Exploring the Beauty of Lake Superior Provincial Park

Posted byAbPosted inADHD, adoption, FASD, gratitude, Ontario, outdoors, Parenting, summer, travelTags:, , , , , ,

For five years, I’ve thought about this beautiful drive through Lake Superior Provincial Park. This summer, we went back and explored.

In 2020, we did an amazing roadtrip to Thunder Bay and I regretted that we only drove through Lake Superior; it was the middle stretch of a 14-hour return drive to Sudbury. 😝

This breathtaking view below as we passed by Old Woman Bay has stayed on my mind.

Earlier this July, on Days 4 and 5 of our roadtrip after departing Timmins, we explored Old Woman Bay, Sand River Falls, Agawa Bay Pictographs and Nokomis Trail on one long stretch of hikes.

T loved the adventure and I will treasure these memories with my family forever.

Old Woman Bay

Old Woman Bay is scenic sandy beach populated with driftwood.

Looking towards the horizon, the face of the Old Woman named Nokomis (Ojibway for Grandma) can be seen within the 200-metre standing cliffs.

We spent an hour quietly exploring the sparsely visited bay, absorbing the beauty around us.

T bravely went for a dip in the cold water. It was refreshing to say the least!

Overnight at Wawa

Wawa is a town in Algoma County, with a population of 2,700 and is located 3.5 hours from Timmins.

Wawa is Ojibway for wild goose and there are several large goose statues throughout town.

We stayed overnight at High Falls Motel and Cabins. I wish we had more time to enjoy our quaint cabin but it was a place to sleep and recharge.

Hiking the 5k Nokomis Trail

On Day 5, we stretched the 3.5 drive to Sault Ste Marie into a long adventure with a series of hikes.

First up was Nokomis Trail, its entrance located on the other side of the highway from Old Woman Bay.

As wonderfully detailed on this post by fellow blogger Wandering Canadians, it is a moderately difficult 5 km hike.

It took us 2 hours to complete and it was worth it. Nature is so healing for T. He is in his element and has so much fun on hikes.

Now here’s a funny story I’ll never forget.

T had been constipated since we started our trip and hadn’t 💩 in five days.

Of course, he needed to 💩 at the peak. Must be the uphill hike that moved his bowels.

As the hubby took the photo of me below, T screamed from the bushes, “Are mosquitoes going to bite my ass?” 😂

Thankfully, the hubby had the foresight to pack wipes!

I told T there will be a wild blueberry bush growing where he generously fertilized the Earth.

And here’s the hubby and a post 💩 T taking in the beautiful view of Old Woman Bay below.

The walk back down was filled with just as much fun adventure; the rocks a parkour course for T.

Chasing Sand River Falls

After our hike, we drove 30 minutes to Sand River Falls and was it worth the detour.

A young couple from Michigan snapped this photo. I thanked and wished them a Happy 4th of July.

We enjoyed a nice rocky hike that took us deeper into the woods and river from what could be seen – and what a site – from the road.

T loved the rocky hike.

And so did the hubby!

And yes, we’re a family that hikes in crocs!

Finding History at Agawa Bay Pictographs

Our third and final stop was 10 minutes away.

The Agawa Bay Pitcographs is one of the largest collection of Aboriginal pictographs in Ontario.

There is an 800m loop trail, with a steep staircase, that leads to the pictographs and features unique geological features.

There is a steep staircase carved from rock and steep cliff faces that are part of the pictographs – and make the hike a sweaty but worthwhile experience.

Once we arrived at the pictograph, it can be viewed from a rock ledge below the cliff.

A metal chain was supposed to be bolted all along the ledge but it had mostly been missing during our visit.

So we let T go as far as the chain went, pictured below, despite his temperamental insistence. We warned him that if he slipped into the lake, he was on his own!

There are 35 pictographs along this cliff that represent real and mythical animals – and here was one of the ones we saw.

A Satisfying Adventure!

We ended our long day of adventure with the remaining 1.5 hour drive to Sault Ste Marie – and T contently slept through most of the way.

There were a few spots we had planned to visit that we skipped, including Katherine Cove and Pancake Bay, as we were tired and wanted to relax in an air conditioned room.

This means we’ll have to come back one day!

I’m already daydreaming of a fall colours weekend trip, including the Agawa Bay Tour Train and chasing the Northern Lights in Algoma. 🥰

For now, we have our lasting memories. 🥰 Please enjoy this short video I compiled of our Lake Superior highlights:

36 thoughts on “Exploring the Beauty of Lake Superior Provincial Park”

  1. 2023 we stayed at Sault ste Marie and Lake Superior Park. It was so beautiful. Yes I too dream to take the train ride during fall in future. Beautiful pictures! By the way hiking is healthy and help with bowels 🙂!

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  3. That’s the beauty of Canada. Picturesque! I enjoyed your adventure, Ab, with T and your hubby. I, too, hike with slippers, not so far from wearing crocs. My sister loves crocs, too.

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  4. LOVE the PHOTOS! and I see the Old Woman’s Face! Such a great adventure! BUT CROCS? REALLY? OMG! You should see the shoes Mitch and I hike in – LOL – Bravo for hiking in COCS and being able to tell the story after! Loved the funny story too – 😂

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  6. There is so much to love here, Ab! A family that hikes together — isn’t that a gift? I love how much T enjoys it – even when he has to poop. See how much hiking does for the body?

    The video of highlights was so good to get a sense of the wide open spaces and incredible views! I love the picture of T stretch up towards the trees from that rock. And the one of you from below as well. Wow, some great summering you all are doing!!

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    1. Thanks Wynne! 🥰 It was a wonderful trip and I miss it already, poop and all! Summer is just flying by. Already week 4 of 9 over here but still lots of summering left to enjoy!

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  7. Wow…wow…wow. There is so much here…your beautiful (and real!) stories from the trail that made me smile and smirk and the abundant love throughout. It’s amazing how a place can stick with us for all time. Your photos are gorgeous…literally walking through history and although I can’t put my finger on it, the pic of the cabin interior? Gosh…it looks SO familiar. And safe. Thank you SO MUCH for taking us along, Ab! 🥰

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    1. Thanks Vicki! It was a beautiful series of hikes and we miss it already. 😊 The cabin was also nice and I wish we got to stay and enjoy it beyond an overnight. It just means we’ll have to come back one day! 🙏

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  8. The scenery in Lake Superior Provincial Park is beautiful. This makes me want to go back to Northern Ontario now!! I’m impressed that T braved the cold and went for a dip in the water!! The Nokomis Trail is one of my favourites! And it sounds like it’s one you’ll never forget now given T’s experience! That’s hilarious! I couldn’t help but also laugh at how you guys are all wearing crocs. Our little one has a pair of crocs and she loves wearing them so much, even in the house. Beautiful scenery and family pictures. It certainly sounds like you made a lot of memories on this trip!

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    1. Thanks Linda! When I was looking up on Google whether we wanted to do the Nokomis trail or not, your post was the one that came up. So thanks! 🥰 I miss Lake Superior already and can’t wait to visit it again one day.

      The water was definitely cold and he didn’t stay in the water for too long.

      Baby M has great taste in footwear. You’ll need to get jibbits for her crocs!

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  9. I need to move to Canada, there are so many gorgeous places to see. I cracked up laughing when you said you all hike in crocs, I was going to ask you if you were nuts hiking in them. I think T should become a ranger when he gets older. He has more hiking experience at this age than the rangers probably do. Lol Your video gave me goosebumps, nice job!

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    1. Thanks Diane. You are always welcomed in Canada. So much natural beauty to explore and discover! 🥰 Another poster commented about T being a ranger and it certainly is something that may be possible. He would thrive in it! 💕🙏

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  10. I miss this place! What an amazing trip and I love that T had no issues hiking the distance (especially given his constipated condition). The water at Agawa is so low…last time we were there the water were where your feet are resting and it was kind of challenging to go on the ledge.

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    1. Thanks Margie. 🥰 We’re so grateful that we finally got to visit Lake Superior! We didn’t make it far out on the pictograph ledge because the chains were removed. Lots of signs warning hikers about injury and death. But it was so beautiful!

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  12. Haha, T loves nature so much he couldn’t resist the urge to fertilize the Earth. Is he curious about going back to the same spot in the future to see whether there will be a blueberry bush growing or not? That would be a fun trip! 😂 It’s so cool that you also checked out those pictographs.

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  13. Terrific, Ab. Way to make those memories. We had a family reunion on the American side of Lake Superior a few years back in Two Harbors, Minnesota. It was the second reunion we’ve held in Minnesota. My family got a laugh because the lake we stayed at the first time was called Woman Lake, which was next to Father Lake and Child Lake. We figured that if you have to name 10,000 lakes, eventually you stop being creative in the names.

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    1. The American side of Lake Superior looks just as beautiful from the photos I’ve seen, Pete! What a great place for a family reunion – and with appropriately named lakes! Interestingly, our hotel for the night after our long day was near the US border (Sault Ste Marie, Michigan) and so we heard the 4th of July fireworks that evening.

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    1. Yes, potty jokes run amock in our family of guys. 😂 I actually am so curious to see what grows in that spot. Might even be a full grown tree. Will need to visit again in a few years for sure!

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    1. Thanks Jane. Which train did you take? They have a canyon train ride that’s supposed to be stunning during the fall and I was wondering if it’s the same one.

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      1. No, we were taking the main line from TO across the country many decades ago. We missed all the amazing corners, falls, canyons, etc. So keep your welcome descriptions coming!

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  16. Wow, the beauty never stops! I’ve heard of Thunder Bay, but most of the places you’ve named are new to me, and I’d love to see them all. You guys are are really good at splitting up and stretching out your trips as needed and that keeps things moving in more ways than one.) it always amazes me that they’re aren’t more people at these places of extraordinary beauty, but I think that’s a good thing. I wonder if T will be a ranger or environmentalist or who knows what when he grows up? Maybe an artist who draws or paints landscapes, or an explorer? You guys are giving him such a gift with these experiences and he is so happy there

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    1. Thanks Beth! We stayed at a hotel after our long day in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario – which borders Sault Ste Marie, Michigan – and heard the 4th of July fireworks that evening. It was extra special to end our day that way.

      I have thought about T doing something related to the outdoors one day. It’s a very good thought and we’re certainly open to the possibilities! 😊🙏

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