Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay, Ontario was once a thriving port city. Parts of the city have fallen into decay, but parts are thriving and there are many things to see on and near the western edge of Lake Superior. In the city, the marina area and nearby lakeshore are by far the best part of Thunder Bay. It is a district of parks, marinas and restaurants.

Here are a few of the things you can see in the area surrounding the town:

Kakabeka Falls

Just west of the city is Kakabeka Falls, also known as the “Niagara of the North.” There are several good viewing overlooks and a system of hiking trails in Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park. There are several other waterfalls in the vicinity and they should be seen, but Kakabeka is the main event.

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

This entire region is surprisingly mountainous with large mesas, dramatic cliffs and breathtaking overlooks. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is one place that offers a variety of options for taking in some of these features overlooking Lake Superior. This is a must-see park that contains a wide variety of very impressive geographic features.

Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park

Just north of Sleeping Giant is Quimet Canyon, which is believed to have been formed during the last ice age. Measuring 100 metres (330 ft) deep, 150 metres (490 ft) wide and 2,000 metres (2.0 km; 1.2 mi) long it is managed by the provincial park system and is open to the public as a day use area.

Fort William National Historic Site

After the American Revolution, the negotiated US border forced the Northwest Company to transfer its operation from Grand Portage (in modern-day Minnesota) to Ontario, Canada. Fort William was established near Thunder Bay and continued to operate as the world's largest fur trading outpost.
Fort William is operated today as living history museum with actors in period dress filling in a variety of roles to tell the story of the fort. Roles include Ojibwe, French voyageurs and British overseers.