Camping in the 1000 Islands: Tent, RV and ready-camp options
As the centrepiece of the Thousand Islands region, the St. Lawrence River is an ideal backdrop for camping adventures. Paddling, swimming, and campfires on starry nights are all part of the classic Canadian camping experience, after all, and the Thousand Islands delivers on these in spades!
Options for camping in the 1000 Islands include waterfront tent camping, traditional RV sites, ready-to-camp cabins and other structures, and even on-island camping offered by Thousand Islands National Park.
In this guide, we’ll look at each of the campgrounds in the Thousand Islands region on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence River, from Gananoque in the west to Brockville in the east. We’ve gathered this information through multiple road trips to the Thousand Islands, most of which have been hosted or sponsored, as well as through detailed online research.
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Camp on an island in Thousand Islands National Park
Parks Canada offers a unique way to experience camping in the 1000 Islands: try camping on an island in Thousand Islands National Park!
There are 28 traditional reservable campsites and 32 first-come first-served sites across 10 of the park’s 17 publicly accessible islands. These campsites are fairly rugged and come with nothing but a tent pad. Most islands with campsites have communal kitchen shelters and fire pits.
On two islands, McDonald Island and Gordon Island, Parks Canada oTENTiks are available. These semi-permanent camping structures are part tent, part cabin. They can accommodate up to six people and come with mattresses, an indoor table and chairs, a wildlife-proof food storage box, a dedicated picnic table, a charcoal barbecue, and a fire pit. These save a lot of work since you won’t need to bring and set up a tent.
It’s important to arrive with everything you’ll need for the duration of your stay, including a tent if staying at a traditional campsite. You’ll also need food, sleeping bags and pillows, drinking water, camping pots and pans, matches, utensils, weather-appropriate clothing, power bricks for charging devices, etc. The only thing you shouldn’t bring with you is firewood to avoid spreading invasive pests. You can purchase firewood on the islands by leaving cash or filling out a form with your credit card number.
If you’re arriving to the Thousand Islands with your own boat, camping on the islands is easy. All islands with camping facilities have docks and mooring points. Pay the park mooring fees, self-register for first-come first-served campsites at the on-island kiosks, and you’re all set. If you want to bring more people with you on your Thousand Islands adventure than your boat can sleep, this can be a convenient way to manage the overflow.
Plan a kayaking excursion and go camping in the 1000 Islands
Kayaking is a fabulous way to camp on an island in the Thousand Islands region. This area is an ideal place to try this out, especially if you’re new to overnight kayaking excursions.
If you have your own kayak, you can load up and launch at several locations throughout Gananoque. The Town of Gananoque maintains a list of launch points and nearby parking options.
If you don’t have your own kayak but want to give this excursion a try, you can rent a kayak from 1000 Islands Kayaking. They provide the boat, all the mandatory safety equipment including personal flotation devices, and maps of the area to help you navigate safely. They’ll even keep in touch with you if bad weather pops up during your stay, and they have a rescue boat at the ready when needed. That added peace of mind is well worth the rental cost!
Most paddlers launching from Gananoque choose to camp on one of the nearby Admiralty Islands. Islands with camping facilities typically have dedicated kayak beaches for easy access.
McDonald Island is a 45 to 60-minute paddle from Gananoque on average and has both traditional campsites and oTENTiks. We’ve kayaked to McDonald Island and stayed overnight in the oTENTiks twice, and we loved it both times. Not having to carry and set up a tent saves time and precious cargo space! Beau Rivage Island is also a popular choice among tent campers.
For experienced paddlers looking for more of a challenge, the Navy Islands are roughly four hours from Gananoque by kayak. Gordon Island has both traditional campsites and oTENTiks, and Camelot Island offers tent camping only. These islands are on a section of the river with much more open water, which can make for rougher passage on windy days.
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Camp in an oTENTik on the Thousand Islands Parkway
If you don’t love roughing it enough to get to an island, you can still try camping at Thousand Islands National Park in the Parks Canada oTENTiks at the Mallorytown Landing visitor centre. There are no traditional campgrounds in the off-island sectors of the park, so these oTENTiks are the only mainland camping option maintained by Parks Canada.
Like the ones on the islands, these semi-permanent structures come with built-in beds and mattresses, an indoor table and chairs, a wildlife-proof food storage box, a charcoal barbecue, a picnic table, and a fire pit. But unlike the island campsites, these oTENTiks also have access to flush toilets and showers. (The washrooms are indoors, but showers are partially outdoors at the side of the visitor centre. While they offer plenty of privacy, the stalls may get chilly on colder mornings!)
The best part about the oTENTiks at Mallorytown Landing is that every single one has a direct river view. Light a campfire, watch the boats float by as the sun sets over the St. Lawrence, then end your evening by gazing up at the stars. This is as close to glamping as you’ll get in the Thousand Islands, and it’s a wonderful introduction for families or groups with little or no camping experience.
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Try waterfront camping with Parks of the St. Lawrence
You’ve likely heard of Ontario Parks, but have you heard of Parks of the St. Lawrence?
Parks of the St. Lawrence is a provincial parks commission responsible for many of the waterside parks, campgrounds, and historic sites found along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston to the Ontario-Quebec border.
Since it’s not quite as well known, campgrounds operated by Parks of the St. Lawrence sometimes don’t sell out as quickly as other national and provincial parks do. Whether you’re looking for a place to camp well in advance or at the last minute, it’s worth checking these parks out!
These two Parks of the St. Lawrence campgrounds are located along the Thousand Islands Parkway between Gananoque and Brockville. We haven’t camped at these parks yet, but we’ve had fabulous experiences staying at other campground operated by Parks of the St. Lawrence. We’ll report back once we’ve had a chance to give these ones a try.
Brown’s Bay Campground
Brown’s Bay Campground is located toward the east end of the Thousand Islands Parkway, 15 minutes west of Brockville.
This small campground has eight unserviced campsites, seven waterfront campsites with water service, and two premium unserviced campsites that share a private beach. All sites are suitable for tents, and most can accommodate camping trailers up to 40 feet. Flush toilets and outdoor showers are available for campers.
The park also has a day use area with a larger public beach, picnic tables, a playground, a volleyball court, a boat launch, and a canteen with a patio that’s open on busier days.
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Ivy Lea Campground
Ivy Lea Campground is located directly under the Canadian side of the Thousand Islands Bridge, making it a convenient location for those coming from or going to the United States.
Its roughly 150 campsites include basic unserviced sites, unserviced waterfront sites, 30-amp power and water sites, and four cabins. Amenities include a boat launch, a swimming area, a playground, sports facilities, flush toilets and showers, on-site laundry facilities, and a dumping station.
While Ivy Lea Campground’s location is very convenient for cross-border travelers, some reviews note that traffic on the bridge can be noisy. This campground therefore may not be the best choice for light sleepers.
RV camping options in the Thousand Islands
RV campers looking for full-service campsites in the Thousand Islands have three campgrounds to choose from. While none of these are directly on the St. Lawrence River waterfront, they all offer easy access to the Thousand Islands Parkway. We haven’t stayed at any of these campgrounds yet, but we’ll add more details here once we do.
1000 Islands / Ivy Lea KOA Holiday
KOA has two campgrounds in the Thousand Islands region, but the Ivy Lea location is the only one directly on the Thousand Islands Parkway. Full-service sites are available with 50-amp or 30-amp power and pull-throughs that can accommodate RVs of up to 60 feet. Tent sites and cabins are also offered.
This campground has a pool, hot tub, sauna, dog park, jumping pillow, on-site laundry, a movie room and arcade, and other amenities. The waterfront trail is located just outside the park gate, and the City Cruises port in the village of Ivy Lea is a half hour walk away.
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1000 Islands / Mallorytown KOA Holiday
The Mallorytown KOA is located roughly 10 minutes north of the Thousand Islands Parkway on the opposite side of Highway 401. It offers full-service sites with 50-amp or 30-amp power and pull-throughs that accommodate RVs of up to 75 feet. Tent sides and one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and deluxe cabins are available.
Amenities include a heated saltwater pool with a slide and hydrotherapy jets, a playground, mini golf, a dog park, a jumping pillow, a remote-control car track, on-site laundry, and more.
Cosmo Camping
Cosmo Camping is located at the west end of the Thousand Islands Parkway between Landons Bay and the Smuggler’s Glen Golf Course. This campground accommodates both short-term and seasonal stays. With the exception of one two-service pull-through site, all sites are back-in only. The longest ones can accommodate trailers of up to 45 feet. Tent sites and rental cabins are available.
Two heated pools, a swing set, a volleyball court and basketball court, a jumping pillow, on-site laundry, and a large bonfire pit are among the amenities offered.
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