Wanna go camping in Lake Superior?
The north shore of Lake Superior ranks among Canada’s great driving routes. Travelling the Trans Canada Highway between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie gives us access to a treasure trove of stunning landscapes, wild rivers, waterfalls, canoe routes, history, and hiking trails galore. Many key areas are preserved in parks, including a variety of Ontario Provincial Parks and the beautiful Pukaskwa National Park as well.
If ever a route was tailor-made for camping, this would be it. Park campgrounds allow us to stay in the midst of the best that nature has to offer, where we can look out our tent door next to the beach and watch the sun setting over the world’s largest lake.
These are some of our favourite parks for camping in Superior Lake.
Parks of the Thunder Bay Area
A short drive west of Thunder Bay, Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is home to the second-highest falls in Ontario where the Kaministiquia River plunges 40 metres into a breathtaking gorge. Boardwalks run on top and along both sides of the falls, allowing for some impressive close-up views.
Many visitors stop at the falls for a quick visit while driving through, but we think that when it comes to camping in Lake Superior, staying overnight at the park campground is worthwhile. If you’re a photographer, it provides a great chance to see the falls throughout the day, with changing light conditions bringing a completely different look to the falls. With a longer stay, you can also wander farther afield, such as along the old portage route used during the fur trade.
For a great side trip while staying at Kakabeka Falls, or anywhere in the Thunder Bay area, plan a visit to Pigeon River Provincial Park, about an hour’s drive south. It’s the most westerly provincial park bordering Lake Superior and lies next to the border with Minnesota. This park is for day use only.
Just before the Pigeon River flows into Lake Superior, it plunges over 28-metre High Falls on the Ontario/Minnesota border. While various short hikes are possible in the park, the popular two-kilometre High Falls Trail winds through beautiful forested Canadian Shield country leading to the falls.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
The massive Sleeping Giant formation dominates the landscape around Thunder Bay, with great views of it right from the city. But to get up close and personal with the Giant, a visit to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is in order.
It encompasses a huge area with wildlife-rich forest and small protected interior lakes where the pleasant Marie Louise Lake Campground is located. Viewpoints abound, but for unobstructed perspectives of the lake and city beyond, it’s tough to beat the Thunder Bay Lookout with its boardwalk platform that extends right over the edge of the high cliffs.
Over 100 kilometres of trails wind through the area. The most famous, and in our view, the best day hike anywhere along Lake Superior’s shore, heads to the Top of the Giant. It’s around 23 kilometres return, including a short detour to see the impressive Sea Lion rock formation, a natural rock arch, along the way. Allow plenty of time for the strenuous parts of the trail that climb the tall cliffs. The reward for all this effort? Stunning and uninterrupted views from the top of the giant’s knees as you stand at the very edge of a deep gorge lined with perfectly vertical walls. It’s one of the most iconic images of the region.
Travelling between Thunder Bay and Nipigon, take the short side trip to Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park. Allow about a half hour to walk the 1.8-kilometre trail offering sweeping views over a 150-metre-wide gorge with sheer cliffs dropping 100 metres to the canyon floor. Despite the magnificent scenery, it’s far enough off the highway that it doesn’t attract the same traffic as other parks. This park is for day use only.
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park is about 80 km east of Nipigon and is a great place for camping in Lake Superior. Each of the park’s two sections has a campground. We chose the small Rossport Campground because it is right on the Lake Superior shoreline with fantastic views.
The larger Whitesand Lake Campground is about five kilometres farther east along the highway and slightly inland. Those more interested in swimming and other watersports in the warmer inland waters often opt for this park. Rainbow Falls starts at the outlet of Whitesand Lake, where we can take a short trail that follows the numerous drops of the falls, which are so extensive that you can’t see them all at once. The “Rainbow” name comes from the various colours in the rocks and lichen.
Neys Provincial Park
Neys Provincial Park, about 45 kilometres east of Terrace Bay, merits a stop of at least a couple of nights. It combines one of Lake Superior’s finest beaches with history, excellent trails, and landscapes made famous by the Group of Seven.
Try to snag a campsite right next to the beach for outstanding views, although most sites are fairly close to the lakeshore. Beaches strewn with driftwood, massive rocky outcroppings, and colourful pebbly beaches are a short stroll away. For an easy walk, take the Dune Trail, a 1.3-kilometre interpretive walk that looks at the delicate vegetation of the dune ecosystem. The 1.6-km Lookout Trail heads up into the rocky highlands with views over the lake.
Another walk takes us to Prisoner’s Point and an interesting era in the park’s history. During World War II, German prisoners of war were kept here and put to work in a logging camp.
A longer hike goes to Pic Island Overlook where Group of Seven artists Lawren Harris came to paint “Pic Island”, which became one of his most famous works.
Pukaskwa National Park
Not far from the town of Marathon, Pukaskwa National Park preserves 135 kilometres of spectacular coastline with ancient granite bedrock, mixed forest, sandy beaches, and non-stop scenery, making it an excellent choice for camping in Lake Superior. The only road leads to Hattie Cove, home to the park’s campground, visitor centre, and trailheads. There are no roads in the park. From here you get around by walking or paddling.
Several wonderful day hikes cross the peninsulas jutting into the lake, with beaches and cliffs lining Hattie Bay. Many short trails are linked, so you can combine them for a longer hike. Our favourite is the 2.2-kilometre Southern Headland Trail, starting near the visitor centre and then climbing the rocky hills overlooking Hattie Cove. At the top, we find a pair of Parks Canada’s famous red chairs, the perfect spot to rest and take in the coastal views. It’s no wonder that gorgeous scenes like these inspired artists such as the Group of Seven.
From the trailhead at Hattie Cove, serious backcountry hikers can start the famous 60-kilometre Coastal Hiking Trail, considered among Canada’s top backpacking routes.
Our top choice of must-dos in Pukaskwa is the 18-kilometre return day trip to the White River Suspension Bridge. Since it’s also the first section of the Coastal Hiking Trail, we get a taste of this storied route. The trail weaves through the forest and beside the lakeshore. You’ll hear the roar of whitewater well before arriving. Stepping onto the bridge, we gaze straight down through the open steel mesh floor to frothing Chigamiwinigum Falls, 23 metres below. As far as we can see in both directions, the White River thunders and cascades down the deep narrow gorge.
Lake Superior Provincial Park
Stretched along the eastern shore between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior Provincial Park is the largest of the provincial parks. This was the last section of the Trans Canada Highway to be completed because of the challenges of road building in this rugged and wild landscape.
Today it preserves a wilderness paradise with canoe routes, beaches, camping, scenic viewpoints, and several hiking trails. Each of the two main campgrounds has its drawing points. The more northerly Rabbit Blanket Campground sits next to a scenic inland lake with some great nearby hikes, along with canoeing, fishing and other activities. The more southerly Agawa Bay Campground extends along a magnificent stretch of beach and is close to the impressive park Visitor Centre with extensive displays on what makes Lake Superior so special.
While there are endless things to see and do in the park, two in particular stood out for us. One is the hike along the Sand River, which follows an impressive series of rapids and waterfalls along the wild waterway. The hike is one-way so you return on the same route. This allows you to go as far as you like – make it a short stroll to the first couple of falls or make it a more extensive wilderness outing.
The Agawa Pictographs also made our top highlights list. This is the most accessible ancient rock painting site on Lake Superior and the only one you can reach on foot. Thought to have been painted by Ojibway artists between 150 and 400 years ago, the red ochre figures portray animals such as bears, moose, and caribou. One image is of a legendary creature with horns and spines.
Lake Superior’s north shore route should be savoured and not rushed. Stopping at these and other parks provides the perfect way to get in touch with the natural side of this awesome part of Canada and for those interested in pitching a tent or pulling up in an RV, there are so many options for Camping in Lake Superior.
Want more things to do in Ontario?
While camping in Lake Superior and the surrounding area is easily one of the best things to do in Ontario, there’s so much more to Canada’s largest province. For more ideas, check out our travel guides below:
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