One of the strangest things about travelling around Lake Superior is how quickly you stop thinking of it as a lake.
The horizon disappears beyond the water. Storms generate real surf. Rocky headlands stretch into vast expanses of blue. Beaches can feel more Atlantic than inland, and entire sections of the Canadian shore remain remarkably undeveloped.
For Canadians living in southern Ontario, one of the country’s best road trips may be hiding within their own province.
Begin in Sault Ste. Marie and drive north on Highway 17 toward Wawa. The approximately 230-kilometre stretch between the two communities is regularly described as one of Ontario’s great scenic drives, but completing it in three hours would completely miss the point. Northern Ontario Travel recommends giving the route a full weekend or longer because of the beaches, hiking areas, waterfalls and viewpoints along the way.
The first rule is to stop frequently.
Pull into Batchawana Bay. Visit Chippewa Falls. Stop at the viewpoints where highway and lake suddenly meet. The Group of Seven painted extensively around the Lake Superior region, and interpretive sites along the route help connect familiar Canadian artwork with the actual landscapes that inspired it.
The major destination on this first section is Lake Superior Provincial Park. Give the park at least a full day and preferably two. Walk one of the coastal trails, spend time at beaches and look for opportunities to experience the lake from more than a windshield.
Continue toward Wawa, where the enormous Canada goose may be the obligatory photograph, but it should not become the only reason for stopping. Wawa is a useful base for exploring surrounding waterfalls, lakes and trails, and it marks the transition into an even less densely populated stretch of Northern Ontario.
From Wawa, continue north toward Pukaskwa National Park. This is where the Lake Superior trip becomes considerably wilder. Parks Canada describes Pukaskwa as a landscape of remote granite shorelines, secluded beaches, boreal forest and backcountry hiking and paddling routes.
Travellers do not need to undertake a multi-day expedition to appreciate it. The Hattie Cove area provides access to day hiking, camping and shorter experiences, while more experienced adventurers can investigate the park’s demanding backcountry routes.
If you have enough time, continue around the north shore toward Terrace Bay, Schreiber and Nipigon. Stop frequently because the drive becomes one long sequence of lake views, cliffs and small communities.
Eventually reach Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and Thunder Bay. The Sleeping Giant deserves an entire day for hiking if your fitness and interests allow it. From certain viewpoints, Lake Superior extends so completely toward the horizon that you have to remind yourself you are looking over freshwater.
Spend two nights in Thunder Bay. Visit the waterfront, eat locally and explore the city’s Finnish and northern Ontario influences. A proper Lake Superior road trip should include communities as well as scenery because the region’s identity has been shaped by mining, forestry, railways, shipping and immigration as much as by wilderness.
If you have additional time, continue farther west toward Kakabeka Falls or use Thunder Bay as the turnaround point.
Paddlers should treat Lake Superior with respect. Northern Ontario Travel notes that the Canadian coast stretches for roughly 750 kilometres and includes some remarkably undeveloped shoreline, but the size and exposure of Superior means conditions can change dramatically. Experienced paddlers can find extraordinary routes, while beginners should use established outfitters and guided experiences rather than assuming a calm morning guarantees an easy afternoon.
The strongest version of this road trip takes seven to ten days. Spend the first night in Sault Ste. Marie, two around Lake Superior Provincial Park and Wawa, one or two around Pukaskwa, another night along the north shore and two in Thunder Bay and the Sleeping Giant area.
Autumn may be the most visually dramatic time to drive the route, while summer provides warmer temperatures and longer days for hiking and paddling. Regardless of season, remember that Northern Ontario distances are real. Fuel up when the opportunity appears and do not build an itinerary assuming every twenty minutes will produce another town.
Southern Ontario contains some of Canada’s largest cities.
Drive far enough north, however, and the province becomes something entirely different.
Lake Superior is where Ontario starts feeling enormous.
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