Thousand Islands

The Thousand Islands is an archipelago of islands in the Saint Lawrence River, stretching for approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) downstream from Kingston, Ontario. The Canadian islands are in the province of Ontario. The U.S. islands are in the state of New York.

There are 1,865 islands in all, ranging in size from over 100 square kilometres (40 square miles) to smaller uninhabited outcroppings of rocks. The number of islands was determined using the criteria that any island must be above water level for 365 days per year, bigger than one square foot and support at least one tree or shrub.

Recreation

The area is very popular among vacationers, campers, and boaters, and is often referred to as the "fresh water boating capital of the world".

Around twenty of these islands form the St. Lawrence Islands National Park, the smallest of Canada's national parks. The Thousand Islands-Frontenac Arch region was designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 2002. The U.S. islands include numerous New York state parks, including Robert Moses State Park - Thousand Islands, located on an island in the St. Lawrence.