The Thousand Islands region of the western St. Lawrence River, separating Ontario from western New York, is a rugged and beautiful region rich with Indigenous, Revolutionary War era/War of 1812, and maritime history, natural beauty and architectural wonders. 

The great river serves as an economic artery of North America, with great container ships and tankers bound to or from ports in the Great Lakes sharing the waterway with fishermen and recreational boaters. Picturesque lighthouses, majestic castles, maritime museums, world-class fishing and boating, quaint downtown shopping, on-the-water dining and more make the 1000 Islands a destination that visitors come to again and again.  

It is best experienced by bicycle! Our journey offers 7 days of riding, up to 200 miles in total, with options for less mileage at any point due to our fully-equipped 13 passenger van and trailer always nearby. We start and end this tour in the historic and (once) provincial capital city of Kington, Ontario, which is easily accessible by highway from the U.S. (I-81 through Watertown, NY) and has an airport served through Toronto. We''ll first stay three nights in the waterfront Kingston Holiday Inn, giving us a chance to get to know this quaint walkable & bikeable city, which is home to Queens University, the Royal Military College of Canada (our "West Point", and the 19th century British fortress Fort Henry National Historic site. We'll enjoy near-constant water views as we cycle along the shore of Lake Ontario and the mighty St. Lawrence river all week, passing through and staying overnight in charming waterfront villages, riding ferries and crossing bridges; we'll take in glorious sunsets, enjoy great company and delicious locally sourced food, and create a cycling memory for the ages!   

We’ll convene Saturday afternoon in Kingston and spend our first three nights of the tour at the ideally-located Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront. After our get-acquainted meeting we'll enjoy dinner at a local restaurant and take in the Saturday night vibe of this charming small city.

16- 32 miles – We'll take a ferry to Wolfe Island and ride a loop (of which you may choose the length), returning to Kingston for the night. The island features a 78-turbine wind energy farm with a very informative visitors center, and those looking for a longer ride can catch the on-demand ferry to Simcoe Island and visit the picturesque Nine Mile Point Lighthouse, which was built in the 1830s.

42.7 miles - Today we'll make a one-hour shuttle westward to Picton Harbor, then cycle back east along the St. Lawrence River. The route starts with a 5 mile ride along the shoreline to the ferry at Glenora, then continues along the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River through Adolphustown, Sandhurst Shores, and Bath, passing farms and wineries on our way back to Kingston.

 22 miles – 22 miles – After checking out of our hotel, we’ll cycle over to the Royal Military College for a tour, followed by a visit to historic Fort Henry. After a scenic picnic lunch, we'll cycle east along ON Rt 2 passing through the villages of King Pitt and East View until we reach Howe Island, accessing it by ferry, then pedal along its southern shoreline enjoying expansive views of the river, back to the mainland via another ferry to Gananoque where we will overnight at the luxurious waterfront Gananoque Inn.

 33 miles – We bike from Gananoque enjoying majestic views along the 1000 Islands Parkway through the villages of Darlingside, Rockport, and Butternut Bay to Brockville where we will spend the night. 

 37 miles – Brockville to Prescott, Cardinal, Iroquois and Morrisburg where we will spend the night at the plush Country Inn & Suites. 

30 miles - On the last morning of our journey, we'll finish with a flourish of water views, crossing 10 little islands before lunch as we pedal from Morrisburg to Ingleside, Long Sault, and finally Cornwall. There we'll enjoy a picnic lunch in the watherfront park and then load into the van for the return trip to Kingston.