The Thousand Islands consist of 1,864 islands located from the juncture of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence and stretching about fifty miles to the northeast. And yes, there is a very specific definition of what an island is! To make the count, a piece of land must be above water all year long, have a minimum area of one square foot, and support at least one tree.
For more than a century, people have vacationed in the islands and the small villages along both the Canadian and the American sides of the St. Lawrence.
But long before the area became a tourist destination, the Native Americans called this area the Garden of the Great Spirit. Artifacts such as arrowheads, spear points, and pottery shards are frequently found. Numerous mounds these ancient First Peoples constructed are still visible today—although their purpose remains a mystery.