Northern Ontario is not the desolate wasteland of emptiness that some people make it out to be. If you’ve ever been told that there’s nothing to do out here, you’re speaking to the wrong person and need to keep reading. If you’re that person spreading the false information, stay for a second and hang out. Northern Ontario is a top tier summer destination that should be on every nature enthusiast’s list, even those who already live here. There’s always more to see and do. On that note, I’d like five minutes of your time to convince you why Northern Ontario has something for everyone to take away from. Whether you’re a beach-goer, more into hiking or fishing, or are here for the farmer’s markets and museums, you won’t be disappointed.

Let’s start with the city that people like to bash for being boring – Sault Ste. Marie. The Sault is not just a small town, it’s, in my opinion, the centre of all things in the north, and far from boring! The Sault is a great place to retreat to at the end of a long hiking day, giving you easy access to shopping and sightseeing the next! Bordering the US via the St. Mary’s River and giving you close access to Lake Superior and Lake Huron, there are lots of opportunities to do something new every day. My personal recs for inner-city activities if you’re here for a summer road trip include visiting Bellevue Park, hitting the SooMarket on a Saturday, exploring the Bush Plane Museum, renting kayaks at the Waterfront Adventure Centre, and trying out a local restaurant/brewery/cafe. For the sake of time, I’ll leave that at that and expand on the Sault-specific activities in another post.

I do want to expand on at least one of these points, and direct you to the Soo Mrkt, specifically. We often have a lot of markets throughout the summer, but the one at 73 Brock Street is open every Saturday from 9-2. You’ll find lots of local products from fresh produce to preserves, meats, cheeses, and other items like woodworking and local photography. The plaza just outside also has some great food vendors (don’t forget a coffee from Kasdan Co. inside), so it’s easy to grab lunch before or after you shop. Close by is the boardwalk, which is another beautiful chance to see the St. Mary’s River and a freighter, if you’re lucky.

I have yet to try a “beer ice cream slushy,” but apparently I belong there?!

Next on the agenda, and one of my personal favs, is proving to you that you don’t need to go to Florida for a beach trip. You can get a perfectly good sunburn on our hot sandy beaches and cool off in freshwater afterwards. I personally find a dip in Lake Superior far more refreshing than a dip in the salty ocean. We have beaches as close as a ten-minute drive outside of city limits, at Point des Chenes, or you can drive a little further north to beaches at Harmony Bay, Batchawana Bay, and the infamous Pancake Bay. You’ll find sandy and rocky beaches all along the Lake Superior coastline. Just be wary of which beaches require a permit/day pass. Who knows where the photo below was taken?

Now, my perfect beach day is one that starts with a hike, and ends with the reward of relaxing on the beach while the sun is still hot. No matter how far you’re willing to drive, you’ll find something that will satisfy the desire to get out and explore what Mother Nature – and Northern Ontario – has to offer. A short drive north of the Sault, you’ll find Hiawatha Highlands. There is no cost to park here and explore, and there are tons of kilometres worth of walking and hiking that’ll easily fill a whole day, complete with waterfalls, ponds, and wildlife. Robertson Cliffs are a bit more of a drive, but easy for a spontaneous hike. Further north, you can find the Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout Trail adjacent to Pancake Bay, which will give you a rewarding view at the top overlooking the bay and the area where the famous ship went down. There are several more day-hikes and overnight trips even further north, for which I’d recommend camping at Pancake Bay Provincial Park or Agawa Bay to establish a sort of “home base.”

View from the top of the Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout Trail!

I’ve given you my “top three” reasons to make a trip north, but there are still a few rapid-fire points I want to give you to convince you further. If you’re into hiking, you absolutely must visit the Agawa Pictographs in Lake Superior Provincial Park. The short, yet steep, trail is not for the faint of heart but leads you to some of the oldest ancient rock paintings in Canada, which might not be open to the public all that much longer. Our beaches are pristine, and with so many options, you’re bound to find a slice of paradise that is not too crowded, so that you can actually enjoy a relaxing beach day. We also have some awesome Airbnbs to help with this. And if you’re into food, you’re coming to the right place. Rather than supporting several chain restaurants, the Sault boasts a large number of locally owned and operated dining experiences across many cuisines. If Italian food is your thing, you might not be leaving the Sault… While you’re here, skip the Starbucks or Tim’s and try one of our local cafes, some of which even brew beans from local coffee roasters on St Joe’s Island.

The list is long for why Northern Ontario should be on your summer itinerary, but I’ll save them for other posts. For those who call the Sault home but may live away, whether it be for school, work, etc., you can’t lie and say you don’t love a good Northern Ontario summer. I think there’s something really special about this place that maybe slows down time a little and forces you to appreciate what’s around you. Keep an eye out for more summer-loving content as the weather warms up (slowly but surely), and let me know what else should be on this list. Thanks for reading!