Free
Prince Arthur's Landing
The waterfront park and marina, with art and views of the Giant.
Lake Superior, Ontario
Thunder Bay
Lake Superior's big northern city, with the Sleeping Giant across the bay, Kakabeka Falls, Ouimet Canyon and a reconstructed fur-trade fort.
Photo: The Sleeping Giant across the bay from Thunder Bay, D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Thunder Bay looks out at the Sibley Peninsula, whose silhouette looks like a giant lying on its back. It's the Sleeping Giant of Anishinaabe legend.
Kakabeka Falls, about 40 metres high and known as the Niagara of the North, is 30 minutes west. Ouimet Canyon, a deep gorge with arctic plants on its floor, is about an hour east. The North is big, so take your time.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Hillcrest Park
A lookout over the city, harbour and Sleeping Giant, with gardens.
Free
Centennial Park
Woods and trails along the Current River, with a logging camp exhibit.
Cheap
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
A roaring waterfall about 40 metres high, with boardwalks along the gorge.
Cheap
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Hiking trails, cliffs and the Top of the Giant lookout over Lake Superior.
Cheap
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
A short trail to lookouts over a deep, narrow canyon. Day-use.
Season Open roughly mid-May–Oct (check before you go).
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Terry Fox Monument
A statue near where Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope ended, with a lake lookout.
Paid
Fort William Historical Park
A reconstructed fur-trade post of the North West Company, with costumed interpreters.
Paid
Eagle Canyon Adventures
Long suspension footbridges over a canyon, plus a zipline.
Season Open roughly mid-May–mid-Oct (check before you go).
Paid
Amethyst Mine Panorama
Dig for amethyst at an open-pit mine.
Season Open roughly June–Sept (check before you go).
Paid
Thunder Bay Art Gallery
A gallery with a focus on contemporary Indigenous art.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Free
Thunder Bay Country Market
A big Saturday market of local food and crafts.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Sail Superior tours
Sailing and boat tours on Lake Superior from the Thunder Bay Marina.
Season Departs daily roughly mid-May–mid-Oct (check before you go).
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Fort William Historical Park Tickets
- Eagle Canyon Adventures Experience
- Amethyst Mine Panorama Experience
Part of our Algoma and Lake Superior guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is a full day of trails and lookouts.
- Kakabeka Falls and Fort William Historical Park make another.
- Lake Superior is too big to see in an afternoon.
Nearby and worth the drive
Sault Ste. Marieabout 7 h · Guide ↗
The Lake Superior coast drive.
Nipigonabout 1 h 40
A river gorge and a lookout tower.
Ready-made trips with Thunder Bay
Good to know
- Tourism: visitthunderbay.com.
- Distances: Thunder Bay is a long drive from southern Ontario. Plan it as part of a Lake Superior circle.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: The Sleeping Giant across the bay from Thunder Bay, D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Kakabeka Falls, Axel Pettersson, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Ouimet Canyon, Sharon Mollerus from Duluth, USA, CC BY 2.0
Photo: The Terry Fox Monument, Thunder Bay, Cameron MacMinn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Buildings at Fort William Historical Park, No machine-readable author provided. Doug Coldwell assumed (based on copyright c, CC BY-SA 3.0