Brockville and the Thousand Islands Parkway on the Toronto–Montréal Run

Most people drive the Toronto–Montréal corridor as one long blur of Highway 401, with a coffee stop somewhere around Kingston or Cornwall. That is a pity, because between Kingston and Cornwall, the 401 runs next to one of the best stretches of the St. Lawrence River. Brockville sits on that stretch, and the Thousand Islands Parkway runs west from it along the water toward Gananoque.

This article is written from the curb: where Brockville is on the route, which stops are worth getting out for, where a car can pull in, and how to fit a proper stop into a drive without losing the day. It is useful whether you hire a chauffeur or drive yourself, and it ties in with our Toronto to Montréal car service page for guests who are travelling the whole corridor.

Is Brockville a good place to break the Toronto–Montréal drive?

The distance figures for Brockville vary slightly between sources because they measure to different points in the city, so treat them as planning numbers. The Toronto–Montréal total of about 541 km and its five-and-a-half to six-and-a-half-hour range are the figures we use for the whole corridor. If you want the booker to confirm the timing for your own pickup address, it shows the exact fare and route before you pay.

Where Brockville sits on the 401

Brockville is on Highway 401 on the north shore of the St. Lawrence, between Kingston and Cornwall. The distances you need are:

• Toronto to Brockville: about 335–340 km, roughly 3.5 hours without a stop.
• Kingston to Brockville: about 80 km, usually under an hour. Our Kingston limo service covers the city end of this stretch.
• Brockville to Ottawa: about 110 km by the highways.
• Brockville to Montréal: about 220 km, roughly two hours, a little more if you cross into Québec at rush hour.

That makes Brockville handy for three different trips: a stop in the middle of Toronto–Montréal, a stop on the Kingston–Ottawa leg, or a day trip in its own right. If you are doing the Ottawa side of the corridor, see our Ottawa to Montréal route page.

What is there to do in Brockville itself?

The tourism office lists a good mix, and several of the best things are close together on the waterfront.

• Brockville Railway Tunnel. Described by local tourism as Canada's first railway tunnel, built between 1854 and 1860. The passage is about half a kilometre long, fully accessible, free to explore and has a sound and light show.
• Aquatarium. A 27,000-square-foot interactive discovery centre with hands-on exhibits and live river animals. It is a short walk from the tunnel.
• Fulford Place. A 20,000-square-foot Edwardian mansion that was home to Senator George T. Fulford, with Olmsted-designed gardens.
• 1000 Islands & Seaway Cruises. Sightseeing and sunset cruises on the St. Lawrence covering the region's history, shipwrecks and island mansions.
• Kayak and paddleboard rentals. At St. Lawrence Park, in partnership with a local adventure centre.
• Brockville Islands. Islands the city owns and opens to the public for boating and camping.

Brockville's Visitor Centre is at 16 Market Street East, and the city's tourism site is the place to confirm current hours for each attraction. Hours for the tunnel in particular differ between sources, so check before you plan a late arrival.

For all of these, Brockville Tourism is the official source.

What is the Thousand Islands Parkway?

The Thousand Islands Parkway is a scenic road beside the St. Lawrence that runs between Gananoque and the Brockville area. Depending on where you start counting, tourism sources give its length as a little over 37 km up to about 40 km. It runs close to the river for most of the way, and a paved recreational trail runs alongside it, separated from the road by a median.

The Parkway is not a motorway, and it is not meant to be one. It is a scenic road with the trail alongside and a series of stops along the water. The 401 is the quick route between the same points; the Parkway is the slower, much nicer one. The difference is about the same as the difference between a transfer and a trip.

Stops along the Parkway, from Brockville toward Gananoque

Heading west from Brockville, the stops that local guides name are:

1. Butternut Bay. Near the Brockville end, where the paved trail connects with the off-road cycling route.
2. Brown's Bay. A small waterfront stop.
3. Mallorytown Landing. The main national park site on the route (see below).
4. Rockport. A small riverside community along the river.
5. Ivy Lea. The Canadian end of the international bridge to New York State, and a classic photo stop.
6. Gananoque. The town at the western end of the Parkway.

You do not have to stop at all of them. A good plan is one stop for the water (Brown's Bay or Ivy Lea), one for Mallorytown Landing and a break in Gananoque or Brockville.

Thousand Islands National Park and Mallorytown Landing

Parks Canada runs Thousand Islands National Park along this stretch of the river. Its islands are reached by boat only, so for a car-based visit the main mainland point is Mallorytown Landing, at 2 County Road 5 in Mallorytown.

Parks Canada's page for the park lists the islands' facilities as open from 15 May to 12 October in 2026, with self-serve registration, and notes that the Mallorytown Landing visitor centre office is closed. Dates and services change from year to year, and some facilities are limited outside the main season. Check the Parks Canada visitor information page for the current year before you plan the stop.

For a car trip, the practical advice is simple. Mallorytown Landing is a landing, a lookout and a walk, not a full-day destination unless you plan to go onto the water. Plan 45–90 minutes there, depending on how much you want to walk.

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The curb: where a car can and cannot stop

This is the part most travel pages skip.

• In Brockville. The waterfront attractions are concentrated close together, so one parking spot or drop-off point does for the tunnel, the Aquatarium and the cruise dock. The chauffeur confirms the best spot on the day, because waterfront parking changes with events and the season. The Visitor Centre at 16 Market Street East is the best first stop if you are unsure.
• On the Parkway. The recreational trail is a separate path with a median; cars do not use it. Stop only at the marked parking areas and viewpoints, not on the roadway.
• At Mallorytown Landing. There is a parking area and, in the open season, washrooms during limited hours. Because the visitor centre office is closed, do not plan around staff-led information.
• At Ivy Lea. The bridge to New York State begins here on the Canadian side. A drive to the bridge is a lookout, not a crossing; if you do intend to cross into the United States, you need valid travel documents (a passport or NEXUS, for example), and the Canada Border Services Agency posts the wait times for Lansdowne (Thousand Islands Bridge) on its border wait times page. Our cross-border limo page explains the document and timing rules.

Fitting Brockville into the Toronto–Montréal run

The mistake people make is treating the stop as a coffee break. Treat it as a two-hour block instead and the day runs better.

A workable plan for a Toronto-to-Montréal travel day:

1. Early start from Toronto. About 3.5 hours to Brockville.
2. Late morning in Brockville (about 90 minutes). The railway tunnel is quick, the Aquatarium takes longer, and lunch fits in the waterfront area.
3. Optional Parkway detour (add 1–2 hours). Drive west along the Parkway to Mallorytown Landing, then return east, or end the day in Gananoque.
4. Continue to Montréal. Roughly two hours from Brockville.

You can see why we prefer to build the stop into the booking rather than ask the driver to improvise: the chauffeur then plans the break, tells you how long the next leg is and does not leave you stuck behind a late arrival at the border of Québec. Service in Québec is in English and French.

Seasons and weather

• May to mid-October. The main season for cruises, kayaking and the island facilities. Parks Canada's 2026 island facilities dates, for example, run from mid-May to mid-October.
• Fall. Fall colour along the river is a draw, and the weekends are busy.
• Winter. Many seasonal attractions and cruises close or reduce hours. Confirm winter hours for the tunnel and every other attraction with the tourism office before you set out.

A river fog or a summer thunderstorm can change a Parkway day. If the weather turns, Brockville's indoor attractions are the reserve plan: the Aquatarium, Fulford Place and the tunnel are all roofed.

Groups, families and accessibility

The railway tunnel is described as fully accessible, which is good for mixed-ability groups. Fulford Place is a historic mansion, so ask the museum about access. For families, child, toddler and booster seats are available on request at booking. For group travel along the corridor, the Luxury SUV seats up to 6, the Executive Sprinter 12–14, and larger vehicles are confirmed at booking. If you are travelling with a lot of luggage on a Toronto–Montréal run, tell the booker, because the vehicle and the stop are planned together.

Honest alternatives: train, coach, rental or driving yourself

For a stop in Brockville, the real alternatives look like this.

If you travel alone and the Parkway is not on your list, a train to Brockville is the honest winner. The Parkway is the kind of place where a car makes the whole difference: the train cannot take you to Mallorytown Landing or Rockport. If you only want to see a river mansion or a sunset, the cruise, not the car, is the main event. For a related river-based day, see our guide to a Thousand Islands boat cruise day and the Kingston-to-Ottawa Rideau Canal route.

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