Road Trip Toronto to Kingston – The Thousand Islands

Toronto Kingston
260
km
2h48
drive
Summer
season

The Itinerary

Kingston sits where Lake Ontario narrows into the St. Lawrence River, and it served as the first capital of the Province of Canada from 1841 to 1844. The limestone quarried nearby built most of the old city, which is why the downtown reads as a single grey-gold streetscape of 19th-century banks, churches and civic buildings, crowned by the domed City Hall facing the harbour. Queen's University, founded in 1841, occupies much of the west side and keeps the place lively through the academic year.

The drive from Toronto is roughly 260 km on Highway 401. Fort Henry, built in the 1830s on the height of land above the harbour to guard the Rideau Canal's southern entrance, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and runs costumed garrison programmes through the summer. Below it, the waterfront carries a marina, a museum of the Great Lakes, and the docks where the tour boats leave.

The Thousand Islands begin immediately downstream and scatter for roughly 80 km toward Brockville; despite the name there are close to 1,900 of them. Boat tours from Kingston and Gananoque run out among the islands and most call at Boldt Castle on the American side, a vast unfinished house abandoned in 1904 when the owner's wife died. Bring identification if you intend to land there, as it is a United States port of entry. The 1000 Islands Parkway between Gananoque and Brockville is the scenic alternative to the 401, with a parallel recreation trail for cyclists.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Fort Henry
    An 1832 fortress with costumed guards, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • ✦
    1000 Islands Cruise
    Cruise out to Boldt Castle from Kingston or Gananoque.
  • ✦
    Old Kingston
    Limestone streets and the landmark City Hall.
  • ✦
    Queen's University
    Historic limestone campus, one of the oldest universities in Canada.

Fishing Spots Along the Route

🎣
Amherst Bay
Lake
🎣
Anglin Bay
Lake
🎣
Arab Lake
Lake
🎣
Ashbridges Bay
Lake
🎣
Athol Bay
Lake
🎣
Babcock Lake
Lake
🎣
Banker Lake
Lake
🎣
Barrett Bay
Lake

Protected areas along the route

🌿
Big Sandy Bay Management Area
General Use Area
🌿
NORTH BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Gananoque
Provincial Wildlife Area
🌿
Brighton Provincial Wildlife Area NAME_ENG Brighton Provincial Wildlife Area
Provincial Wildlife Area
🌿
LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN PROVINCIAL PICNIC GROUNDS (RECREATIONAL CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
MENZEL CENTENNIAL PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURE RESERVE CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
SANDBANKS PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
Peterborough District Crown Lands
General Use Area
🌿
PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
FRONTENAC PROVINCIAL PARK (NATURAL ENVIRONMENT CLASS)
Provincial Park
🌿
PRESQU'ILE ISLANDS WILDERNESS AREA
Wilderness Area
🌿
Ferris Provincial Park Addition
Recommended Provincial Park

Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Toronto. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.

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Practical info
  • Departure Toronto
  • Destination Kingston
  • Distance 260 km
  • Duration 2h48
  • Category Long (250–500 km)
  • Best season Summer
Themes
heritage history island cruise river Summer Fort

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