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For spectacular panoramas and great hiking, put Sleeping Giant on your RV route this year
Jutting out from the mainland, once in the park you are surrounded by the largest body of fresh water in the world, and from the highest points you will believe you can see the ends of the earth. There is no better place to view the big lake they call Gitcheegumee than Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. Lake Superior, so large it creates its own weather systems, seems to bow in front of Sleeping Giant, so named because from a distance the land looks like a giant, fast asleep with arms folded over its chest.
This sliver of land piercing the inland fresh water sea is home to thick boreal forests, lush lowlands, towering cliffs and spellbinding scenery. The assortment of wildlife is diverse and encompasses big game and small mammal alike. From cliffs reaching heights of 240 metres, the panoramic views over Lake Superior are unbelievable. From here you can view weather systems develop from a top of the world-like vantage. Believe us when we say there is no place quite like the Giant.
Sleeping Giant has many hiking trails to challenge your physical endurance. Ranging from the 40 KM linear Kabeyun Trail to the half kilometre Plantain Lane Trail, there are 17 different trails in all. Outstanding trekking experiences that vary in length and difficulty await your arrival.
Driving here you will discover that the Trans Canada Highway hugs the Superior coast from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste. Marie, offering spectacular opportunities to view the big lake they call Gitcheegumee.
Once here you can book one of our comfort cabins providing all the conveniences of home including three bedrooms, a kitchen, a walk-in shower, propane fireplace, barbeque and cozy porch. Book now.
Book your stay now and reserve your time to view Lake Superior from a perspective like none other.
Ask an Expert: How to Get Here
Sleeping Giant is easily accessible via Highway 11 and 17 and is only 45 km east of Thunder Bay and 70 km west of Nipigon and is a short half hour drive down Highway 587.
Did You Know
Ontario's provincial parks are home to about 65 per cent of the 180 plant and animal species which are considered “at risk”. Sleeping Giant, for example, is a place of sanctuary for bald eagles and peregrine falcons.
While hardly at risk, you should also know that all Ontario Parks are dog friendly. But, please respect the rules regarding family pets.
Nearby and Interesting
Ouimet Canyon, often called Canada’s “Grand Canyon” for its 100 metre sheer cliff walls, is just down the road from Sleeping Giant. There are walking trails and platforms allowing for indescribable views of the canyon. Near Dorion, you’ll find the country’s longest suspension foot bridge at Eagle Canyon.
Ontario’s Provincial Stone is Purple Amethyst and is mined in open pits throughout the area. If you look closely you may even find some for yourself.
Fort William Historic Park at Thunder Bay is the largest fur trade post in the world and a visit to Fort William is a step back in time to the days of the Voyageur, the commercial carriers of yesterday.
Thunder Bay is a modern City of 125,000 people and has a number of attractions including, the Centennial Conservatory, Chippewa Park and Wildlife Exhibit, the International Friendship Gardens and more. This is lakehead country. It is the terminus for Great Lakes commercial vessels. Western Canadian wheat, oil and other cargo arrive for transport to Eastern Canadian destinations and beyond. Thunder Bay harbour is a place of constant action with the loading and unloading of ships, trains and transports going on around the clock. The grain elevators are an amazing sight reaching like fingers into the sky along the harbour front.
Wildlife
Like so many other locations across northern Ontario, Sleeping Giant is home to a variety of wildlife. White-tailed deer, moose, bear, wolves, lynx, red fox and a host of small land mammals roam the terrain of Sleeping Giant.
The Thunder Cape Bird Observatory has recorded more than 190 species of birds making this a bird watcher’s paradise.
For summer fishing, the lake trout, speckled trout, rainbow trout, bass, pickerel, pike and perch are all in abundance. Remember you require a licence to fish in Ontario and be respectful of the limits. Catch and release is highly encouraged in Ontario and is a big part of the fish conservation and species renewal program.
Campfire Recipe - Fired Apples
Ingredients
1 Granny Smith apple, cored
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Directions
Fill the core of the apple with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Wrap the apple in a large piece of heavy aluminum foil, twisting the extra foil into a handle. Place the apple in the embers of a campfire and let cook 5 to 10 minutes, until softened. Remove and unwrap, being careful of the hot syrup.
Naturally Green
While being green may come naturally, keeping things that way takes work. Since the mid 1980s, Ontario Parks has been looking for ways to look green, think green and most importantly – be green.
For more than 30 years, a number of our provincial parks have used solar and green technologies to provide hot water. And those gas-guzzling eight-cylinder trucks that rumbled down park roads for decades are being replaced with more energy-efficient vehicles. In a pilot project, staff at some of our parks are using electric vehicles... and many already use good old-fashioned pedal-power. It’s the perfect way to get around our parks.
Going green is becoming a matter of practice. Our annual Parks Guide – and most park tabloids – are printed with vegetable-based ink, on recycled paper. Environmentally-friendly cleaning products are the norm. And compact fluorescent light bulbs are standard in many of our parks. These bulbs last 10 times longer, use 66% less energy... and provide the same amount of light!
Share a Tale or Say It with Photos
Sure, we'll give you a glimpse of what you can expect on your northern adventure, but the best stories and photos are always first hand.
It might be a story of the lake trout which got away, a picture of the incredible Northern Lights, or even a poem about that first time you heard the call of a loon!
For a chance to have your story or photo featured in an upcoming issue of the Insider, email us your story or photos today! Everyone who makes a submission will also be entered into a monthly draw for great parks gear!
