecks date back to the 1700s, and you'll get to take in all of the details, since visibility is up to 100 feet. The strong currents in these waters mean that you should go with a guide. The 1000 Islands Diving Adventures in Clayton offers supervised dives as well as three- to four-day diving trips, including shore artifact, geological and ecological dives. Hunt's Dive Shop in Alexandria Bay provides scuba diving services and equipment, and Thousand Island Dive Excursions offers night dives as well.

Learn more about the fascinating Thousand Islands at The Thousand Island Museum on Clayton Island. It's a small museum, but it does a good job of explaining the area's history. You'll find remnants of the grand old Frontenac Hotel and lots of duck decoys (a tribute to the importance of hunting in the area), along with an old skiff used for waterfowl hunting and fishing, as well as old lures and hooks. Get a unique perspective from the 400-foot deck on Hill Island. An elevator whisks you to one of three levels (one of them enclosed in case of rain), and on a good day you'll get a 25-mile view out over the St. Lawrence River. Hill Island is in Ontario, so make sure to bring your passport if you intend to cross the border to get there. The Thousand Islands Bridge connects New York State and Ontario and is a gorgeous drive across. The Thousand Islands Parkway in Ontario also has a bike trail, providing a scenic view of many of the islands.

The St. Lawrence river completely freezes over in winter as temperatures drop to below zero, making this area essentially a summertime-only destination; most hotels and restaurants don't fully open until Memorial Day, and the season lasts just through mid-October. The few restaurants in the area that are located right on the water have plenty of character. They're mostly local hangouts where menus make inside jokes about residents. Most of the lodging in the area is located on Alexandria Bay on the river and includes resorts, motels, lodges B&Bs and inns. There are also some chain hotels located in Watertown, a 30-minute drive from the Thousand Islands. Long Point State Park has 87 campsites, 16 of which have electricity hookups. Cedar Point State Park also offers a few tent sites right on the water. The Association Island RV Resort and Marina, in Henderson Harbor, is an entire island devoted to camping. It juts out into Lake Ontario and has 300 RV sites, cottages, and a marina.

Because of the many rocks and shoals just above or below the water's surface, it's better not to travel the waters of the Thousand Islands at night unless you stay in the main channels, have charts, or know the area well. To get to the area from New York State, take Highway I 81 north to the Thousand Island Bridge. Cross the 7 ½ Mile Bridge to the Thousand Island Parkway.