7 things to do in Thunder Bay to enjoy the great outdoors

Thunder Bay is one of northern Ontario’s top destinations for outdoor experiences. From spectacular hiking trails to awe-inspiring canyons and the unequaled power of Lake Superior, this northern Ontario city is a gem waiting to be discovered. There are so many things to do in Thunder Bay and the surrounding area for travelers who love to get outside. Here’s a look at seven perennial favourites, including hiking, sailing, learning about important history, visiting awe-inspiring canyons, and much more.

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Visit Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park

Kakabeka Falls is often dubbed the Niagara of the North. At a height of 40 metres, this spectacular waterfall along the Kaministiquia River is the second-tallest waterfall in Ontario! Since Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is not commercially developed, a visit here provides a sense of being fully immersed in the awesomeness of nature. It’s one of the most popular ways in Thunder Bay to connect with the great outdoors.

Boardwalks surround the falls that let you get close and admire them from all angles. The park also has a small swimming beach, three campgrounds, and a series of approachable hiking trails.

The Mountain Portage Trail is an easy 1.25-kilometre loop trail with a gravel base that’s popular for biking. It connects to the moderately difficult 2.5-kilometre Little Falls Trail loop. The pretty layered waterfall at Little Falls sees dramatic changes in flow level throughout the seasons. If you’re curious about the trail and water flow conditions, check with park staff at the Ontario Parks Store before heading out. It’s located just across the parking lot from the Mountain Portage trailhead.

Get out on the water with Sail Superior

Thunder Bay has long been one of the most important ports on the Great Lakes. This makes the city’s water-based history especially interesting to explore. Sail Superior operates tours out of Prince Arthur’s Landing Marina on the Thunder Bay waterfront. Choose from private and public tours by sailboat, zodiac, and catamaran.

Our tour saw us sail out to the Welcome Islands, where we viewed the lighthouse and the shipwreck of a wooden freighter, the Robert L. Fryer. We returned along the shoreline and learned about the city’s modern history in the shipping industry. Zodiac tours can also visit Porphyry Island and Otter Cove further out on Lake Superior.

Check out Ontario’s answer to the Grand Canyon at Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park

The canyons and gorges that surround Thunder Bay are truly remarkable. To the east of the city, two separate canyons are easily accessible from the highway. One of these is Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, a day-use park located roughly an hour east of Thunder Bay.

A one-kilometre trail leads you to two lookouts over the 150-metre-wide Ouimet Canyon. For visitors with accessibility needs, the trail can be completed as an in-and-out walk along a flat gravel path. If you climb over a short rocky incline, the trail can be completed as a loop. Either way, it’s well worth visiting both lookouts to take in these spectacular views.

While you’re here, take a close look at the canyon floor. Plants native to the tundra in the Canadian north survive in this unique environment, hundreds of kilometres south of their natural habitat!

Visit Ontario’s longest suspension bridge at Eagle Canyon Adventures

Just around the corner from Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, you’ll find Eagle Canyon Adventures. This park is home to a pair of suspension bridges, including the longest in Ontario and the second-longest in Canada! The longer suspension bridge is 182 metres or 600 feet long and hangs 46 metres (152 feet) above the canyon floor.

Upon entering Eagle Canyon Adventures, you’ll start your visit by walking up a steep hill. You’ll then cross a shorter 91-metre (300-foot) suspension bridge that hangs 38 metres (125 feet) above Eagle Canyon. After a short hike, you’ll get to cross the longest suspension bridge in Canada. You can then return to the entrance or walk down a set of stairs to hike along the canyon floor. Shuttles are available from the gift shop to the bridges for those with accessibility needs.

Enjoy both canyons together as a day trip together for the best experience.

Fort William Historical Park is fascinating to explore

Forts and trading posts defined early Canada as colonization expanded west. Thunder Bay’s position on the northwest shores of Lake Superior once made it a critical stopover between inland trading posts and the Great Lakes canoe routes used by the Voyageurs.

Explore this amazing history at Fort William Historical Park, a living-history reconstruction of the North West Company’s inland headquarters that once sat on the shores of Mission Island, just a few kilometres from the modern-day site.

Experience French-Canadian life as it was lived at this historic trading post in 1815. Learn about the era’s food and shelter, commerce, and the political wrangling that shaped Canada’s earliest days. You’ll spend most of your day outdoors as you walk between the fort’s structures. You can extend this time outdoors further by walking to the site from the welcome centre along the beautiful nature trail.

Fort William Historical Park hosts numerous festivals and events throughout the summer. It’s also home to a 39-site campground with serviced and unserviced sites open from mid-May to mid-October. Not only is Fort William Historical Park one of the top things to do in Thunder Bay, it’s also among the top historical attractions in Ontario!

Interested in taking a camping road trip? Check out our Lake Superior camping tips >

Tackle a bucket-list hike at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

As home to some of the steepest cliffs in the province, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is one of Ontario’s top hiking destinations. Many hikers rank it among the top things to do in Thunder Bay based on the Top of the Giant Trail alone. This very challenging full-day hike rewards those who tackle it with spectacular and iconic views over Lake Superior.

The Top of the Giant Trail is very difficult and demands that you arrive prepared. The initial 7.6 kilometres along the Kabeyun Trail and South Talus Lake Trail are easy and relatively flat, but the 3.3-kilometre Top of the Giant Trail itself involves many steep inclines and staircases. You’ll climb for 2.1 km before reaching the bench at the top of the stairs. From there, it’s another 1.2 km from there to the lookouts at the top.

Once you reach the top, the payoff is great. The views from the Tee Harbour Lookout, the top-down perspective of the Giant, and The Gorge are absolutely spectacular. These are linear trails, so once you’re done taking in the breathtaking vistas, you’ll need to hike back the way you came for another 11 km to return to the trailhead.

You don’t need to be an athlete to complete the Top of the Giant Trail. However, you do need to be well-prepared before setting out. By following a few key tips, you can enjoy a successful day and earn the right to say you conquered the Giant.

Tips for hiking the Top of the Giant Trail at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Consider a late summer or autumn visit

When tackling the most challenging trails at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, it helps when conditions are working in your favour. While the park’s trails are open throughout the summer, you’ll typically find the best hiking conditions in late summer and early autumn. From late August through September, daytime temperatures are lower, rains are less frequent, and mosquitoes aren’t as active.

Adjust your plans to the conditions

It’s better to visit the park on a different day than to regret deciding to press on partway through a challenging hike. Consider working some flexibility into your itinerary in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. This will let you rearrange your visit and hike on a different day if the one you originally planned for is especially rainy or hot.

Ensure you have at least 10 hours of daylight

According to Ontario Parks, most hikers take 6 to 10 hours to complete the Top of the Giant Trail. It’s important to know there’s little to no cell coverage within Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. If you’re still on the trail once darkness falls, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to call for help easily. Start your hike as early in the day as possible to ensure you’ll have enough daylight for your return trip. The sun sets earlier in August and September, so you’ll need to push your start time earlier if you visit later in the season.

Always hike in pairs or groups

Although you’re likely to pass plenty of fellow hikers along this well-travelled trail, it’s still considered wilderness hiking. Hiking in pairs or groups is strongly advised for your safety. One important reason for this is to deter the bears that live in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Talking loudly with your companions, playing music, or tying a bear bell to your backpack will alert bears and other animals to your presence and avoid unpleasant encounters.

Dress and pack wisely to hike the Top of the Giant Trail

To get through this trail, you’ll need very sturdy, comfortable hiking shoes or boots and breathable clothing in layers. You’ll also want to protect yourself with a hat, sunscreen, and bug spray. (Even later in the season, there will likely be enough bugs to be bothersome.) Pack a light backpack with a hearty lunch, plenty of quality high-protein snacks, and candies to help maintain your blood sugar levels. Bring at least three to four litres of water per person, ideally more.

Consider biking a portion of the trail

The hardest part of the Top of the Giant Trail is the stairs. The second-hardest part is the final 5-kilometre push back to the parking lot. As much as it’s an achievement to say you hiked the entire distance, the Kabeyun Trail has few meaningful landmarks and isn’t nearly as scenic as the Top of the Giant Trail.

One popular way to reduce the total hiking time to the Top of the Giant Trail is to go through the initial flat portion on a bicycle. The section from the South Kabeyun trailhead to the Talus Lake Trail is a relatively flat and gravel-lined former service road that’s well-suited to biking. There are bike racks available at the Talus Lake trailhead where you can lock up before you continue on to the Top of the Giant Trail.

Use the bike racks to stow some of your gear

This is a favourite tip among Thunder Bay locals. To make your climb to the Top of the Giant Trail a little easier, you can repack your belongings and leave items at the bike racks that you won’t need during the trail’s steepest section. This might include a portion of your snacks or water, and your bug spray if the mosquitoes aren’t too active. You’ll have less weight to carry on the most difficult section of the trail, and you’ll be very glad to rediscover those snacks and water bottles when you get back!

Consider a shorter hike

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is home to a network of more than 100 kilometres of hiking trails. Choosing a difficult one is not mandatory! The park has plenty of great trails that are shorter and less challenging.

One great option is the shorter hike along the Kabeyun Trail to the Sea Lion Lookout. This 2.4-kilometre linear hike takes roughly an hour round-trip and leads to a beautiful rock arch formation in Perry Bay. You could also consider an easy or moderate loop trail such as the Sibley Creek Nature Trail, the Joe Creek Nature Trail, or the Ravine Lake Nature Trail.

Take a side trip to Silver Islet

Past the boundary of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park on the south end of the Sibley Peninsula, you’ll find the village of Silver Islet. This was once a mining community for the island of the same name, where silver was extracted from beneath Lake Superior from the early 1870s until the shafts were flooded in 1884. Ontario Parks has an interesting blog post about the history of the Silver Islet mine. Today, the Silver Islet General Store has been restored and offers a small café and local merchandise.

Silver Islet sits at the western boundary of Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, a section of Superior that’s administered and protected by Parks Canada. The NMCA launched a new canoe excursion in the summer of 2024 called Silver & Stone, where you’ll paddle in a Voyageur canoe and learn more about the rise and fall of the world’s richest silver mine. We haven’t yet taken part in this experience, but we’ll share more about it once we do.

Learn more about Lava to Lake, Parks Canada’s Terrace Bay Lake Superior kayaking tour >

Honour a great Canadian at the Terry Fox Monument

A monument is an untraditional recommendation as an outdoor experience, but we’re willing to bend the rules for this one. Terry Fox is one of Canada’s greatest heroes, and it’s very important that the brave story of his Marathon of Hope is never forgotten. On September 1, 1980, Fox had nearly reached Thunder Bay when he was forced to stop running due to worsening health. The cancer that began in his leg had spread into his lungs, and Fox died on June 28, 1981.

To this day, the annual Terry Fox Run continues to raise funds for cancer research and remains the largest single-day fundraiser in the world.

The point where Fox stopped his run after 143 days and 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles) is commemorated with a sign on the Trans-Canada Highway, 4 kilometres west of the present-day Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout. Whether you’re a Canadian who’s heard about Terry Fox all your life or a visitor who’s just learning about his legacy, the Terry Fox Memorial is an important place to pause and reflect.

The lookout also offers a breathtaking view of the city and Lake Superior. You’ll find it just off the westbound Trans-Canada Highway at the eastern city limits of Thunder Bay.

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