By Helicopter Over the 1000 Islands Between Canada and the USA

1,864 islands lie below me as I fly by helicopter over the crystal-clear waters of the 1000 Islands, located along the border between the USA and Canada. From up here, I have a breathtaking view of the island world and the best part is that I get to sit in the front beside the pilot. An incredible experience!

Have you ever entered another country by helicopter? No? Me neither. At least, not until today. But that is about to change because in just a few minutes, I will be flying by helicopter over the 1000 Islands, which are located in the St. Lawrence River along the border between Canada and the United States. I do not need my passport to cross the border.

But let’s start at the beginning. When my friend excitedly told me in the spring that she would be studying in Boston starting in September, a road trip through the USA and Canada immediately came to mind.

Eastern Canada, with its Great Lakes and beautiful national parks, was supposed to make up the largest part of the route. When I booked my flights, I had a rough idea of Canada and by rough, I mean I knew almost nothing about this fascinating country.

Unfortunately, we did not have much time to plan, so we more or less chose a route by chance. After I published the article with the first details about our road trip, I received many great tips from my readers. Some asked why we had left out the 1000 Islands. Several people told me they were absolutely worth a visit.

Unfortunately, we had already booked most of our overnight stays and did not want to cram even more onto our must-see list. After all, you have to find a way to balance slow travel with a sightseeing marathon.

So we left out the 1000 Islands. Still, the photos I had seen online of the beautiful archipelago stayed with me. Even then, I knew one thing for sure: I had to see the 1000 Islands!

During our trip, we spontaneously decided to take a detour to the 1000 Islands after all and accepted the extra 400 kilometres.

We started at 6 a.m. in Algonquin Provincial Park and drove toward Kingston in the Canadian province of Ontario. This is where the 1000 Islands begin. After five hours of driving, we arrived in Gananoque. The town, pronounced “Gännänockkwee,” is the unofficial capital of the 1000 Islands region and means “town of two rivers” because this is where the Gananoque River flows into the St. Lawrence River.

1000 Islands Helicopter

At the heliport, we met our pilot, Jordan. He led us to a tiny helicopter with room for just four people, including the pilot. I had never sat in such a small helicopter before. What a luxury!

Right away, I had my eye on the brilliant seat beside the pilot. You probably cannot get a better view than that, I thought. Just seconds after the safety briefing, I was already sitting behind the panoramic window, grinning like a kid in a candy store. We put on our headsets and off we went. We lifted off. Aaaaaah!

After only a few metres, we reached the dreamy island landscape and enjoyed a breathtaking view of the 1000 Islands, which are actually made up of 1,864 islands.

Most of the islands are tiny. Small wooden houses and flagpoles stand on them. The scene reminds me of Sweden’s enchanting archipelagos, with the only difference being that the flags here are not blue and yellow, but red and white.

From a height of 350 metres, we saw speedboats racing between the 1000 Islands, leaving white trails behind them.

The dark blue, crystal-clear water sparkled in the sun. The view was breathtaking!

Jordan explained that some of the islands are privately owned, while others can be visited by boat and even stayed on overnight. Most of the islands we flew over belong to Canada. “The USA has fewer islands, but the larger ones,” he told us.

Over the Border Without a Passport

“Do you have your passports with you, girls? We’re now entering the USA!” Although we crossed the national border, we did not, of course, need to have our passports with us in the helicopter. Still, we were no longer in Canadian airspace, but American airspace.

Through my panoramic window, I had a perfect view of the Thousand Islands International Bridge, which crosses the St. Lawrence River and connects Canada with the United States.

Boldt Castle on Heart Island

Heart Island, supposedly the most photographed island in the 1000 Islands, also belongs to the United States. It is home to the charming Boldt Castle. In the early 20th century, George Boldt had the huge estate built for his wife, designed to look like a European castle.

Today, Heart Island is a very popular wedding location. Alternatively, you can also visit the island by boat as a day trip. In that case, however, you really do need a passport and have to go through the usual entry formalities. Heart Island even has a customs house.

Oh, and in case you are wondering what Thousand Island dressing has to do with the 1000 Islands, no one really seems to know for sure. Apparently, it was invented by a fisherman’s wife. In any case, it became famous thanks to George Boldt, who popularized the dressing in New York.

Before we began the return flight to the heliport in Gananoque, Jordan radioed the tower to say we were landing. We lost altitude and touched down very gently on the ground.

Overwhelmed by the experience, I climbed out of the helicopter and was incredibly glad that my readers had recommended the 1000 Islands to me. Without your tips, I might never have thought to fly over this dreamlike island world.