Located at the mouth of Lake Ontario, directly across from the City of Kingston, the largest of the world-renowned Thousand Islands is a natural playground that combines a wealth of activities celebrating the beauty of nature, spectacular views of one of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, and numerous other recreational pastimes.
Just 20 minutes from downtown Kingston and easily accessible by ferry, Wolfe Island combines a thriving local business community featuring unique shopping and dining experiences, together with a world-renowned outdoor leisure environment. The 30,000-acre island, which is 32 kilometres in length and ranges from two to 12 kilometres in width, features rare coastal ecology, beautiful walking and bike trails and ample opportunities for birdwatching, fishing, hunting and sailing.
Among the features of Wolfe Island are the 404-hectare Big Sandy Bay area, which is known for its provincially and regionally significant birds, provincially rare trees and other plant species; two nine-hole golf courses; and three different bicycle routes through winding roads, wetlands and along the coast of Lake Ontario.
There's never a shortage of things to do year-round on Wolfe Island, which also hosts several unique festivals, such as the annual plowing match organized by the Wolfe Island Plowmen's Association, the Scene of the Crime Festival for mystery readers and writers, and the yearly Winter Chili Fest.
Ferries to and from Wolfe Island
There are two different ferries from Wolfe Island that will allow you to travel to Kingston and across the United States border.
WOLFE ISLANDER III
This all-year ferry will take up to 55 cars and 330 passengers per trip to the City of Kingston in just 20 minutes for absolutely free. It starts at the Marysville Dock between approximately April and December, and from the Dawson Point Dock in winter. The ferry's first trip from Wolfe Island is at 5:45 a.m. and the last trip to Kingston is at 1:20 a.m.
When travelling from Kingston to Wolfe Island, you can catch the ferry between 7:15 a.m. and 2 a.m. from the Kingston Terminal, located at the intersection of Ontario Street and Barrack Street.
Expect to wait between one hour and an hour and 20 minutes in between trips. For a full schedule, visit: http://www.wolfeisland.com/ferry.php
HORNE'S FERRY
For quick passage across the U.S. border to Cape Vincent in New York State, you can opt for this commercial ferry service as there is rarely more than a 10-minute wait for U.S. or Canadian customs here. The service operates between May and mid-October and boasts beautiful scenery as it crosses the main channel of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Travellers will take two short ferry trips: the Wolfe Islander III is the first leg of the crossing when travelling from Kingston to Cape Vincent. The whole trip takes roughly one hour.
The ferry operates daily between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. from Wolfe Island, and between 8:15 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. from Cape Vincent.
One-way fares on the ferry are (amounts in Canadian dollars):
Car & driver: $13
Passenger: $2
Motorcycle: $7
For more information, visit: http://hornesferry.com/location/schedule/
Did you know?
- More than 200 species of birds live on Wolfe Island or pass through during their migrations.
- The island is named after General James Wolfe, the British army officer who led a victory against the French in Quebec's Seven Years War, but its original, early Indian name was "Ganounkouesnot," meaning "Long Island Standing Up."
