1000 Islands Bikepath

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Trail description: A 37 km trail that runs parallel to the 1000 Islands Parkway between Gananoque and Brockville and forms a section of the Waterfront Trail.
Trail fee: None
Towns along the trail: Gananoque, Mallorytown, Brockville, ON
Web site: Parks of the St Lawrence (no information about the trail is on the website)
Related link: Brian Hedney's Toronto to Montreal Bike Tour Description
Trail map: A map of the parkway can be downloaded from the Waterfront Trail website.
Trail surface: The entire trail is paved, though it may be rough in places.
Designated activities: Bicycling, walking, inline skating
Facilities on the trail: Rest stops are located at several points along the trail
Points of interest: St Lawrence Islands National Park, Landon Bay Centre has trails and wildlife sanctuary
Lodging: Several inns and resorts are in the region.
Camping: Ivy Lea Campground has 140 sites, Landon Bay Centre has 125 sites.
Bike shops: TI Cycle at 711 King St East in Gananoque offers bike rentals and repairs.
Weather report: Gananoque
Tourism info: Gananoque Chamber | Brockville Tourism
Getting to the trail: Access the trail at any of the towns along its route from Exit 645 to 696 of Highway 401. The trail begins a few km east of Gananoque and ends before Brockville so some biking on roads may be necessary to access those cities. Via Rail service between Toronto and Montreal stops at Gananoque and Brockville.
Map of local region: Gananoque to Brockville

Rate this section of trail

Number of ratings: 3
Average rating: 3.83

Trail name: 1000 Islands Bike Path
Number of times on the trail: Once
Date last visited: Sept, 2005
Best time to go: Anytime, as long as there is no snow
Sections covered: All the way back and forth
Favourite sections:
Activities I have done on the trail: Bicycling
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Poor
Rating: 3.0 stars
What I liked: The scenery is beautiful. Too bad though the parkway is in between the pathway and the river.
What I disliked: This trail has been in use for many years and it shows. Despite the fact that the scenery is beautiful, the trail itself is in very poor conditions. When the asphalt is not cracked or bumpy, or cracks full of grass and hay, there are lots of gravels on the pathway.
Additional comments:
Submitted by: Richard Larouche
from: Gatineau, Quebec
Date submitted: Sept 22, 2005

Trail name: 1000 Islands Bike Path
Number of times on the trail: Once
Date last visited: July, 2004
Best time to go: Summer. When there is no snow on the ground.
Sections covered: From Mallorytown to Gananonque.
Favourite sections: Entire trail.
Activities I have done on the trail: Bicycling,
Trail marking: Very good
Trail maintenance: Very good
Rating: 4.5 stars
What I liked: Scenery. Nature. Proximity to St. Lawrence.
What I disliked:
Additional comments: We appreciated the trail's proximity to St. Lawrence and 1000 Islands. We stayed at the Headlands Inn which is a reasonably priced motel right on the trail. Lots of places to stop to eat, drink, and relax. Rockport, Gananonque, Ivy Lea. Canoes to rent. Boat tours. Access to St. Lawrence National Park.
Submitted by: Ross Snider and Mary Simpson
from: Glencoe ON
Date submitted: Aug 2, 2004

Trail name: 1000 Islands Bike Path
Number of times on the trail: A few times
Date last visited: June, 2002
Best time to go: all summer
Sections covered: entire trail
Favourite sections:
Activities I have done on the trail: Bicycling,
Trail marking: Fair
Trail maintenance: Fair
Rating: 4 stars
What I liked: This is a very scenic route along the St. Lawrence River, with views of the Thousand Islands. There is little traffic, and the area is residential/rural. There are some small towns with casual restaurants for a nice lunch overlooking the river. There is also a small riverside park (near the Brockville end) where you could have a picnic, and use the facilities. The trail is very simple--it follows the 1000 Islands Parkway on the north side.
What I disliked: The trail actually begins west of Brockville, and ends before Gananoque. If you want to travel city to city, you will have to leave the trail and travel on the road, which can be busy. Also, I couldn't find any parking lots for trail users. I parked on the side of the Parkway, but perhaps you could park your car at the riverside park mentioned above. (The name of the park escapes me.)
Additional comments:
Submitted by: lbm
from: Ogdensburg, New York
Date submitted: Sept 4, 2003