Exploring New York's Thousand Islands: Things to do

 The roughly 50-mile stretch of the island-laden St. Lawrence River that constitutes the U.S.-Canadian border beginning at the eastern end of Lake Ontario had been “known” for centuries.

First, it was acknowledged by the indigenous Iroquois Confederation, then by 17th-century French explorers who considerably underestimated the actual number of islands (1,864), and subsequently by American and British combatants during the War of 1812.

But as contemporary local tour guides tell it, it wasn’t until 1872 that the Thousand Islands were properly “discovered” by — of all people — the press corps following President Ulysses S. Grant on a reelection campaign visit to the then-still-modest island cottage of Rochester-born, but Chicago-based, railroad car magnate George M. Pullman.    

Subsequent accounts touting the region as “the best place to summer for the rich and famous and the common man alike” prompted a tourism boom, led by Pullman who would build the first of the famed “Millionaire’s Row” island mansions in 1888 and seconded by thousands of lesser, hotel-staying mortals who collectively turned the Thousand Islands into one of the Northeast’s most popular summer playgrounds.

Today, only a few vestiges of that heyday remain and the Thousand Islands again finds itself not exactly unknown — especially not to boaters and fishermen, but frequently overlooked. 

Here's your chance to “rediscover” the truly spectacular nature of this combination natural and human-made attraction.

By land

The American side is home to both the best sites and the best scenery as its welter of small islands are closer to the mainland, and the ship channel, through which 700-plus-foot, oceangoing freighters routinely churn majestically, lies just off the American shore. In fact, it is less than 200 yards off it at Alexandria (generally just “Alex”) Bay, its most prominent commercial hub. Only the Cornwall Brothers Store, now a museum, stands witness to Alex Bay’s former glory, but contemporary travelers will find no shortage of motels, restaurants, live music bars and gift shops.   

Fifteen miles upstream lies equally historic Clayton, whose main commercial drag runs parallel to a much wider stretch of the river and whose attractive, vintage brick edifices now house restaurants and shops. Not nearly as frenzied as Alex Bay, Clayton is home to the surprisingly expansive Antique Boat Museum (abm.org; $14 adults, $8 ages 7-17); the Thousand Islands Museum (timuseum.org; free); and the performing arts Clayton Opera House (claytonoperahouse.com).   

Continuing west, Route 12-E hugs the American shoreline offering spectacular views and dozens of low-key motel and cottage accommodations. Another 15 miles brings you to Cape Vincent, a riverfront village and the location of the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse. Built in 1854, the still functioning, but now fully automated stone sentinel looks out over Lake Ontario, thus making it an ideal site for picnics and sunsets. 

Other activities include antiquing and wine-tasting, most notably at the Thousand Islands Winery at the base of the bridge and Coyote Moon Vineyards, located on the waterfront in Clayton. For the kids, there’s mini-golf, Go-Karts and a drive-in theater.

By sea

To truly appreciate the Thousand Islands, requires getting out among them, typically via a commercial boat tour. The dominant players are Alexandria Bay-based Uncle Sam Boat Tours (usboattours.com) and Clayton-based Clayton Island Tours (claytonislandtours.com), which together offer a host of daily sightseeing options, including lunch, dinner and sunset cruises. For overall appreciation purposes, the best bets are probably their “Two Nations” cruises, which come with a running narrative of the most picturesque stretch of the St. Lawrence and include a stop at Heart Island, the site of Boldt Castle.   

Built by penniless Prussian immigrant-turned fabulously wealthy New York City hotelier, George Boldt, for his wife, Louise, the six-story, 120-room Teutonic mansion was 90% complete when Louise died unexpectedly  in 1904. Her disconsolate husband promptly pulled the plug on all further expenditures and for the next 73 years, the abandoned complex was ravaged by the harsh climate and waves of destructive vandals. (Boldt, however, would not leave completely empty-handed, having somehow secured the recipe for Thousand Island dressing he introduced to the world at his Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.) Now mostly restored, it is justifiably the Thousand Islands’ No. 1 attraction. (boldtcastle.com; $12.50 adults, $9 ages 5-12.)

The area’s other publicly accessible surviving residential palace was built on Dark Island in 1902 by Frederick Bourne, the fifth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Co., and hence now bears the name of Singer Castle. It lies 7 miles upstream and is the subject of its own three-hour Uncle Sam tour. (Also accessible from nearby Schermerhorn Harbor.)

Up and over

Constructed during the Depression, the majestic green Thousand Islands Bridge takes motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians way up (150 feet) and over the ship channel to Wellesley Island, the largest of the American islands and eventually into Canada. ($3.75 per car each way.)

Downriver lies the Boldt Yacht House where visitors can shuttle over to the castle. Upriver, the road hugs the shoreline with splendid views of the Rock Island Lighthouse (not visible from the mainland, but accessible by tour boat from Clayton) en route to Thousand Island Park, not a park at all, but a 19th-century Methodist summer camp now residential community comprised of some 300 architecturally stunning, turn-of-the-century cottages.

Oh Canada

While you can certainly experience the Thousand Islands without setting foot in Canada, there’s no reason not to, provided you have the proper documentation. Awaiting you first on Hill Island is the 400-foot-tall 1000 Islands Observation Tower (1000islandstower.com; $17 CAD adults, $9 CAD ages 6-12). On the Canadian mainland, you can drive or bike the Thousand Islands Parkway, which hugs the river, kayak in calmer and safer waters and explore picturesque Gananoque, the objective of a failed American raid in 1812. Those with more time can carry on to the Lake Ontario port of Kingston, Canada’s first capital, and the region’s only true metropolis. When returning, be sure to take advantage of the duty-free store located just before border control (visit1000islands.com).