Thunder Bay, Ontario
Ontario Travel: Hiking & Waterfalls on the Lake Superior Circle Route

Thunder Bay - Kakabeka Falls & Provincial Park

 

Kakabeka Falls is located 18 miles (32 km) west of Thunder Bay off Canadian Highway 11-17. It is on the Kaministiqua River which eventually flows into Lake Superior at Thunder Bay, Ontario.

At 138 feet, Kakabeka is the highest waterfall in the Lake Superior basin and for that reason worth taking a slight detour off the main Circle Tour route to see it. From the visitor center parking lot, there's a handicapped accessible hiking boardwalk that gives you a very good view of the falls.

Also at falls is Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. It has a visitor-history center, 5 hiking/walking trails, and 169 campsites (90 with electrical service) with modern washrooms and showers. The village of Kakabeka Falls is less than a mile away so provisions and extra services are handy.

More pictures and info on Kakabeka Falls Provencial Park plus more Camping in Thunder Bay Area.

Fort William Historical Park

Fort William re-creates the settlement of the North West Company that operated during the voyageur and fur trade era. Previously the company had its trading center at Grand Portage on the American side of the Pidgeon River until the British and American conflicts required its relocation to Canadian soil. Over 50 buildings are in the fort complex.

Costumed guides provide insights into the history of the era and narrations of activities that took place throughout the fort.

 

 

Fort William website

 

 

Thunder Bay - Boulevard Lake & Centinnial Park

The Current River enters the city from the north and flows into Boulevard Lake. The lake is surrounded by 650 acres of parkland with picnicking facilities and recreational trails sprinkled throughout.

Just upstream from the lake is Centennial Park, with 147 acres located along the shores of the river. The park also features a logging museum, a 1910 style bush camp, and a children's small animal farm.

Thunder Bay - Prince Arthur's Landing at Marina Park

 

View of the "Sleeping Giant" from Prince Arthur's Landing at Marina Park in Thunder Bay. There's a network of walking and biking/jogging trails throughout the park as well as gardens and patios for sitting, visiting with friends, or just enjoying the lake views.

 

 

 

Across the highway from the park is the pagoda of the Thunder Bay Tourism Office with brochures and help on restaurants, lodging, and many things to do in the Thunder Bay area.

More on things to do and see in Thunder Bay

There are three municipal golf courses in Thunder Bay plus a few private courses open to the public. Possibly the top golf course in Thunder Bay is the Whitewater Golf Course situated along the Kaministiqua River.

In the fall of 2011 we visited Thunder Bay over a weekend hoping to catch some nice fall color. We re-visited Boulevard Lake Park and Marina Park, did some golfing at Whitewater Golf Course, visited Fort William Historical Park, found some neat places to eat, and enjoyed getting re-acquainted with the city. At our Scenicpathways.com blog, you can see our article and pictures on our fall color Thunder Bay visit. (see the link below)

Fall Color & Things to See and Do in Thunder Bay

Terry Fox Monument & Tourist Information Centre

The Canadian Tourism Center on the North side of Thunder Bay on Hwy. 11/17 is a good stop for information on your travels in Canada, a good place for a picnic, and offers scenic overlooks of Thunder Bay and the famed Sleeping Giant of the Sibley Peninsula. There's also a memorial garden for Terry Fox, a Canadian hero who, though disabled with an artifical leg and stricken with cancer, embarked on a marathon coast to coast run for cancer research. He managed to cover 3,339 miles before the progress of the disease forced him to end his journey near the site of the monument.