Itinerary-At-A-Glance
Location: Gananoque, Ontario, Canada
Timeline: Friday, Sept. 1st – Monday, Sept. 4th, 2023
My wife and I decided to spend Labour Day weekend visiting the Thousand Islands, a 3-4 hour drive from Toronto, depending on traffic. Its proximity serves well for a long weekend getaway from our urban life.
The town of Gananoque, perched on the western boundary of the Park, is the best place to stay for dining and lodging in the area. While there are a handful of short, scenic hikes in the two mainland areas of the park – Jones Creek and Landon Bay – the highlight experience is kayaking around the islands in the St. Lawrence River and hopping ashore on those with public Parkland. I highly recommend this as a full-day excursion.
All of the mainland Park is within a half hour’s drive from Gananoque, so we were able to cover easily all of those sections. While the majority of the islands sit on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River, a more extended visit could include islands on the U.S. side if you bring your passport.
This national park was the last of the six in the province of Ontario, Canada, for me to visit. I have now completed that goal and will continue to pursue my broader goal of visiting a Canadian national park in every province and territory.
What’s Special at 1000 Islands
Kayaking: A full-day journey among these islands in the St. Lawrence River is a great option. If you are a novice like me, use an outfitter to guide you.
Hiking: Jones Creek and Landon Bay both have a handful of short, scenic trails, each about two hours to complete.
Swimming: Lots of areas for sunning and swimming. We explored Browns Bay Beach, directly across the road from Jones Creek.
1000 Islands Tower: On Hill Island, in the middle of the River, is an observation tower offering tremendous 360-views. An elevator whisks you up 400 feet for a great visual introduction to the Park and its islands.
Lodging & Dining Options
Gananoque should be your “home base” as it offers the best accommodations and dining in the area. However, the most popular ones book up well in advance during the summer/fall seasons.
All the lodging and dining establishments are either in or close to Gananoque’s downtown and waterfront core areas.
Here’s What We Enjoyed:
Pangea House: a boutique Heritage Inn, we stayed our last night and enjoyed a 5-course prix fixe dinner prepared by co-owner and former Toronto chef. Chef Geoff introduced each course, which made the experience all the more rewarding. We also enjoyed the full, hot breakfast the next morning.
Riva: this restaurant located toward the southern end of town is lively and outstanding, offering two attractive garden patios for outdoor dining and a large dining room and bar area with a grand fireplace. Casual chic: excellent service, cocktails, wine list, and menu. Don’t miss it.
Graydon’s Restaurant/Woodview Inn: set in an elegant former mansion constructed in the late 19th century, the Inn has been a fixture in Gananoque for decades. By the time I made arrangements for this long weekend, there was no room at the inn, but we enjoyed an elegant dinner at Graydon’s.
Trinity House Inn: recently renovated, the inn has been revitalized and re-opened under a new owner and former chef. We enjoyed two nights here – a very comfortable bed and terrific breakfast muffins/buns with the continental breakfast.
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Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Exploring the Eastern End of the Park (Friday, September 1)
- 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM: Drive from Toronto to Thousand Islands Visitor Centre to get the current trail updates. The northern end of the Jones Creek trail system was closed due to flooding.
- 1:00 AM–3:00 PM: Hiked and explored the south end of Jones Creek
- 3:00-4:00 PM: 1000 Islands Observation Tower on Hill Island
- 5:00 PM: Check in to Trinity House Inn
- 7:00 PM: 5-Course Dinner at Pangea House
Day 2: Paddling the 1000 Islands (Saturday, September 2)
- 7:30-8:45 AM: Continental Breakfast at Trinity House Inn and a 10-minute drive to kayak outfitter
- 9:00 AM-4:00 PM: All-day kayak trip with Thousand Islands Kayaking
- 6:00 PM: Dinner at Riva Restaurant
Day 3: Hiking Landon Bay and sunbathing at Browns Bay (Saturday, September 3)
- 7:30-8:30 AM: Continental Breakfast at Trinity House Inn and a 10-minute drive to kayak outfitter
- 9:00-11:00 AM: Hiked and explored Landon Bay
- 11:00 AM-2:00 PM: Check out of Trinity House Inn. Walking and Shopping downtown Gananoque (most stores open at 10 AM on Sunday) and having lunch at one of the many spots in town
- 2:00-4:00 PM: Sunbathing at Browns Bay Beach.
- 4:00 PM-5:00 PM: Check in to Pangea House and relax in the inn.
- 7:00 PM: Dinner at Graydon’s/Woodview Inn
Day 4: Back to Toronto (Monday, September 4)
- 8:00-9:30 AM: Full Breakfast at Pangea House, pack up and check out
- 9:30 AM-12:30 PM: Drive back to Toronto. We decided to beat the traffic on Labor Day and had a swift return trip home.
