Lake Superior Provincial Park covers about 1,550 square kilometres of rocky shoreline, hills and river valleys on the eastern side of the world's largest freshwater lake. The Trans-Canada Highway runs straight through it, so some of its best sights are a short walk from the car, while the Coastal Trail rewards those with several days to spare.

AT A GLANCE

Best time

Summer for beaches and hiking, and early autumn for fall color and fewer visitors.

How long

One long day for the roadside highlights, or three to five days to hike and paddle.

Getting there

Drive Highway 17 between Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa, which cuts through the park.

Why visit Lake Superior Provincial Park

The park was created in 1944 after residents of Sault Ste. Marie asked for protection of a large piece of the Lake Superior shoreline. What they saved is a landscape of high, rounded hills, rushing rivers and canyons shaped by faults in the Canadian Shield, all meeting a cold, clear lake.

Its artistic story is just as strong. The scenery inspired Canada's Group of Seven painters, and the visitor centre at Agawa Bay explains how the lake shaped the fur trade, shipwrecks and art in the region.

Shoreline highlights along the highway

Agawa Bay and the visitor centre

Agawa Bay is the park hub, with a campground, a long beach and a visitor centre that has displays on the park's history.

Sandy shore of Agawa Bay on Lake Superior, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Agawa Bay is the park base, with a campground and a visitor centre on the lakeshore.Photo: Beckettlc, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Agawa Rock pictographs

At Agawa Rock, near the mouth of the Agawa River, Ojibwe artists painted figures with powdered hematite and animal fat, an estimated 150 to 400 years ago. A short but challenging trail leads to a narrow ledge on a sheer rock face above the lake.

Ojibwe pictographs painted on the rock face at Agawa Rock, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
The pictographs at Agawa Rock were painted by early Ojibwe people with a mixture of hematite and animal fat.Photo: Michael Wason, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Katherine Cove and Bathtub Island

This sheltered cove has a sandy beach and a picnic area, and it is one of the easier places to reach the water. Nearby Bathtub Island is named for a rock hollow that forms a natural pool.

Sheltered sandy cove at Katherine Cove on Lake Superior, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Katherine Cove is a small, sheltered beach near Bathtub Island.Photo: Beckettlc, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Old Woman Bay

A broad sand beach sits below a cliff about 200 metres high, said to resemble an old woman's face. Picnic tables and composting toilets are available, and the beach is easy to reach from the highway.

Cliff above Old Woman Bay shaped like a face, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
The cliff above Old Woman Bay is said to resemble the face of an old woman.Photo: NDamboise, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Hikes and paddling routes

Nokomis Trail

The Nokomis trail leaves from the opposite side of the highway from Old Woman Bay and gives you a hiking option away from the shoreline. It makes a good add-on if you already have the bay in your plans.

Orphan Lake Trail

This is a moderate loop of about eight kilometres through a variety of terrain, usually taking between two and four hours. It is a strong pick for a single day, because it passes beach and forest.

Forest hiking trail near Lake Superior in Ontario, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
The Orphan Lake Trail is a moderate loop through varied terrain in the park.Photo: Fungus Guy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Coastal Trail

The 65-kilometre Coastal Trail is demanding and takes between five and seven days, with basic backcountry campsites on secluded bays.

Rocky coastline of Lake Superior along the Coastal Trail, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
The Coastal Trail follows the rugged Lake Superior shoreline for 65 kilometres.Photo: Jrunde1952, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Canoe routes

Interior canoe routes range from easy to challenging and often involve stretches of white water. Open water on Lake Superior itself is only for experienced paddlers because conditions can change fast.

Just beyond the park boundary

Agawa Canyon Tour Train

Agawa Canyon, carved by the Agawa River, has no road access and is reached by the tour train from Sault Ste. Marie.

Agawa Canyon Tour Train passing through Algoma forest, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
The tour train runs north from Sault Ste. Marie to Agawa Canyon, which has no road access.Photo: WabbitWanderer from London, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

The Wawa Goose

About 20 kilometres north of the park, Wawa marks its place on Highway 17 with a bronze goose roughly 8.5 metres tall. The name comes from an Ojibway word meaning wild goose.

Giant bronze goose monument at Wawa, Ontario, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
The Wawa Goose, about 8.5 metres tall, greets travelers at the Highway 17 and 101 intersection.Photo: Kevstan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Scenic High Falls

Near Wawa, Scenic High Falls on the Magpie River gorge has a picnic pavilion and an interpretive trail from the bottom to the top of the falls. It is a good pairing with the Voyageur trail section nearby.

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Food and local flavors

There are no restaurants inside the park, so bring what you need from Wawa or Sault Ste. Marie, where supermarkets and cafés are your best bet and any seasonal markets are worth a look.

Autumn colors above the Lake Superior shoreline in Ontario, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Southern maples and boreal evergreens meet along the Lake Superior shore, creating strong fall color.Photo: Andre Carrotflower, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ontario's signature dessert is butter tarts, small pastry shells filled with butter, sugar, syrup and egg, and bakeries along the route sell them. Bannock, a pan-fried bread with Indigenous roots, shows up at some community events and cafés.

Popular dishes to try in Lake Superior Provincial Park

Smoked whitefish in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Smoked whitefish Along Lake Superior, fresh or smoked whitefish is the classic regional protein, since lake whitefish is a prime commercial fish of the upper Great Lakes.Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Butter tarts in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Butter tarts Southern maples and boreal evergreens meet along the Lake Superior shore, creating strong fall color.Photo: Andre Carrotflower, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Ontario's…Photo: Rob Campbell from Toronto, ON, Canada, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Bannock in Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Bannock Bannock, a pan-fried bread with Indigenous roots, shows up at some community events and cafés.Photo: Skorp, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Where to stay

Agawa Bay Campground has 152 sites within walking distance of the lake, with comfort stations, showers and a seasonal gatehouse that sells firewood. It suits families and anyone who wants the beach at the doorstep.

If you prefer a bed, Wawa is the nearest town north of the park and has motels, with shops and restaurants close by. Sault Ste. Marie, about 120 kilometres south, offers the widest range of rooms and is the best base if you are flying in or taking the train.

Where to stay in Lake Superior Provincial Park

Wawa, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Wawa If you prefer a bed, Wawa is the nearest town north of the park and has motels, with shops and restaurants close by.Photo: D. Gordon E. Robertson, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Sault Ste. Marie One of the best areas to base yourself in Lake Superior Provincial Park.Photo: Antony-22, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Best time to visit

The park operates from May to October or so. Summers are cool because of the lake, and water temperatures often stay below 15 degrees Celsius in June and July, so fog is frequent early on.

Moose are easiest to see in April, May and June during the spring melt. Early autumn brings the color, when sugar maples contrast with dark boreal evergreens.

Getting there and getting around

The park lies along the Trans-Canada Highway, about 120 kilometres north of Sault Ste. Marie and 20 kilometres south of Wawa. The nearest airport with scheduled service is at Sault Ste. Marie, and a car is the best way to reach the trailheads.

A daily Ontario Northland bus has run between the two towns through the park, but check current schedules before relying on it. Vehicle permits are required for day use and are sold at the park office and campgrounds.

A suggested itinerary

First day

Start at Agawa Bay for the visitor centre and the pictographs hike, then stop at Katherine Cove for a swim or picnic.

Second day

Hike the Orphan Lake loop in the morning, then drive north to Wawa for the goose, a meal and fuel.

Third day

Choose between a short section of the Coastal Trail, a paddle on an interior lake or the Agawa Canyon train from Sault Ste. Marie.

Practical tips

  • Buy or confirm your vehicle permit and campsite reservation before you arrive in peak season.
  • Pack warm layers even in summer, because Lake Superior breezes are cold.
  • Wear sturdy footwear for the pictographs trail and stay off wet rock.
  • Store food securely, since black bears and other wildlife live in the park.
  • Bring supplies from Wawa or Sault Ste. Marie, as there are no shops inside the park.