Mille Roches and Woodlands Beach
NOTE: Woodlands beach is currently closed due to storm damage.
Halfway between Kingston and Montreal, a series of eleven islands sweep in an arc through the St. Lawrence River like a necklace of green jewels. A series of causeways and bridges connect these former hilltops of the Lost Villages. These Villages were flooded to make way for the International Seaway and Power Dam project of 1958. Signs of the ghostly communities still remain on the islands as the former Highway #2 appears out of the shoreline waters to traverse Macdonell Island only to return to the waters on the far shore. Just off the same island is Lock 21, one of the 23 locks of the original canal system, it sits under 30 feet of water; a scuba diver's dream.
The Long Sault Parkway is home to three unique Campgrounds with over 600 campsites (Mille Roches, Woodlands and McLaren), where you can get away from it all in the heart of the river. It also boasts the largest public beach on the St. Lawrence River corridor (Mille Roches), winding bike paths, pristine nature trails, boat launches, picnic areas, scuba diving and remarkable fishing. In fact, Hoople Creek Basin is one of the largest natural Pickerel fish hatcheries and fishing areas in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec. This is a natural paradise, second to none, and it runs through a river only minutes away from Canada's major commercial artery, Highway 401.
Click here for a list of beaches that are currently posted. Each posting has a description of the beach water quality which helps determine whether specific locations are suitable for swimming.