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JAMES SMEDLEY
Ontario
The legendary Sleeping Giant on Sibley Peninsula is often photographed from near Thunder Bay, starting point of this fun trip.
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Ontario Maps
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BARRY WOJCIECHOWSKI / ONTARIO PARKS
Fall colors on the drive through Sleeping Giant Provincial Park include yellows and oranges mixed in with the greens.
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JOEL COOPER
Fall color in Alona Bay in Lake Superior Provincial Park, seen from an accessible scenic pulloff next to Highway 17.
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JOEL COOPER
A lovely spot just north of Old Woman Bay in Lake Superior Provincial Park.
Highway 17: Sault to Wawa
This scenic drive north from the Sault features Batchawana Bay Provincial Park and the warmest swimming on the lake, and the large and wild Lake Superior Provincial Park.
Miles: 140 (225 kilometres)
Approximate driving time: 2.5 hours
Tree mix and colors
On Lake Superior’s eastern shore, this drive between Sault Ste. Marie and Wawa “is the best around the whole Circle Tour, but maybe I am a bit biased,” says Carol Dersch, natural heritage education leader at Lake Superior Provincial Park near Wawa.
Heading north from Sault Ste. Marie takes travelers through a transition between two forests – the more southerly Great Lakes-St. Lawrence type with sugar maple, red maple, yellow birch, red pine and white pine, and the more northerly boreal forest dominated by evergreens – white spruce, black spruce, balsam fir and jack pine, with white birch and trembling aspen the most common deciduous species.
The Algoma Hills are dominated by sugar maple, red maple and yellow birch, presenting a display of oranges, reds and golds. There also are red pine and white pine interspersed in this area, and there are pockets of evergreens (white spruce and balsam fir) in low-lying areas and on the north sides of hills. Through Lake Superior Provincial Park, the transition between the two forests becomes more pronounced and noticeable and makes for a nice contrast of colors and evergreens, according to Carol.
Best time for color
The best time to catch the oranges and reds of the maples and yellow birch in Lake Superior Provincial Park is usually the third week of September to the end of September. Depending on the weather, this may extend into early October. There can be color visible into mid-October, and it’s generally the gold and yellow of white birch and trembling aspen. Timing, Carol says, can vary by about a week between the Sault St. Marie area and Wawa (starting and ending earlier at the north end).
There can be a week of difference for peak color in the park between the north end (such as Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground) and south end (Agawa Bay); and there can be 10 days to two weeks’ difference between Sault Ste. Marie and Old Woman Bay on the north end of the park when it comes to peak color.
Attractions
This drive along Lake Superior offers a great mix of panoramic views, great views of the Algoma hills and also good spots to stop and get close to the lake, Carol says. This is one of the least developed areas on the Lake, so it’s wise to gas up before heading out.
Highlights include Batchawana Bay Provincial Park’s magnificent views and the warmest swimming on the Lake; Montreal River Harbour, southern gateway to Lake Superior Provincial Park, opens with a breathtaking gorge; and Lake Superior Provincial Park’s beautiful visitor center at Agawa Bay Campground, with audio-visual displays about logging, shipwrecks, art of the Group of Seven, early settlers, commercial fishing, fur traders and art of pictographs.
Thunder Bay to the Sleeping Giant
East of Thunder Bay is Sleeping Giant Provincial Park off Trans Canada Highway 11/17. Turn onto Highway 587 and head south into this majestic park, a paradise for hikers, campers and sightseers.
Miles: 56 (90 kilometres)
Approximate driving time: About 1 hour from Thunder Bay to Marie Louise Lake Campground.
Tree mix and colors
Visit Sleeping Giant Provincial Park via Highway 11/17 and then Highway 587 to the tiny hamlet of Pass Lake and down the Sibley Peninsula. In trees, the park is mainly boreal, which means a lot of conifers. It has typical boreal species like black spruce, white spruce, white birch, tamaracks, balsam fir, trembling aspen, balsam poplar and mountain maple, says Lesley Ng, park naturalist at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
There are also mountain ashes (showy and American species) that change color, and the park has small pockets of Great Lakes-St. Lawrence forest, which feature trees such as yellow birch, sugar maple and red and white pine. The trees that turn color in the fall are the balsam poplar, mountain maple, trembling aspen and white birches (all boreal deciduous species); and the only conifer to turn color is the tamarack, which turns orange. So the fall colors in the park tend toward yellows and oranges, mixed in with the greens of the conifers.
“We also have mountain ashes that will change color that are found in both boreal and Great Lakes” forests, Lesley adds.
Best time to see color
The best time for color is late September to mid-October (but windy conditions can end the season by early October).
Attractions
The Sibley Peninsula is home to the legendary Sleeping Giant that is so often photographed. In Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, outdoor enthusiasts will find more than 80 kilometres (50 miles) of hiking and backpacking trails. Hikers will enjoy the Top of the Giant Trail for breathtaking views and may see moose, white-tailed deer, red fox and other wildlife. Thunder Bay Lookout has a cantilevered platform allowing sightseers to step safely beyond the edge of the cliff for stunning views of Thunder Bay from atop the 137-metre (450-foot) vertical cliffs. The park’s popular Sea Lion rock formation can be accessed from Kabeyun South Trailhead, where parking is available.
At the tip of the peninsula, historic Silver Islet General Store is open during summer to offer tea, pizza, desserts and a pool table. A few cottages remain (now private summer homes) from the one-time mining village of Silver Islet. The actual mining was done on a tiny island offshore.
OTHER ONTARIO FALL DRIVES
Highway 17 from Wawa
to Nipigon.
Highway 588 to the Nolalu and Stanley areas south and west of Thunder Bay.
Michigan
Wisconsin
Highway 13 to Bayfield Orchard Loop