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Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is located just east of the city of Thunder Bay, on the shores of Lake Superior.

Sleeping Giant Provincial ParkNative legend claims that the spirit of  The Deep Sea Water was turned to stone when the secret location of a rich silver mine (now known as Silver Inlet) was revealed to the White Man. The rock peninsula (called the Sleeping Giant) resembles a man sleeping on his back with his arms crossed over his chest.We stayed at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park for 2 nights. The area is rugged and great for hiking.

Site Review:

Marie Louise campground within Sleeping Giant Provincial Park has about 200 campsites- almost half of which have electrical service. As is typical in all Ontario Parks, electricity is the only hook-up offered.

Site size varies and sites can accommodate equipment ranging from tents to large RVs.

We had site #112  when we stayed at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. It was a large site and you could walk directly from it down to Marie Louise Lake.   The ducks are commonly seen here and certainly don’t mind their picture being taken.

Activities:

Hiking:

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is a premier hiking destination and has over 100 km of trails for both day and overnight hikes.

Burma Trail – 11.4 km, linear
Great for bird watching and wildlife spotting, this trail between Marie Louise Lake Drive and Thunder Bay Lookout Road passes through stands of mature Red and White Pine, by the shores of small interior lakes, and over rocky outcrops.  Bicycling is allowed on this trail.

Head Trail – 1 km 
This is a steep ascent to the head of the Giant and rewards hikers with spectacular views.
Gardner Lake Trail – 4 km, return
Known for its moose viewing opportunities, this trail takes you down an old logging road to Gardner Lake.

Joe Creek Nature Trail – 1.6 km, return
This trail follows picturesque Joe Creek down a series of small waterfalls from Highway 587 to Lake Superior.

Kabeyun Trail – 40 km, strenuous
Ideal for overnight backpacking as well as shorter, day hikes, this scenic coastal trail starts at Thunder Bay Lookout, rounds the tip of the peninsula (the Sleeping Giant’s feet) and ends at the trailhead at Highway 587. Beaches and coves offer respite along the route and Lake Superior is an ever deep blue presence. The section between the Sleeping Giant’s feet and Lehtinen’s Bay, twists and turns over the boulders of a talus slope. This section is especially treacherous in wet weather.  Bicycling is allowed on a section of this trail from the trailhead to Lehtinen’s Bay.

Middlebrun Bay Trail and Finlay Bay Trail – 4.2 km, easy
This hike takes you to a secluded sandy beach at Middlebrun Bay with a fen (wetland), full of plants that grow only in this type of habitat. An extension of the trail at the end of the beach leads to Finlay Bay.

Pickerel Lake Trail – 10 km
In the winter, this scenic trail passes through one of the park’s impressive White Pine stands is part of the network of cross-country ski trails. You can join this trail at several locations, including the parking lot at Rita Lake.  Bicycling is allowed on this trail.

Piney Wood Hills Trail – 1.4 km 
Winding through the open mixed forest into pine-forested hilly terrain, this trail ends at a viewpoint over Joeboy Lake.

Plantain Lane Trail – 0.5 km 
A section of the old abandoned Silver Islet Road takes you over a small bridge on Sibley Creek. The view from the bridge is one of the park’s many treasures.

Ravine Lake Trail – 1.5 km return
This trail climbs steadily to two lookouts over Grassy Lake and the peninsula’s south coast. It then travels down to the shore of Ravine Lake, returning through a shaded cedar grove.

Sawbill Lake Trail – 2.3 km 
This trail, part of an old logging road, provides access to the Sawyer Bay Trail from the Marie Louise Lake Drive and includes one moderately steep hill.  Bicycling is allowed on this trail.

Sawyer Bay Trail – 6 km 
This abandoned logging road leads to Sawyer Bay at the base of the Sleeping Giant. A number of hills provide views of the Giant and offer abundant wild berries in season. Bicycling is allowed on this trail.

Sibley Creek Trail – 1.7 km return
Leading you through a mixed forest to a marsh and stream section of Sibley Creek, this trail is ideal for viewing forest ecosystems.

Sifting Lake Trail – 4 km return
You can visit the quiet shores of Sifting Lake on this trail.

Talus Lake Trail – 6 km
Known for its seasonal wildlife viewing this rugged trail travels between the Sleeping Giant and Thunder Mountain, connecting the Kabeyun Trail with the Sawyer Bay Trail. It takes you past three secluded lakes, a sedge meadow, spectacular cliffs, talus slopes and a small waterfall. Be careful in wet weather.

Thunder Bay Bogs Trail – 0.8 km return
This trail traverses rocky terrain to the shore of a small, still lake.  Ensure you include this hike in your visit to the Thunder Bay Lookout.

Top of the Giant Trail – 2.7 km
This challenging 2.7 kilometre trail takes you to the top of the Sleeping Giant. To get to this trail hike the Kabeyun Trail past Tee Harbour to the Talus Lake Trail, continue north on the Talus Lake Trail to reach the Top of the Giant Trail.  The return distance from the Kabeyun trailhead is approximately 22 kilometres. Once on top of the Giant the trail takes hikers to scenic lookouts on both east and west sides of the peninsula with spectacular views of Lake Superior. This hike should only be started by those in good physical condition. Bring water, sturdy hiking boots, warm clothing and a first aid kit.

Twinpine Lake Trail – 4.7 km
This trail connects the Burma Trail with the Kabeyun Trail and passes by picturesque Twinpine Lake.

Wildlife Habitat Trail – 2.4 km return
Weaving through an area that has been altered to create habitat for moose, this trail offers plenty of opportunities to view wildlife.

Sea Lion Trail – 0.5 km from Kabeyun Trail
This trail branches off the Kabeyun Trail at Perry Bay, 0.5 km from the Kabeyun trailhead. The trail has a difficult access over a rocky outcrop and passes a stony beach on Perry Bay.  On-site interpretive signs explain the formation of the Sea Lion.

When we visited we hiked a short portion of the Kabeyun Trail as well as the Sea Lion  Trail.

Top of the Giant Trail:

The Top of the Giant Trail is the trail that rewards hikers with scenic views of both the east and west sides of the peninsula, as well as spectacular views of Lake Superior. It is a physically demanding hike and not recommended for the casual hiker. The Ontario Parks website suggests you bring, water, sturdy hiking boots, warm clothing and a first aid kit. You are further cautioned to only start this hike if you are in “good physical condition.” 

Canoeing/Kayaking/Swimming/Fishing:

Water activities can be enjoyed on Marie Louise Lake and can be accessed easily from the campground.There is a boat ramp to launch power boats from. Motors must not exceed 10 horsepower.

Biking:

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park has many opportunities for exploration by bicycle. Cycling is permitted on several of the trails. That, however, is not my kind of cycling- that would be labour intensive experienced mountain biking! We rode our bikes mainly on the roads.

Wildlife Viewing:

There are great opportunities at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park to view wildlife. Most of the wildlife that we viewed on this trip we saw in the Marie Louise campground (deer, skunk, raccoon, rabbit). 

In addition, over 200 bird species have been recorded in the park. The Thunder Cape Bird Observatory is adjacent to the park and located at the tip of Sibley Point.

Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout:

An activity that I think is worthy of mention, though not within the boundaries of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, is the Terry Fox Memorial and Lookout. It is situated on the outskirts of Thunder Bay, about 25km past where you turn off Highway 17 to travel to the entrance of the park.

No Canadian requires an explanation as to the significance of Terry Fox. He may very well be the country’s greatest Canadian.

Terry Fox was a 22-year-old cancer survivor who had lost his leg to the disease. He set out on his Marathon of Hope.  in the summer of 1980. His goal was to run across the country raising awareness for cancer research and to raise $1 from each Canadian (there were 24 million of us at the time) to help find a cure.

For those of us who remember that summer- it was nothing short of remarkable. Sadly though, after 143 days he had to abort his run in Thunder Bay (about 4km from where the memorial stands) because his cancer had returned. He died less than 10 months later.

Terry Fox continues to inspire; the annual Terry Fox Run has now grown to involve millions of participants in over 60 countries. It is the world’s largest one-day fundraiser for cancer research.

There is no charge to visit the Terry Fox Memorial. The Fox family agreed to allow a monument only if nothing was sold and no admission fee was required. This is a monument that truly embodies the spirit of Canada.

Things to Know:

1. The trails are rugged. The views are breathtaking.

2. An Ontario Fishing Licence is required to fish in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park’s lakes or streams and must be obtained in advance. The park does not issue them.

3. Canoes and kayaks are available to rent from the park store for use on Marie Louise Lake.

4. If you are planning a stay in the Thunder Bay area. Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is located about 30 km past Thunder Bay and is a nice place to camp or just check out the falls.

5. To access most of the trailheads you would need to drive your vehicle. Some are a good distance from the Marie Louise Lake campground.

6. Wood and ice are available for purchase from the park store. You would be wise to purchase what you need when you register for your site. It’s approximately 1.5 km from where you check in to the campsites.

IMO:

Fantastic park! We will come back, but we will make it a destination rather than a 2-day stop. We did not afford enough time to properly enjoy all the park has to offer. Definitely recommend Sleeping Giant Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.

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