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The Thousand Islands

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The Thousand Islands Travel Guide

The name Thousand Islands is less than accurate; there are, in fact, nearly twice that number of islands, depending on who's doing the counting and what you consider an island. There is also much more to the region than the island-studded area of the St. Lawrence River called the Thousand Islands. The name usually refers to an area defined by the Adirondacks to the east, the St. Lawrence River to the north, and Lake Ontario to the west.

Most of the region is flat or rolling farmland. The St. Lawrence River defines a coastline running for more than 100 mi southwest from Massena to Cape Vincent, where the river meets Lake Ontario. The St. Lawrence is the throat of a waterway that leads through the Great Lakes and which, with the completion of its lock system in 1959, formed the longest navigable inland passage–more than 2,300 mi–in the world.

The region's largest city, Watertown, is more than 30 mi south of the Thousand Islands and is itself something of a misnomer, as it's not on any water itself. Alexandria Bay and Clayton are the focal points for summer visitors to the Thousand Islands. They're the ports from which most of the island owners make their way to their secluded summer homes. Both are good walking towns because they're well away from highway traffic and are fairly compact.

Great Itineraries

Places to Explore

Alexandria Bay
Clayton
Massena

Ogdensburg
Sackets Harbor

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