Ready to plan a trip North? I just came home from an epic trip and have some recommendations to share with you! Trails, campsites, hotels, food, activities, pitstops, I have so much to tell you about. Let’s get started!
In this blog post, you’ll find a day by day list of what I recommend, trail/parking tips, a packing list, and more!
Day 1: Mostly Driving, but…
Day 1 is totally up to your preference, I personally like to knock out as much driving as I can in one day on my way because it’s the day I’m the most excited to leave on my trip. Thunder Bay is about 15hrs from me on my GPS, my drive there including stops for gas/food took 17hrs. We left at 2:45am and got to our destination at 7:45pm.
So yes, the day is spent mostly driving. However, I do have a few stops worth making on the way to stretch your legs!
Let’s call these “Stoptions” (options for your stops):
• Agawa Rock Pictographs (0.8km)
• Sand River Falls (optional 3.5km but you can see the waterfall within 0.5km of starting hike)
• Old Woman Bay (beach area/bathroom)
• Aguasabon Gorge Lookout (0.3km)
• Rossport Rest Area (beach)
Now, where you stay on your first night of the road trip is again up to you! I stayed at Delta Hotel by Marriott in Thunder Bay. It’s right on the water, it has a great view, the beds were so comfortable and it was very clean. It’s nice to feel properly freshened up while on the road!
Day 2: Hiking to the Top of the Sleeping Giant
Our second day of the trip was spent doing the biggest hike! Top of the Giant is a bucket list item for most Ontarians, and we were so excited to get this under our belts. The trailhead was an hour from the hotel, and we arrived there at 8am.
The total hike (including a 1.5hr lunch stop/photos) took us 6hrs. I’d recommending allowing yourself 6-8hrs for this hike.
This is a linear trail that starts with a 7.5km straight/flat hike, then you have a 1km stretch of difficult uphill, and then 2km of an easy trail. The total length of the trail is about 22km.
After this long hike, we headed straight back to the hotel for a shower which felt SO good. After we felt refreshed, we headed to Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park.
This park is really nice because you can do as much or as little as you’d like and still experience it. You can park, hop out and view the falls, or you can hike along the boardwalks and see the falls from both sides. It’s the second tallest waterfall in Ontario, just a little shorter than Niagara Falls! Some call it the “Niagara of the North”.
Day 3: A fun filled day!
It’s pretty difficult for me to pick which day of this trip is the best, but this one is definitely a top contender for it! I hope you’re ready for all the excitement to come…
Pigeon River Provincial Park
We started our day by arriving at Pigeon River Provincial Park at 7am. We did the High Falls Trail and the Lookout Trail. These trails take you over boardwalks to a beautiful view of the gorge and of course, the waterfall. This is one of my favourite stops of our whole trip!
Amethyst Mine Panorama
This is another one of the most memorable stops of the trips! An amethyst mine. It is $10 to enter and you get a tour and a chance to find amethyst (at your own pace). Amethyst is $5/lb. I bought 4 hand size pieces for $15. This experience was just absolutely incredible!
Eagle Canyon Adventures
We of course had to see Canada’s longest suspension bridge! Unfortunately the zip line was closed when we visited here, but the suspension bridges are worth it in itself to visit. You can walk over them and under them. I was expecting to be really scared but I wasn’t at all! It’s a great place to take photos, too!
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
This park is actually down the road from Eagle Canyon Adventures and it has a short hike to the main lookout. This lookout is EPIC! I am so glad I had the chance to see this park. The weekend before this trip, I was at Barron Canyon and seeing two of Ontario’s canyons back to back was just unforgettable.
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
I actually hadn’t heard too much about this park before going so I was really excited and unsure for what to expect! We hiked the 1.8km Rainbow Falls Trail which is full of excitement. As soon as you get to the trailhead you’re welcomed with stairs and a boardwalk that follows along the windy waterfall. There are benches and different portions of rock you’re allowed to explore on! But don’t stop at the waterfall, continue the trail and you’ll come along a gorgeous lookout. This was a memorable stop for sure! Waterfalls and lookouts within 2km?! Amazing.
Neys Provincial Park
This was our last stop of the day so we did the lookout trail and set up camp. We actually fell asleep at 7pm because we were just so exhausted from all the adventuring we had been doing! This was a beautiful place to wake up too, and I definitely wish we had more time in this park because it seems to have a whole lot to explore!
Day 4: A scenic way home
I truly believe that making stops on your way home, even if some are out of the way, is a great way to end the trip. Making the way back memorable and exciting is so important to me! We didn’t have amazing weather this day, but we made the most of it nonetheless.
Pukaskwa National Park
Mark my words – I WILL BE BACK SOON TO EXPLORE THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE! That is at the top of my Ontario bucket list right now. We arrived at this park for 7am and it was VERY foggy and when we went to get a pass we were told most hikes were unsafe due to weather so we just explored around the shore which was still breathtaking.
Lake Superior Provincial Park (again)
We couldn’t just drive through Lake Superior, of course we had to explore more! Even revisiting places here I’ve seen before, the beauty is just so breathtaking. Whether it’s Old Woman Bay, the Pictographs, Sand River Falls, a cove or a lookout, Lake Superior is GORGEOUS.
We ended our trip in Sudbury because I had a collaboration with a hotel there, but I’d personally next time like to stay near Killarney!
What to Know, Before you Go:
- Parks in Ontario require a Day Use Pass/Reservations, doing so online before arriving ensures your spot. It is about $15/park, however if you go to multiple parks in one day and show your pass from first park they’ll most likely let you use it without having to pay for the other parks that day
- A lot of these places will not have cell phone service – have maps/music/podcasts downloaded and a physical map
- Wear sturdy footwear for each hike mentioned
- Lake Superior’s weather tends to change quickly
- Give someone you trust your itinerary before you go and have their phone number with you (physically written down, not just digitally)
What to Pack:
- LOTS of Water (for drive, hikes, campsites, to brush teeth, etc)
- Food – Cooking Supplies – Cutlery – Easy to grab Snacks
- Jerry can with gas (there are a few stretches with minimal gas stations)
- Clothes – Hygiene Supplies – Medical Kit – Medicine
- Book – Handheld Video Games
- Hat – Sunglasses – Sunscreen
- Cell Phone Charger – Map – Podcasts (downloaded) – Music (downloaded)
- Unpredictable weather clothes – Raincoat – Splash Pants – Boots – Sandals
- Tent – Blankets – Pillows – Neck Pillows
- Baby Wipes – Menstrual Products
This was a life changing trip for me. It was my second biggest road trip and I experienced so much beauty, made amazing memories with my best friend, learned so much about this massive province, and just felt so ALIVE.
I hope you enjoy this itinerary, I will add to it as I explore more! I’ve barely scratched the surface here.
Until next time…
Keep on trekkin’
Katie
yourmatiekatie 