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Scenic Loop drive · Ontario
Thousand Islands Parkway
A scenic parkway along the St. Lawrence past 1,864 islands and Canada's smallest national park.
Overview
The Thousand Islands Parkway is a 40 km free scenic alternative to Highway 401, tracing the St. Lawrence River past 1,864 islands (only 20 % on the Canadian side). The route runs from Gananoque to Brockville, alongside Thousand Islands National Park — the smallest national park in Canada by area.
Gananoque is the tourism gateway: 1000 Islands Cruises, the Boldt Castle boat tour (across the US border), and the Thousand Islands Playhouse. The parkway itself is a slow two-lane road with cycling shoulder, running east through Landon Bay, Mallorytown Landing (the park's main visitor centre and mainland base), and on to Brockville with its Victorian downtown and Aquatarium.
The full length is 40 km of pavement, but plan a full day (or two) for a boat cruise, a Sculpting the Landscape walk on Georgina Island, and a stop at the Skydeck viewing tower on Hill Island. In fall, the same route delivers maple colour reflected in a broadening river.
Distance
40 km
Gananoque → Brockville
National park
Thousand Islands
Smallest by area in Canada
Islands visible
1,864
Only ~20% on Canadian side
Border
Passport for Boldt Castle
US-side attraction
The route
From start to finish
An approximate path through 4 key waypoints along the drive.
Driving times
Leg by leg
75 km across 3 legs. Times exclude stops, ferries, and weather contingencies.
| # | From → To | Distance | Driving time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Kingston → Gananoque | 30 km | 0h 25m | Approach on Highway 2 |
| 02 | Gananoque → Mallorytown | 25 km | 0h 25m | Parkway east, park visitor centre |
| 03 | Mallorytown → Brockville | 20 km | 0h 20m | Aquatarium + Fort Wellington detour |
| Total | 75 km | 1h+ | Drive time only |
Day by day
The itinerary
A suggested route designed to balance driving time with the stops that matter.
Gananoque & the parkway
1000 Islands Cruise from Gananoque, drive the parkway east with stops at Landon Bay and Mallorytown; overnight in Brockville.
Brockville & Fort Wellington
Aquatarium in the morning, Fort Wellington in Prescott, and cross to Ogdensburg or return west along Highway 2.
When to drive
Month by month
Best window: May – October. Plan around shoulder months for fewer crowds at the cost of variable weather.
Budget
Three ways to drive it
Smart
$170–$260/ day
- Drive days
- 1–2
- Lodging
- Park camping, Gananoque motels
- Food
- Waterfront pubs
- Experiences
- Cruise + free parkway
Mid
$320–$520/ day
- Drive days
- 2
- Lodging
- Gananoque Inn, Confederation Place Kingston
- Food
- Riva, Wooden Boathouse
- Experiences
- 1000 Islands Cruise + Boldt Castle
Premium
$700+/ day
- Drive days
- 2
- Lodging
- Frontenac Club Kingston, private cottages
- Food
- Chien Noir tasting
- Experiences
- Private charter + Skydeck
Editorial picks
Where to stop, sleep, and eat
Operator
1000 Islands Cruises
Gananoque
3-hour Boldt Castle cruise — the definitive way to see the islands.
Stop
Thousand Islands National Park visitor centre
Mallorytown Landing
Free park orientation, mainland beach, boat launch to the island campsites.
Lodging
Gananoque Inn
Gananoque
1896 waterfront inn at the parkway's western end — walk-to-cruise-dock convenience.
Eat
Wooden Boathouse
Rockport
Riverfront patio between Gananoque and Ivy Lea — order the perch.
Signature stops
Don't miss
1000 Islands Cruise
Thousand Islands National Park
Skydeck
Boldt Castle (US side)
Before you go
The prep checklist.
Practical things to lock in before you leave the driveway.
- Passport required for Boldt Castle (US-side landing).
- Cycle the parkway on the Waterfront Trail — dedicated lane the whole way.
- 1000 Islands Cruises book same-week in summer; the sunset cruise sells out.
- Mallorytown Landing campground is small — reserve at reservation.pc.gc.ca.
- Fall colour peaks the first week of October.
Where this road leads
Related destinations
Good to know
Frequently
asked.
Practical answers from travellers who have driven this route.
- Is a passport required?
- Not for the parkway itself. A passport IS required for the Boldt Castle boat tour, which lands on Heart Island in New York State.
- Can I cycle the parkway?
- Yes — the Waterfront Trail runs parallel with a dedicated bike lane along most of the parkway. Kingston to Cornwall is a classic multi-day ride.
- Where to camp?
- Thousand Islands National Park's Mallorytown Landing frontcountry campground, and several Ontario Parks (Ivy Lea, Charleston Lake) are within a short drive.
Planning the bigger trip?
Read our full guide to Canadian road-trip itineraries.
Along this route
Parks, camps, and cities on the drive
Every place below is within a comfortable side-trip of the route waypoints — surfaced automatically from our national-park, provincial-park, campground, and city datasets.
Nearby national parks
Nearby provincial parks
Nearby campgrounds
Cities along the way
Travel styles
Related experiences
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