The best Ontario road trip you need to experience at least once in your lifetime

| Christie

The scenery changes once you get to Sudbury (5 hrs north of Toronto), but the truth is that the 700-km stretch from Sault Ste Marie to Thunder Bay offers the most picturesque coastlines and rocky cliffs that will take your breath away. The rugged Precambrian red granite, the forested hills, and the deep blue or turquoise waters create the perfect backdrop you could wish for.

From pebbles to the finest sand beach, you will never tire of finding your special spot. From lazy rivers to white-waters rapids, there is something for everyone! Oh, and did I mention the waterfalls?!

Agawa Bay

Lake Superior is the largest of all Great Lakes in North America and the largest freshwater lake in the world. It has over 4,000 km of shoreline and rarely freezes completely. The average water temperature is 4.4 C, lower than any other Great Lake. Although the lake is not particularly appealing to swimmers, the colours, sandy beaches, the rocky cliffs and green slopes that surround the lake appeal in a way or another to all beach lovers, walkers and day-dreamers.

TransCanada Hwy 17 runs along Lake Superior for about 700 km, except when it bypasses Pukaskwa National Park. The reminder of the distance is divided between Algoma District, which is the southern section including the city of Sault Ste Marie, and the Thunder Bay District, which includes the city of Thunder Bay and a much larger northern area of Ontario.

TransCanada Hwy17, along Lake Superior, my favourite scenic drive in Ontario

Read more: White River Suspension Bridge trail – Pukaskwa National Park.

Although Canada and the province of Ontario extend quite far north, the region of Northern Ontario begins right here, on the shores of Lake Superior. Whether you’re standing on the top of the cliffs or sitting down on a sandy beach, you can watch the great lake from different directions. Although it’s the same lake, it is never the same view.

The first evening we arrived at Agawa Bay was quite windy. We found a restless lake that constantly bathed the pebble beach while the sun was showing us the millions of colours and shapes of these pretty pebbles. I knew a little about the different types of rocks in this area, but this cute colourful beach stole my heart.

Agawa Bay

Pebbles at Agawa Bay

Of course, the next day we visited Agawa Rock, which we knew about from a previous road trip along the same route. A friend asked me why we chose the same route since we had done it before. I can’t say precisely why, but the energy I feel in this area is very uplifting. I don’t mind re-visiting places I’ve been before, but we love to explore more each time, there is so much to see and so much more to discover.

Agawa Rock
Agawa Rock, pictographs
Agawa Rock (or the Stone Canvas) is known for the native Ojibwe pictographs which were painted about 150 to 400 years ago. The horned animal is believed to be the spirit of the water, Misshepezhieu, the Great Lynx.

Katherine Cove is a hidden gem and I was so glad we found it. The turquoise waters and sandy beach caught my eyes, and the fact that we visited in September, when very few people visit these places, made it even more special.

Katherine Cove

Read more: Lake Superior, Ontario’s most spectacular riviera

Among the many provincial parks, nature reserves, or conservation areas, Lake Superior provincial park really stands out for its size and number of hiking trails. From short trails to multi-day hikes, there is a huge variety of them for all fitness levels.

You can hike short distances, such as Awasee trail lookout to take a glimpse of the endless waters of Lake Superior, or you can walk around quiet lakes like the Trapper’s trail, hoping to spot some wildlife.

Read more: White River, Winnie the Pooh’s birthplace.

High falls on the Magpie River in Wawa never cease to amaze, we were once again amazed by the view of these powerful falls. The blueberry field where we saw a black bear 4 years ago was changing colours at this time, and the morning dew and mist made it even more special.

High Falls on Magpie River, Wawa
Blueberry fields, Wawa

We didn’t notice when the miles added up, because we never got tired of gazing out of the window at the natural wonders. Aguasabon Falls and Gorge was a quick and enjoyable stop along the way. There are several impressive waterfalls in Northern Ontario, and this massive drop of water is one of them. The igneous rock exposed at the falls was formed 2.5 billion years ago during the Archean age, and actually the nearby area is truly fascinating for the rock nerds and other enthusiasts.

Choosing to drive the 4 km off-road path to Ruby Lake trailhead was not a smart choice as the path got narrower with every metre we went by, but the hike all the way to the top gave us a beautiful view of the surrounding cliffs.

Ruby Lake

Read more: Fort William of 1816 – The height of the fur trade in North America

We arrived at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park under an overcast sky and weren’t happy at all about the heavy rain that followed. But if we got lemons, we had to make lemonade. Therefore, next day we chose to visit two of the waterfalls in the Thunder Bay area: Kakabeka Falls and High Falls on the Pigeon River. More in the next post.

The following morning at Sleeping Giant we woke up ready to hike the entire out-and-back 22 km hike to the Top of the Giant. But the thick fog that enveloped us wasn’t what we expected. After checking the weather forecast at the visitor centre, we decided to hit the trail, hoping that by the time we reached the top, the fog would clear. Will that really happen? The day will say.

Top of the Giant - above the clouds, Sleeping Giant

Another great and much shorter trail in the park is the Sea Lion Trail, but we skipped it, as we did it on our previous visit.

The return trip from the north followed the same route until we reached Wawa again, where we took a detour from Hwy 17. Neys Provincial Park was our next stop to stretch our legs, and the short hike to Prisoner Cove was another addition to our favourite places. The walk along the beach was fun, all the way to the huge outcrop sticking out of the cove, where we had a panoramic view of the bay. The calm, shallow waters and the reflections of the balmy sun gave us a wonderful sense of peacefulness.

Neys Bay

Tip(s) of the day:

*Distances are great in Canada, and in Ontario too. Although there are signs posted along the road when long distances follow without a gas station, make sure you fill your tank when you get a chance;

*Cell phone signal is scarce. Most parks have no cell phone reception (except when we hiked the Top of the Giant (500+ metres altitude). Be prepared with offline maps of the area you plan to visit;

*There are several outlook points along the Hwy, where you can pull over your car and take in the views; Many of these have overgrown vegetation and the views are obstructed. Don’t be disappointed, just keep going to the next one, you will definitely find few with a great view;

*There are very few towns along and they are remote, so it’s recommended to be prepared with food and other supplies;

*The Canadian Shield stretches along Lake Superior and it is one of the most rugged terrains you could encounter in this area so be prepared some of your hikes to be more challenging than others;

*Remember you are in the bear country. Wildlife can be also seen along the highway, drive with caution, especially at dawn and dusk; Also, keep your food safe at all times, especially in your absence or at night.

~ visited in September 2025

41 thoughts on “The best Ontario road trip you need to experience at least once in your lifetime”

  2. Wow! Thank you for sharing the beauty of Ontario! I am a Michigan native and feel your love for the lakes, especially the big lake. I’ve wondered what the other side of Lake Superior looks like, now I know! The pebble beach looks so beautiful as does the sandy beach. Canada the beautiful! 🇨🇦❤️

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    1. Thank you John! We actually considered going around Lake Superior, but then we realized we needed more days for the road trip, so we sticked with the Canadian shore😍 Anyway, we already went to Upper Michigan – which btw is gorgeous!!

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      1. You’re welcome! Michiganders call the upper peninsula the Yooper! Da Yoopers! They call people like me who live below the Mackinaw Bridge, Trolls… We live below the bridge. 😂👍🏻

        There is, or was, a band called The Yoopers too. 👍🏻

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    1. Indeed, I wouldn’t drive all those distances on a daily basis, but there is a special feeling along those beautiful roads that I really enjoy. You feel like space is expanding and it really is😍
      Happy Friday!! xx

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  9. You captured such a wonderful fox portrait! It is quite obvious that there are so many beautiful places to visit and explore in your part of the world, Christie, and Ontario looks like an exciting travel destination in Canada that is worth visiting at least once. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. We were hoping to see more wildlife along the way, but the foxes made our day. It was a bit of a driving, but it was worth it, there are so many beautiful places to explore.
      Happy Friday, and have a lovely weekend! xx

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  13. This is hands down my favourite scenic drive in Ontario and some of my favourite provincial parks are found along the way. Beautiful pictures. We’ve been talking about taking another road trip along the northern shore of Lake Superior.

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  16. I love road trips – especially the ones that run along the coast! This trip looks splendid with the most beautiful views. I especially like the colourful pebbles on the beach at Agawa Bay (I suppose you’re allowed to collect them from the beach – I would love that). With such stunning scenery, I wouldn’t mind doing this road trip again (and again). Beautiful photos, Christie.

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  19. Loved joining you to revisit this stunning landscape! My young family, many decades ago, drove north from Colorado and over the top of the great lakes on much this route to Toronto to visit my brother. I remember staying in a cabin near those colorful rocks, or others like them. ❤

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