Spectacular!
The Thousand Islands region of the western St. Lawrence River, separating Ontario from western New York, is a rugged and beautiful region rich with Indigenous, Revolutionary War era/War of 1812, and maritime history, natural beauty and architectural wonders.
The great river serves as an economic artery of North America, with great container ships and tankers bound to or from ports in the Great Lakes sharing the waterway with fishermen and recreational boaters. Picturesque lighthouses, majestic castles, maritime museums, world-class fishing and boating, quaint downtown shopping, on-the-water dining and more make the 1000 Islands a destination that visitors come to again and again.
It is best experienced by bicycle! Our journey offers 7 days of riding, up to 200 miles in total, with options for less mileage at any point due to our fully-equipped 13 passenger van and trailer always nearby. We'll meet riders on Sunday mid-day in Cornwall, ON, just an hour & 15 minutes west of Montreal, then transit to Picton Harbor on the north side of Lake Ontario. Making our way back east over the next 6 days, we'll pass through and stay in charming waterfront villages, ride ferries and cross bridges, explore rugged shorelines, take in glorious sunsets, enjoy great company and delicious locally sourced food, and create a cycling memory for the ages!
Included
- 6 nights lodging at three or four-star hotels or inns
- 6 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners
- Experienced and cycling expert tour guides
- In-ride drinks & snacks
- Van/sag support (mechanical assistance and van ride, if needed)
- Route navigation via free use of Ride With GPS
- Daily post-ride informal gathering with light snacks light snacks (fruit, cheese, crackers, chips, nuts etc.) and non-alcoholic beverages
Itinerary
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Day 1 - Sunday
We meet riders in Cornwall and transfer to Picton Harbor, departing at 10:00 a.m., picking up lunch along the way and arriving in Picton Harbor at by 1:00 pm. Choose a ride of 23, 26.5 or 41.2 miles to explore the beautiful surrounding farm country and Lake Ontario beachside villages to the west. We'll enjoy dinner together and share our first impressions of the region.
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Day 2 - Monday
42.7 miles -- We'll ride 5 miles along the shoreline to the ferry at Glenora, then continue along the northern shore of the St. Lawrence River through Adolphustown, Sandhurst Shores, and Bath, riding right to our accommodations at the newly renovated Kingston Harbor Holiday Inn. Explore the waterfront and enjoy dinner on your own.
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Day 3 - Tuesday
16- 32 miles – We'll take a ferry to Wolfe Island and ride a loop (of which you may choose the length), returning to Kingston for the night.
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Day 4 - Wednesday
22 miles – We'll cycle along ON Rt 2 passing through the villages of King Pitt and East View until we reach Howe Island, accessing it by ferry, then pedal along its southern shoreline enjoying expansive views of the river, back to the mainland via another ferry to Gananoque where we will overnight at the luxurious waterfront Gananoque Inn & Spa. If you have the energy, take in "Mama Mia" at the waterfront Thousand Islands Playhouse (get tickets well in advance!)
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Day 5 - Thursday
33 miles / 54 km – We bike from Gananoque enjoying majestic views along the 1000 Islands Parkway through the villages of Darlingside, Rockport, and Butternut Bay to Brockville where we will spend the night.
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Day 6 - Friday
37 miles / 60 km – Brockville to Prescott, Cardinal, Iroquois and Morrisburg where we will spend the night at the plush Country Inn & Suites.
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Day 7 - Saturday
30 miles - On the last morning of our journey, we'll finish with a flourish of water views, crossing 10 little islands before lunch as we pedal from Morrisburg to Ingleside, Long Sault, and finally Cornwall where our journey ends where we began.
Difficulty Level: Intermediate
This tour’s route is approximately 1/3 riding on a road shoulder, 1/3 riding on an unpaved bike trail, and 1/3 riding on small quiet backroads.
Suggested bicycle: Touring bikes, road bikes, hybrids
Suggested tire size for this tour: 28mm – 37mm (or larger)
Pricing
$2,470 USD per person (based on double occupancy)
$535 – Single Supplement (extra price to have your own room)
$150 – Hybrid Bike Rental
Your Travel Plans
For this tour we meet riders in Cornwall by 10 a.m. Sunday morning, van together to Picton Harbor where we will begin the ride, and end on our bicycles back in Cornwall. We suggest that riders who are driving to the tour plan either an early morning drive from either Messina, NY or Montreal, or just arrive in Cornwall on Saturday night. Riders who are flying to the tour should arrive via Montreal's Pierre Trudeau International Airport on Saturday and stay anywhere between Montreal and Cornwall. There is a train from Montreal at 8:50 a.m. that arrives Cornwall at 10:03, which is fine for our purposes - we'll pick you up at the train station!
IMPORTANT NOTE regarding Registration and Credit Card fees: Senior Cycling is adopting WeTravel as our payment platform in order to enable us and our customers to avoid the cost of credit card processing fees, which can amount to $100 or more on just the single rider cost of a trip. When you get to "Payment Method", if you choose "U.S. Checking Account", you'll avoid the 3% credit card processing fee.
