Lake Ontario Circle Tour
Whether starting the circle tour of Lake Ontario from Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Toronto, or Kingston, Ontario or from Buffalo, Rochester, or Watertown, New York, auto-tourists, sailors, and boaters will enjoy visiting the cities, wilderness areas, mountains, lakeshore parks, and lighthouses that they see along the way. Touring the Lake Ontario region is truly an adventure. Because Lake Ontario circle tours cross international borders, circle tourists should bring passports. Visitors also should be prepared to for fishing, hiking, scuba diving, canoeing, kayaking, golfing, birding, and camping.
In addition to circumnavigating Lake Ontario, bicyclists can complete one or two-day biking tours between shoreline communities along both shores of Lake Ontario, which could include peddling from:
- Queenstown to Grimbsy, Ontario
- Hamilton to Oakville, Ontario
- Mississauga to Toronto, Ontario
- Pickering to Haldimand, Ontario
- Haldimand to Picton, Ontario
- Napanee to Brockville, Ontario
Other bicyclists find touring around the Niagara region of Ontario interesting and enjoy visiting St. Catharines, Fort Erie, Welland, and Port Weller. They can follow the Welland Canal, again part of the St. Lawrence Seaway. Another interesting area for peddling is the Kingston, Ontario region.
On the New York side of Lake Ontario, bicyclists can find many interesting trips along the Seaway Trail, but two interesting biking trips includes cycling from Watertown, New York to Sacketts Harbor Battlefield or from Watertown to Fishers Landing and the other communities near The 1000 Islands. There are plenty of campgrounds in the region.
Sailors and boaters doing a circle tour of Lake Ontario can visit many lighthouses and islands that are only accessible by water. The harbors and marinas on Lake Ontario vary depending on the location and community amenities; however, the wind is always brisk, and the fish are always biting.
Auto-tourists in New York State can follow the Lake Ontario shoreline from Niagara Falls to Rochester on Route 18 and the Lake Ontario State Parkway. This route is designated as a scenic highway and passes several state parks, beaches, and campgrounds. East of Rochester, auto-tourists should leave the shoreline and visit the beautiful Finger Lakes Region and the historic Erie Barge Canal by taking scenic Routes 104 and 89. Gaming is available south of Syracuse. Route 104 is a scenic route that follows the Lake Ontario shoreline through Oswego where tourists can visit Fort Ontario. After stopping at Oswego, auto-tourists can wind along the shoreline to Watertown where they can take a detour through the Adirondack Mountains or go to The 1000 Islands. Whatever the choice, there are scenic byways to follow, camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, paddling, and hunting available. In the autumn, the brilliant colors of the changing leaves are spectacular, and in the winter, the Adirondack Mountains are a "winter wonderland" with skiing and other winter sports.
After visiting Watertown and The 1000 Islands, auto-tourists can drive along the St. Lawrence River through Massena and the Mohawk Indian Reservation to Cornwall to continue touring the Canadian Lake Ontario shoreline.
Auto-tourists can take the 401 to Kingston or the more scenic Route 2, which follows the St. Lawrence River. Kingston is a year-round destination city because tourists can visit Old Fort Henry, Wolfe Island, Bellevue National Historic Park, and several nearby provincial parks. In the winter, skiers enjoy visiting Kingston Ski Hills. Boating, sailing, fishing, scuba diving, and birding are available in this region. From Kingston, auto-tourists should continue on scenic Route 2 and view the lighthouses at point Petre, Presqu'ile Point, and Cobourg en route to Toronto where they can enjoy the museums, theatres, zoo, and shopping. Cruises of the harbor and Lake Ontario are available in Toronto. Driving from Toronto to Niagara Falls only takes a couple of hours, but the route goes through the industrial, agricultural, and wine producing regions of Ontario.
Visitors from Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are only a few hours from Lake Ontario as are those from Vermont. They can begin their Lake Ontario adventures from any of the Canadian or New York communities along the route.
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Circle Tours
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