Lake Superior Provincial Park protects a stretch of the Lake Superior coast along Highway 17, with cliffs, beaches, river valleys, waterfalls, inland lakes and the Algoma Hills. Ontario Parks lists 150 km of maintained canoe routes and 130 km of hiking trails.[17] This guide covers what Ontario Parks says about the park.
Facts box
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Mailing address | PO Box 267, Wawa. Park office, year-round: 705-856-2284.[1] |
| Size | 160,810 hectares, established 1944, a Natural Environment park.[2] |
| Drive to the park | Toronto: about 863 km, 11 h 55 min; Ottawa: about 961 km, 13 h 37 min; London: about 836 km, 9 h 53 min; Kitchener: about 942 km, 10 h 59 min; Montreal: about 1157 km, 16 h 00 min. OSRM estimates; allow for traffic and stops[3] |
| Agawa Bay Campground and Visitor Centre | May to mid-October: 705-882-2026.[4] |
2026 operating dates
- Agawa Bay Campground: May 1 to October 13, 2026.[5]
- Rabbit Blanket Campground: May 15 to October 25, 2026.[6]
- Day use and backcountry camping: May 1 to October 25, 2026.[7]
Confirm 2027 dates on the Ontario Parks page when they post.
Camping
Agawa Bay Campground sits on a 3 km Lake Superior beach and has 147 sites, 38 with electricity. Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground is on an inland lake near Highway 17 and has 60 sites, 20 with electricity. The south part of Agawa Bay (sites in the 300s) is radio-free. From May 1 to 14, 2026, only Agawa Bay sites 101 to 149 operate, with vault privies only and self-serve cash registration.[18]
The facilities list shows 374 campsites: 205 car-camping, 169 backcountry, 58 electrical, 53 RV pull-through, 45 radio-free and 7 seasonal rentals, with 8 backcountry access points. The "What You’ll Like" section says 200 backcountry sites, which conflicts with the facilities list, so check when you book.[8]
Hiking
The activities page lists these trails:[9]
- Sand River (Pinguisibi): easy, 6 km return, 1.5 to 3 hours.
- Orphan Lake: moderate, 8 km loop, 2 to 4 hours.
- Awausee: demanding, 10 km loop, 4 to 6 hours. The first lookout is a 45-minute return hike.
- Nokomis Trail at Old Woman Bay: moderate, 5 km loop, 1.5 to 3 hours.
- Coastal Trail: very demanding, 65 km linear, 5 to 7 days.
Coastal Trail access points are Agawa Bay, Sinclair Cove, Katherine Cove, Coldwater River, Orphan Lake Trail and Gargantua Road. The 14 km gravel road from Highway 17 to Gargantua is rough, so allow 45 minutes.[9]
Swimming
Beaches are at Agawa Bay Campground, Katherine Cove and Old Woman Bay day-use areas. Lake Superior is often very cold, especially in early summer, and inland lakes are warmer.[10] The park lists a dog beach and a pet exercise area.[11]
Paddling and fishing
The park has eight canoe routes, including the Sand River route (56 km, about 5 days, 29 marked portages) and the Lake Superior Coastline (105 km, 5 to 7 days, for experienced paddlers only).[12] Lake Superior and coastal streams have lake trout, rainbow trout and three salmon species, and live bait fish are banned on interior lakes.[13] Confirm current rules in the Ontario fishing regulations summary.
Winter
The park provides no facilities or services in winter. The visitor centre, campgrounds and the Mijinemungshing and Gargantua roads are closed and gated. Skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing are permitted, and snowmobiles are prohibited except on Frater Road to reach the Algoma Central Railway.[14]
Day use and services
The park page gives no day-use fees. The park sells daily vehicle permits up to five days in advance; Ontario Parks releases advance permits at 7 am Eastern.[15] The park lists a park store, laundromats, showers, a boat launch, canoe and kayak rentals and all-terrain wheelchairs. Public Wi-Fi, food concessions and a playground are not available.[16]
FAQ
When is Lake Superior Provincial Park open in 2026?
Day use and backcountry camping run May 1 to October 25. Agawa Bay Campground runs May 1 to October 13. Checked November 3 2026.
How long is the Coastal Trail?
Ontario Parks lists 65 km, linear, very demanding, 5 to 7 days. Checked November 3 2026.
Is Lake Superior warm enough to swim?
Ontario Parks says it is often very cold, especially in early summer, and inland lakes are warmer. Checked November 3 2026.
Cottages in this area
Browse cottages in Algoma or the whole Northern Ontario region.
Township Rules Check
Thinking of renting out a cottage here? Run the Township Rules Check. Rules for Algoma municipalities are being confirmed, so we state none here.
Claims table
Checked 2026-11-03 by the SEO & Content Writer agent. Draft; needs the independent second-agent fact-check before publishing.
| # | claim | source URL | checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mailing address : PO Box 267, Wawa. Park office, year-round: 705-856-2284. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 2 | Size : 160,810 hectares, established 1944, a Natural Environment park. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 3 | Drive to the park : Toronto: about 863 km, 11 h 55 min; Ottawa: about 961 km, 13 h 37 min; London: about 836 km, 9 h 53 min; Kitchener: about 942 km, 10 h 59 min; Montreal: about 1157 km, 16 h 00 min. OSRM estimates; allow for traffic and stops | https://router.project-osrm.org | 2026-11-03 |
| 4 | Agawa Bay Campground and Visitor Centre : May to mid-October: 705-882-2026. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 5 | Agawa Bay Campground: May 1 to October 13, 2026. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 6 | Rabbit Blanket Campground: May 15 to October 25, 2026. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 7 | Day use and backcountry camping: May 1 to October 25, 2026. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 8 | The facilities list shows 374 campsites: 205 car-camping, 169 backcountry, 58 electrical, 53 RV pull-through, 45 radio-free and 7 seasonal rentals, with 8 backcountry access points. The "What You’ll Like" section says 200 backcountry sites, which conflicts with the facilities list, so check when you book. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 9 | The activities page lists these trails | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/activities | 2026-11-03 |
| 10 | Beaches are at Agawa Bay Campground, Katherine Cove and Old Woman Bay day-use areas. Lake Superior is often very cold, especially in early summer, and inland lakes are warmer. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/activities | 2026-11-03 |
| 11 | The park lists a dog beach and a pet exercise area. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 12 | The park has eight canoe routes, including the Sand River route (56 km, about 5 days, 29 marked portages) and the Lake Superior Coastline (105 km, 5 to 7 days, for experienced paddlers only). | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/activities | 2026-11-03 |
| 13 | Lake Superior and coastal streams have lake trout, rainbow trout and three salmon species, and live bait fish are banned on interior lakes. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/activities | 2026-11-03 |
| 14 | The park provides no facilities or services in winter. The visitor centre, campgrounds and the Mijinemungshing and Gargantua roads are closed and gated. Skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing are permitted, and snowmobiles are prohibited except on Frater Road to reach the Algoma Central Railway. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/activities | 2026-11-03 |
| 15 | The park page gives no day-use fees. Advance permits up to five days ahead at this park (facilities page); release time 7 am Eastern (Ontario Parks day-use FAQ). | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/facilities ; https://www.ontarioparks.ca/dayuse/faq | 2026-11-03 |
| 16 | The park lists a park store, laundromats, showers, a boat launch, canoe and kayak rentals and all-terrain wheelchairs. Public Wi-Fi, food concessions and a playground are not available. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior | 2026-11-03 |
| 17 | Scenery list; 150 km canoe routes; 130 km hiking trails. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior ; https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/camping | 2026-11-03 |
| 18 | Agawa Bay 147 sites (38 electrical), 3 km beach; Rabbit Blanket 60 (20); radio-free 300s; May 1 to 14 2026 limits. | https://www.ontarioparks.ca/park/lakesuperior/camping | 2026-11-03 |
Fact-check 2026-11-03 (independent): rows 1 to 14 and 16 confirmed; row 15 re-cited to the park’s own page; title, H1 and meta changed to match the Lake Superior Provincial Park-only content (slug kept); intro sentences on Sault Ste. Marie and visitor habits unsourced, replaced; rows 17 and 18 added. Note: the camping page says 163 backcountry sites, the highlights say 200, the facilities list 169; the copy flags the conflict.