Sleeping Giant Provincial Park Camping

Sleeping Giant is a trek to get to, but worth the long drive. Located just outside Thunder Bay, Ontario, it is out on the Sibley Penninsula, and located in an area that is rich in Indigenous and settler history. You cannot visit Sleeping Giant without learning about the legend of Nanabijou, silver mining, and the importance of the area to our Indigenous peoples.

Hiking:

The park has 100kms of hiking - 26 trails in all! This park is a hiker's paradise! The most famous hike is Top of the Giant, which takes you up onto the actual Sleeping Giant land formation with views of Thunder Bay and Lake Superior that are, to be blunt, awe inspiring. NOTE! This hike is not for anyone with any mobility issues. It has steep climbs and takes a whole day.

A few trails are also bike-friendly. When we hiked Top of the Giant, we cycled in the first seven kms, and it made a huge difference for us to complete the hike.

Other spectacular hikes are Tee Harbour (you can also interior camp here), and the Sea Lion arch. Note, if you walk the Sea lion trail, you can follow the trail along past some private cottages and come out near Silver Islet. Adorable folk art dots the trail, and is a delight to see!

Silver Islet is also a fun visit, by car. A historical general store, and lots of history on Canada's largest silver mine (and the Indigenous legends around it) are worth the time to pop over!

Camping:

The frontcountry campground at Sleeping Giant is on Mary Louise Lake, not Lake Superior, which means a calmer, better beach, and a sheltered location for camping. There are sites for big rigs as well as tents, so when you are booking, ensure your setup will fit. It is a large campground, but fills in fast in the summers, so ensure you are well prepared to book in early! Campnab is recommended, of course, to get the site you want!

The comfort stations and laundry have good parking, and aren't too far from many of the loops on the campground. There are a lot of speedbumps. Dump stations are close by too. When we stayed, we noticed many folks using dump caddies, as this park, being more remote, encourages longer stays!

The back country camping experience at Thunder Bay is apparently quite enjoyable. We did not backcountry camp while there, but want to the next time we visit! Some sites have bike-navigable trails in, which makes it a little easier.

Tourism:

Thunder Bay is just over an hour away, and has all amenities for grocery and camping gear. Other areas to visit:

• Kakabeka Falls is not far away, and a gorgeous day trip destination - it also has a campground!

• Terry Fox Memorial - Visit a beautiful vista and a memorial to an incredibly brave Canadian who still inspires us today.

• Amythest mining - Tour one of the local amythest mines, dig up your own amythest, find out how it is formed! Great for kids, FYI!

• Ouimet Canyon is an Ontario Parks day park, and is absolutely stunning and ecologically unique! A rare example of a dry canyon, you have incredible views from the trail that takes you to the edge, and if you bring binoculars, you can view arctic flora on the canyon floor!

• Fort William is an immersive historical site that centres around the voyageurs, fur trade, and settlement of Canada. Plan to spend some time wandering the site. Note! There are some limited use RV spots for overnight camping!

• Mount McKay has really awesome views of Thunder Bay, and some of the tallest birch trees we've ever seen!

• Eagle Canyon has some of the longest suspension bridges in Canada.

• Ask someone local about where to get the best Persian donut. You will not be disappointed!

the only downside to Sleeping Giant is the remote nature. From Toronto, it is a two-day drive, ideally three if you are hauling an RV. It is more remote, and cell signal is tedious at best, we had little to no connectivity while camping there.

But... I think it is worth the long drive to spend some time in a rugged, diverse, and beautiful part of Canada. All along the north of Lake Superior, the drive will take your breath away, and make you want to just keep going, fueling your wanderlust and appreciation for the largest of the Great Lakes, or, Otchipwe-kitchi-gami (Gitchi-gumee) as named by the Ojibwe (Anishinaabe).

Additional note: On the way up, stop in Wawa to visit the big goose, and White River to visit the home of the REAL Winnie-The-Poo!