Thousand Islands

Several of the Thousand Islands in the St. Lawrence River, viewed from New York state.

Thousand Islands, group of more than 1,500 small isles in the St. Lawrence River in North America, extending for a distance of 80 miles (128 km) from the Prince Edward Peninsula to Brockville, Ontario, Canada. Those on the west side, including Amherst, Wolfe (49 square miles [127 square km], the largest), Howe, Simcoe, and Grenadier, are mostly Canadian, while those on the east, including Grindstone, Wells, and Carleton, are in New York, U.S. They form a traditional recreational area. Some are privately owned. Thousand Islands National Park embraces several of the Canadian islands and part of the Ontario shoreline. Surveyed in 1818, many were given names associated with the War of 1812. Thousand Islands International Bridge (1938) spans the river between Collins Landing, New York, and Ivy Lea, Ontario, east of Gananoque.