Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay: A Lake Superior road trip

Lake Superior’s Canadian shore is expansive, spectacular, unspoiled, and untamed. A road trip along the 700 kilometres of highway from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay beckons with breathtaking landscapes and awe-inspiring nature experiences. Enjoy family-owned accommodations, a variety of campgrounds, artisan markets, and opportunities to learn from the Anishinaabe people who for centuries have called Superior’s shores home.

Long before the world’s largest freshwater lake was known as Lake Superior, it was called gichi-gami. From Anishinaabemowin, this translates to “great sea.” It’s a perfect name. If someone dropped you into a Lake Superior road trip without context, you could easily mistake it for an ocean. From its shores, the only hint that the sea is thousands of kilometres away is the lack of salt in the air.

From the cozy communities to some of Ontario’s best provincial parks, the incredible vistas you’ll find on a road trip along Ontario’s Highway 17 make it one of Canada’s top off-the-radar drives. Read on to learn about the many opportunities to explore along the route.

I’ve visited most locations along this route multiple times. In August 2024, I contributed to a sponsored campaign with Visit Thunder Bay. On a separate occasion, park admission and overnight campground stays were provided by Parks Canada and Ontario Parks. I’ve also explored sections of this route on my own. This content was not subject to approval before publication.

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Beginning your drive from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay

If you live in any of the closest major Canadian cities to Lake Superior, you’ll need a full day to reach its shores. Take a look at the map above for reference. From Toronto, it will take you 7.5 hours to reach Sault Ste. Marie, while driving from Ottawa will take roughly 8 hours. From Winnipeg, it will take 8 hours to arrive in Thunder Bay.

This drive is presented in order from east to west, as most road trippers would drive through it when approaching from Southern Ontario. If you’re arriving from the west, you’ll encounter these sites in reverse order.

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Sault Ste. Marie: A Lake Superior road trip gateway

At the point where Lake Superior narrows and eventually empties into Lake Huron, you’ll find Sault Ste. Marie. This city — affectionately known by many Ontarians as “the Soo” — has long been a critically important shipping thoroughfare. This heritage is open for exploration at the Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site.

If you have time on your way into town, Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site sits at the southernmost point of St. Joseph Island just outside the city. The pastoral drive across the island to the ruins of Upper Canada’s most westerly fort, and the chance to hike to where two Great Lakes meet, makes for an educational day-long side trip.

If you want to catch the earliest possible glimpse of Lake Superior as you begin your journey, take Highway 550 west out of town to see the lake at Whitefish Bay from the Gros Cap Bluffs. But this isn’t strictly necessary: head north on the Trans-Canada Highway, and it won’t be long before gichi-gami dominates your roadside views.

Pancake Bay Provincial Park has one of Ontario’s best beaches

Located roughly an hour north of Sault Ste. Marie, Pancake Bay Provincial Park has hundreds of campsites. It’s wildly popular for its beach, which is three kilometres long! Were it not for the pine trees, you might be convinced you’d been transported directly to the Caribbean.

Another two kilometres north from the park’s entrance, you’ll find the trailhead for the Lookout Trail. Here, you can hike for 3.5 kilometres one-way to a lookout over Pancake Bay, which is the final resting place of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald. This freighter sank in a horrific storm in November 1975, an event memorialized in the song The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Canadian folk singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.

The Lookout Trail offers a chance to honour one of Superior’s most legendary shipwrecks as well as the bard who shared its story with the world. The entire trail system here is rated intermediate to difficult and is 14 kilometres long. It can take up to seven hours to complete. If you hike directly to see the panoramic views from the lookout platforms, the return trip covers a seven-kilometre loop and takes two to three hours to complete, depending on your pace.

Lake Superior Provincial Park is an essential stop

A drive on Highway 17 will inevitably take you through Lake Superior Provincial Park. Set aside plenty of time for this portion of the drive. It’s just as picturesque as any of Canada’s famous coastal roads.

When you’re heading northbound from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay, the first major sector of the park you’ll encounter is Agawa Bay. Stop in at the visitor centre to pay your entry fee and, if you’re a collector, pick up your Ontario Parks crest. (If you’re approaching the park from the north, bring cash: you’ll need to buy a permit at one of the self-serve kiosks.)

Agawa Bay is best known for the Agawa Rock Pictographs. A short but demanding hike takes you to a granite cliff face. Anishinaabe have been visiting this place for centuries, leaving evidence in the form of paintings. If the water level is low, you may be able to walk out and see several paintings from the shore. If it’s higher, you may need to get wet and use the chains provided to climb across the rocks. Either way, please visit respectfully as this is a sacred place for Indigenous peoples.

Another popular stop within the park is Old Woman Bay. It’s named after the profile of a face visible in a distant cliff at the bay’s edge. It’s a beautiful place to stop for a peaceful walk along the tree-lined beach.

Wawa and White River have great stories to tell

Just after you leave Lake Superior Provincial Park and continue northbound, the Trans-Canada Highway veers inland. It stays there for nearly 200 kilometres, offering several interesting stops along the way.

The town of Wawa’s name translates to “wild goose” in Anishinaabemowin. This is why an iconic statue of a Canada goose welcomes visitors at the junction of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 101. Another famous Canadian folk singer, Stompin’ Tom Connors, shared her story in a song called Little Wawa. She watches over the section of the Trans-Canada that completed the route around Lake Superior when it opened in 1960.

Before the highway was completed from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay, people traveled through the area by train. This factoid brings us to another well-known location, roughly an hour up the road in White River. An orphaned black bear cub was purchased on the town’s train station platform for $20 in 1914 by a British veterinarian named Lt. Harry Colebourn. He named her Winnie and took her back to England, where she became a favourite exhibit at the London Zoo.

One young visitor to the zoo, Christopher Robin Milne, took a particular liking to Winnie. Their relationship inspired his father, A.A. Milne, to write the book Winnie-the-Pooh. Thus, one of the world’s most beloved children’s characters was born. Did you know Winnie the Pooh was Canadian? Be sure to stop and say hello to Winnie the Pooh at his commemorative roadside attraction in White River.

Pukaskwa National Park is a Parks Canada gem

As you drive through Wawa and White River, you’re passing to the east of Pukaskwa National Park. To enter the park by road, you’ll approach it from the north. When the Trans-Canada meets the lake again just east of Marathon, turn south onto Highway 627. After driving through Pic River First Nation, you’ll reach the main gate and Hattie Cove Campground.

Pukaskwa National Park, pronounced “PUCK-uh-saw,” is one of the most underappreciated gems of Canada’s national park system. Fewer than 20,000 people visit annually on average. Demand is low enough that the traditional campsites in Hattie Cove Campground are first come, first stay. (If you’d prefer to have a secure booking before you arrive, Hattie Cove has five oTENTik sites available.)

Hikers and paddlers of all ages will find Pukaskwa to be a paradise. Several one to three-hour hikes start from the Hattie Cove campground. We chose two short hikes.

Try these wonderful, approachable hikes at Pukaskwa National Park

The Fire Walk trailhead is just beside the visitor centre. It’s dotted with interpretive panels that explain how a deliberately lit forest fire is helping conservation experts learn about natural renewal processes.

The Manito Miikana trail is an intermediate one to two-hour partial loop hike to a pair of observation decks over Lake Superior. On the way, you’ll see the signature rocky outcroppings and windswept pines of the Canadian Shield.

Paddlers can launch into Hattie Cove from the base of the south campground. This is a serene portion of Lake Superior that’s protected from its harsher elements. The Boardwalk Beach trail leads to Horseshoe Beach, where the sheltered waters are warm enough for swimming later in the summer.

Those with more time and experience can try the White River Suspension Bridge trail. It takes a full day to complete the eight- to nine-hour, 18 km return hike. At the end, you’ll reach a suspension bridge that hangs 23 metres above the Chigamiwinigum Falls! For a multi-day hike in Pukaskwa National Park, take on the Mdaabii Miikna backcountry loop or the 60-kilometre Coastal Hiking Trail.

Engage in reconciliation at Pukaskwa National Park

The park also offers several ways to engage with the region’s Anishinaabe culture. The Bimose Kinoomagewnan trail is a two-hour hike around Halfway Lake. Bimose Kinoomagewnan means “Walk of Teachings” in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabe people. Along this hike you’ll learn about the Seven Grandfather Teachings and read stories from elders about love, honesty, respect, wisdom, truth, humility, and bravery.

The Anishinaabe camp, located near the visitor centre, hosts interpretive events. Here, you can hear from local residents about their culture and traditional practices. A beautiful Anishinaabe drum circle, led by a member of Pic River First Nation, took place during our visit.

Our host started with a smudging ceremony and then invited us to drum along as she sang traditional music about the Seven Grandfather Teachings. She ended by serving a healing cedar tea made from boughs plucked with offering and gratitude from a tree nearby. This activity is a precious opportunity to learn and engage in the important process of reconciliation.

Pukaskwa National Park’s season runs from mid-May to October. An visit later in the season provides a better chance for warmer waters and relief from mosquitoes. But whenever you visit, you’ll find it’s a jewel well worth appreciating.

Neys Provincial Park is home to a stunningly beautiful beach

Once you leave Pukaskwa National Park and rejoin the Trans-Canada Highway headed west, you’ve traveled roughly half the distance from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay. From here, much of Superior’s shoreline is protected by federal and provincial parks.

The first such space you’ll encounter is Neys Provincial Park, located just west of Marathon. Prisoner Cove offers a beautiful swimming beach. Its name comes from a fascinating history. Between 1941 and 1946, this land was a World War II prisoner-of-war camp. A few small remnants of the camp remain in the campground today.

Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area protects these important waters

Just over half an hour west of Neys Provincial Park is the next-closest major settlement, Terrace Bay. The shoreline here marks the start of the waters protected by Parks Canada in the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area. The protected area extends from here to the end of the Sibley Peninsula near Thunder Bay and south from these boundaries to the U.S. border.

Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area is one of the largest federally protected sections of fresh water on the planet. It oversees hundreds of species and the area’s water quality, which is critical to the health of all the Great Lakes.

Start your visit to the NMCA by dropping in at the new visitor centre at the Terrace Bay Beach Pavilion. Here, you can learn more about the NMCA and pick up maps for the extensive network of hiking trails available along the coastline.

This pavilion is also the starting point for Parks Canada’s A Paddle Through Time kayaking tour on Lake Superior. During this two-hour tour, you’ll learn about the amazing geology on Lake Superior’s north shore. See the remnants of a meteor strike, dip your paddle into impossibly clear water, spot evidence of the ice age, and learn about rocks that are billions of years old!

The best part about this tour is you don’t need to be an expert kayaker to take part. Parks Canada supplies the kayaks, PFDs, and all mandatory safety equipment. Just bring a water bottle, a light snack, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, pants and shoes you don’t mind getting wet, and warm clothing in several layers as the air is several degrees colder on the open water. Parks Canada’s A Paddle Through Time kayaking tour has quickly become one of the top things to do in Terrace Bay, Ontario.

Before you leave Terrace Bay, stop at the Aguasabon Falls and Gorge, a must-see lookout that’s a quick detour off the Trans-Canada Highway.

Explore the towns and villages on Lake Superior’s north shore

Next, stop in the village of Schreiber to visit the beautiful pebbled beach. It’s lined with accessibility paths to make the beach available to everyone.

In Rossport, you can hike the Rossport Coastal Trail, see the colourful B&Bs, and take a kayaking excursion. (Note kayaking on Lake Superior is classified as sea kayaking. The waters can be quite rough, and foul weather can cause departures to be cancelled. Unfortunately, this happened to us during our stay. We’ll share more about this excursion once we’ve had a chance to experience it.)

Nipigon is another available stop along the shores of the NMCA. Here, you can climb the observation tower for views of Lake Superior and the Nipigon River. Send little ones to play at Paddle to the Sea Park, a 12-station playground that takes young visitors through the adventures of a child’s hand-carved canoe as it journeys to the ocean. The Red Rock Marina Interpretive Centre has an exhibit area where kids can go critter dipping in the lake and check out a submarine simulation.

Thunder Bay is one of Ontario’s top outdoor adventure destinations

You’ve made it to Thunder Bay! This Northern Ontario city has long been important as a trading post, a port, and a gateway to Canada’s west. Today, it’s also earned a reputation as one of Ontario’s top destinations for outdoor adventure enthusiasts. It’s a fabulous place to wrap up a Lake Superior road trip!

Some of the outdoor highlights in and around Thunder Bay include Ontario’s second-highest waterfall at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, world-class hiking at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ontario’s longest suspension bridge at Eagle Canyon Adventures, and the awe-inspiring cliffs at Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park.

You can also explore the area’s waters and islands with Sail Superior or learn about its important history as a trading post at Fort William Historical Park. Don’t forget to stop and pay tribute to one of Canada’s true heroes at the Terry Fox Memorial. You’ll encounter as you enter the city from the east on the Trans-Canada Highway.

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How to continue on from your Lake Superior road trip

Less than an hour south of Thunder Bay, Highway 61 guides travelers to the U.S. border at Minnesota. This crossing marks the westernmost Canadian point of the Lake Superior road trip.

From here, you can continue into Minnesota or west toward Manitoba. If you’ll be returning to the east, this is one drive you won’t mind seeing twice on one trip. You also have the option to return to Central and Southern Ontario via Highway 11 for a different perspective.

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