Our cruise network

Between the two cities of Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay lies the 700 km Lake Superior North Shore Inside Passage. When the glacier receded they left a series of bays, archipelagos, uninhabited islands and deep trenches along the northern shoreline of the largest of all the Great Lakes. Many of these routes are regularly visited by various local freight services and a selection of these are navigable for visiting cruise ships. The shoreline is populated by small communities and contains a selection of national and provincial parks which offer nature-based experiences for both domestic and international visitors. Pilotage is available through the Great Lakes Pilot Service. The region is well serviced by marine agents and tourism agencies, both of which offer planning services for their respective trades.

Communities and established parks along the Lake Superior North Shore Inside Passage (east to west)

Sault Ste. Marie

VIEW THE SAULT STE. MARIE DESTINATION PAGE

Batchawana Bay

Batchawana Bay Provincial Park is a perfect spot to stop and immerse yourself in stunning scenery. Enjoy a beautiful beach with warm water on scenic Lake Superior, an exceptional picnic site and a good location with easy access for a short paddle. A plaque highlights Batchawana Bay (at Chippewa Falls) as the mid-point of the Trans-Canada Highway – the longest national highway in the world.

Pancake Bay Provincial Park has more than 3 km of beautiful sand beach and Caribbean blue water with a panoramic view of Lake Superior from the Edmund Fitzgerald Lookout hiking trail. The park is located along the historic paddling route of the Voyageurs.

Wawa

Agawa Bay Campground is part of Lake Superior Provincial Park with easy access to remote sections of the shoreline and its spectacular and diverse scenery – cliffs, beaches, river valleys, waterfalls, inland lakes and the Algoma Hills. There is world-class hiking and paddling along the shoreline. The Agawa Rock Pictographs – 35 red ochre images are one of the few pictograph sites in Ontario accessible by foot when Lake Superior is calm.

Michipicoten Island

Michipicoten Provincial Park sits on a flat sandy delta. Here lie the ruins of a French trading post that operated from the early 1700s until it was abandoned by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1904. Although the park has no visitor facilities, it is a good spot for nature viewing and hiking.

Marathon

The Town of Marathon, Ontario is 296 km east of Thunder Bay. Marathon was originally known as Peninsula or Peninsula Harbour. In 1883, it was created to house construction workers on the Canadian Pacific Railway line.

Pukaskwa National Park is situated along the north shore of Lake Superior, 32 km from the town of Marathon and close to the Pic River First Nation. Pukaskwa is one of five National Parks in Canada with 1,878 Kilometres of Boreal forest, along with rocky shorelines, sand and driftwood beaches and the significant Pic River Dunes

Terrace Bay

Terrace Bay is a small community accessible by water using ship’s tenders or RIBs. The immediate region offers excellent hiking along the well-developed routes of the Casque Isles Trail. Terrace Bay also offers excellent shoreline Kayaking and visits to the nearby Slate Islands.

Neys Provincial Park boasts one of the finest sand beaches on Lake Superior’s north shore. View a model of a former POW camp at the Visitor Centre and the actual remains of POW Camp 100. See Pic Island as it was immortalized on canvas by Lawren Harris of the famous Group of Seven. Enjoy viewing sub-Arctic plants and a chance to see an elusive woodland caribou.

For the novice or experienced paddlers alike, take a trip along the pristine Lake Superior shoreline and enjoy the park from a different view. Hike the woodland trails and experience the many ecosystems, flora, fauna and geological formations that Neys has to offer. Hike the trails with your camera and photograph the newly emerging plant life.

These islands form part of the Inside Passage route along the north shore of Lake Superior:

Patterson Island
Copper Island
Wilson Island
Vein Island
Simpson Island

Schreiber

The Township of Schreiber has a proud railroad history dating back to 1885. It is currently home to approximately 1,200 residents with roughly 130,000 people within its catchment area. Located in a valley, Schreiber is surrounded by rugged hills. Residents and visitors pass their time with recreation, community events and numerous outdoor activities.

Rossport

Rossport is in the heart of the Lake Superior North Shore Inside Passage. It can be accessed through a series of scenic deep-water channels with anchoring available close by. The town has a well-serviced dock that can accommodate tenders and RIBs from visiting cruise ships. Hiking the trails and kayaking the many islands is a popular activity in Rossport.

View the cascading waters as they plunge over the rock ledges of Rainbow Falls Provincial Park. Hike the trails which lead to panoramic views of Lake Superior. The falls are part of the 52 km Casque Isles Trail that runs through the communities of Terrace Bay, Schreiber, Rossport and Red Rock.

Red Rock

Red Rock bay is protected from Lake Superior by St. Ignace Island, making for a calm water bay with deep passages on either side of the island. The community was at one time the location of a World War POW camp and an interpretive display can be found inside the marina building. Red Rock is also part of the Casque Isles hiking trail with magnificent views over St. Ignace Island to Lake Superior. Kayaking is available in Red Rock Bay and visitors are encouraged to paddle over the well-preserved Petroglyphs

Thunder Bay

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park has long been a signature attraction for the town and a popular destination for visiting hikers.

VIEW THE THUNDER BAY DESTINATION PAGE

VIEW THE INSIDE PASSAGE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR DESTINATION PAGE