The thousand Islands actually number 1865 in a 50 mile span between Kingston and Brockville. Some are not much more than rocky shoals, while others are very large, such as Wolfe Island, 27 miles long by 9 miles wide; and Howe Island, 9 miles long by 3 miles wide. Today most of the islands boast of having hydro electric power and telephone service being carried by underwater cable from island to island. Needless to say, anchoring your boat in these area is strictly prohibited!

Some of the river freezes over solidly in winter, but downstream near the 1000 Islands Bridge(where Holiday Island is located), the water flow is much swifter and the river stays open all winter. Around here the river is about 7.5 km (5 mi.) from shore to shore and you’d have to go some 450 km (300 mi.) east of here before you would see tides. There is no salt water here, it is all fresh water, most of it originating in the Great Lakes. Just to give you some idea of the size of the St. Lawrence River, you would have to go some 1’850 km (1300 mi.) east of here before meeting the Atlantic Ocean at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. At this point you are 85 m (254 ft.) above sea level.

The 1000 islands were formed almost 12’000 years at the end of the last ice age. Three previous ice ages also contributed to the formation of the islands and they actually form a connecting bridge between the Canadian Shield to the north and the Adirondack mountains to the south in New York State.