DISCOVERING THOUSAND ISLANDS ON THE LONG SAULT ROAD

Article published at: Oct 21, 2018 Article author: Veronique Marin Article tag: Campings
À LA DÉCOUVERTE DE MILLE-ÎLES SUR LE CHEMIN DU LONG SAULT
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The Thousand Islands region of Ontario has the largest public beach on the shores of the St. Lawrence River (Mille Roches), bike paths, preserved nature trails, boat ramps, picnic areas, scuba diving and remarkable fishing. Enought to keep you busy for a few days.

Halfway between Kingston and Montreal, the long Sault Parkway crosses an archipel formed by eleven islands that were created by the flooding of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1958. This park has the largest public beach on the shores of the St. Lawrence River (Mille Roches), bike paths, natural trails, water ramps, picnic areas, scuba diving and a remarkable fishing. Something to keep you busy for a few days.

If you plan to stay there for a few days, here's what you need to know:

Campsites:

This picturesque area is home to three unique campgrounds with over 600 sites some of which are along the banks of the St.Lawrence river. You will find campsites suitable for all types of equipment. The sites are rather clear which makes them easy to access. Rental cabins are also available.

For more information or to book your site, visit the following websites:

McLaren Campground

Milles Roches Campground

Woodlands Campground

Things to do in the area:

Campers receive two free passes during check-in. These passes can be used to visit the award-winning Upper Canada Village or Fort Henry national historic site during the summer season.

Upper Canada Village is a must-see tourist attraction in the area. It is a living museum telling the story and way of life of the ten communities that disappeared during the 1958 flood also called The Lost Villages. Many of the Upper Canada Village buildings were transported from the flooded villages prior to the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Fort Henry is an interesting stop. This Fort protected both the point Frederick dockyard, the Rideau Canal entrance and the city of Kingston, which was then the largest transhipment centre on the Seaway between Montreal, Ottawa and all the cities further West.

Bike paths

Cyclists are in heaven here. They can enjoy the beautiful landscape offered by the seaway on the path that runs along the river and crosses the archipel. A short 5 km bike to the long Sault trail brings you to the Upper Canada migratory bird sanctuary.

The Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary

This fabulous sanctuary covers 9 000 hectares and offers 8 kilometers of trails through diverse natural habitats. Birdwatchers will have excellent opportunities to observe up to 200 species of waterfowl, raptors, sparrows and others.

The beaches:

If you visit the Park in the summer season you will enjoy without doubts the numerous and beautiful beaches bordering the river.

Fishing:

The Hoople Creek basin is one of the largest natural walleye fisheries in eastern Ontario and western Quebec. Morrison Island offers some of the best carp fisheries in the world.

Scuba diving

If you're a diver you must visit the dive site «Lock 21». It is said to be one of the best surface dives in Canada. Off Macdonell Island, this dive will take you to the remains of Lock 21 and the lost villages that were flooded to make way for the St. Lawrence Seaway project in the late 1950s.

The long Sault road is just a small part of what the thousand islands region of Ontario can offer. If you decide to spend more time in the area, extend your search East to Kingston. You will be surprised by what to discover. I will certainly talk about it in a future article!

À bientôt,

Véronique

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