Nearby Thousand Islands Bridge Approach

The Thousand Islands Bridge is a chain of bridges across the Saint Lawrence River that links Ontario with northern New York State, and the approach on the Canadian side is a good place to see the river’s island-studded landscape. The Canadian crossing starts near Ivy Lea and runs out to Hill Island, with a suspension span reaching across the main channel to Wellesley Island in New York. It was opened in 1938, in a ceremony attended by the American president Franklin Roosevelt and the Canadian prime minister Mackenzie King, and it is among the best-known border crossings in eastern North America. Strictly speaking, the bridge is near Lansdowne and Ivy Lea, east of Kingston, while Morrisburg lies much farther down the river, close to Upper Canada Village.

The bridge is not a single structure but a series of five spans and causeways that hop from island to island across the river. The highest part is a long suspension bridge across the main channel, which rises well above the water to allow ships to pass below, and from the crest drivers and passengers get wide views over hundreds of small islands. Pines and cedars grow on the rocky islets, many with a single cottage or boathouse, and freighters and tour boats move through the channels below. The islands are part of the Canadian Shield, a hard granite landscape that the river cut through, and that geology explains why the islands are so numerous.

For drivers, a toll is charged on the crossing, collected at the booths on the approach, and passports are needed for the border formalities, which are handled on the island or after the bridge. A pedestrian walkway on the bridge is narrow and exposed, and visitors who use it should take care, because the span can sway and vibrate with traffic. Free parking near the toll area gives a place to stop and take in the setting, and on Hill Island there is an observation tower that gives a longer view over the river and islands.

The area around the bridge is a centre of Thousand Islands tourism. Boat cruises leave from nearby docks, lasting an hour or two, and take passengers among the islands and past large houses and castles built by wealthy families in the nineteenth century. Highway 401 passes close by, so the bridge is easy to reach by car from Kingston or Brockville, and the local roads along the river offer scenic drives.

Visitors should allow time to enjoy the view. It suits photographers, drivers heading to the United States and travellers who want a view of the islands without a boat. Allow an hour to look around, and check toll rates and border rules in advance. Early morning or evening light gives the best views.