Lake Superior Circle Tour

[nieselectric]

I am planning to airstream around Lake Superior. Can anyone tell me the best places to stay and things to do?

[Lily&Me]

There are a number of threads on this, I'd do a search function rather than wait for everyone to provide this info again.

It's a beautiful area.

Maggie

[RangerJay]

Welcome to the Canadian side of Lake Superior!

Despite the fact that we do this drive at least once every year (to visit family) it remains one of our favourite drives anywhere and we always find ourselves dragging our feet for an extra day or more to enjoy the lake before heading back home.

I've attached a picture from our campsite in Rossport Campground that was taken just last week on our trip back home.

Other places you will want to consider are:


Sault Ste. Marie:

• Canadian Bush Plane Heritage Centre: http://www.bushplane.com/
• Agawa Canyon Train Tour: http://www.agawacanyontourtrain.com/
• KOA Campground: http://www.koa.com/where/on/55150/
  • we generally aren't KOA folks but this is a reasonable base if you are going to spend time in the Sault Ste. Marie area.

Pancake Bay Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/panc.html

• along the highway – incredible sand beach

Lake Superior Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/lakes.html

• Agawa Campground is along the highway and directly on the lake – a large pebble/stone beach.
• lots of hiking/viewing opportunities
• pictographs on the lake a must see

Pukaskwa National Park: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/on/pukaskwa/index.aspx

• Campground is near but not on the lake – a nice walking trail with impressive lookouts over the lake.

Neys Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/neys.html

• Campground is on the lake – best sites over look the lake
• large sand beach heavily littered with driftwood
• remnants of POW camp on site

Rainbow Falls Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/rain.html

• two campgrounds available
• Rossport Campground is small, but directly beside the highway and has some outstanding sites overlooking the lake.

Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/ouim.html

• no camping at this park – and it is a few kilometres off the highway
• a short walking trail takes you to viewing pods located on the canyon walls
• a must see site

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/slee.html

• a popular park within 1 hour of Thunder Bay
• off the highway
• some great hiking/biking
• close to Silver Islet – an historic mining community on the lake – nice walkthrough.

Thunder Bay:

• Terry Fox Lookout: http://my.tbaytel.net/jmehagan/parks...x/terryfox.htm
  • a must-see – you drive right by it – good spot for lunch.
• Old Fort William: http://www.fwhp.ca/index.php?option=...d=14&Itemid=10
• Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park: http://www.ontarioparks.com/english/kaka.html
  • a nice base for spending time in the Thunder Bay area
• KOA Thunder Bay: http://www.koa.com/where/on/55120/
  • a reasonable base beside Thunder Bay – campground is exposed to a lot of highway noise.

Enjoy your trip.

Jay

[nieselectric]

Thanks, Maggie & jay. Yhis has been really helpful.

[wyanhorton]

We call Grand Marais our northern paradise. The City owns a 300+ space RV Park which is located on Lake Superior. The town has great restuarants, and shops. The people are the warmest we have found any where. We have traveled over 125,000 miles in our Airstream and Grand Marais is still our favorite place.

[Davydd]

Right now I am in the Grand Marais, MN campground and there are three Airstreams parked here. One I believe is pretty much a permanent resident.

This photo gallery should cover the Minnesota North Shore portion...

Minnesota North Shore Foods and Scenery

Grand Marais, Michigan also has a municipal campground right on Lake Superior and is right adjacent to the town with several bars and restaurants.

[Camper Dave]

Davydd those were great pictures you have on Minnesota North Shore Foods and Scenery. I'll put them in my Great Lakes folder to reveiw when the wife and I retire and we tour the Great Lakes after retirement.

Thanks, Camper Dave

[Lily&Me]

We and TinLoaf are headed to the North Shore the end of this month. We, via a visit to Ely and the Wolf and Bear Centers there.

When you get to the UP, check out the local campgrounds all along Lake Superior. They are simple and inexpensive, and right on the Lake. We loved them, others who have posted here not so much. Depends on what you are looking for.

Maggie

[TinCanCoop]

Thanks Ranger Jay for great suggestions and thorough review.

[tomp1937]

There were several articles in Airstream Life Magazine that covered "Streaming around the big lake, one was about Marina/Big Water Camping and the other about Light Houses, predominately in the Lake's Keeweenaw Peninsula. Both articles discuss camping areas and opportunities on both sides of the Lake.

Here is a photo site of our Lake Superior experience:

CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF LAKE SUPE...

Click on "Circumnavigation I and 2

RV sites in Canada parks tend to be smaller and in more natural and wooded settings, sometimes difficult to enter if you have a larger rig. But, they have beautiful settings, especially Neyes and Rossport. Other excellent sites are at Red Cliff and Nippigon Marinas.

The US side has many sites. Our top choices are Grand Maria, MI City Park, Furnace Bay NF in Mich west of Muinising, Ontonagon City Park in Mich, either SP in Mich's Keeweenaw, Ashland City Park in WI, Washburn City Park in WI and Lakehead Marina in Duluth.