From top to bottom, and even in the skies above, the Ouimet Canyon creates a jaw-dropping scene. The Provincial Park, north of Thunder Bay and Sleeping Giant Park, is a day-use area that allows visitors to get the ultimate and safest views of Ouimet Canyon as it towers over 100m above the canyon floor.
While the sheer height of Ouimet Canyon is impressive on its own, the width of the gorge, at 150m, also helps to make this a must-see natural attraction in Northern Ontario.
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park offers a dramatic glimpse into Northern Ontario’s natural beauty, with towering cliffs, rare arctic vegetation, and accessible trails. Here are the top ways to make the best of your trip to Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park.
The Canyon from Top to Bottom
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park’s viewing platforms get visitors’ views from the very top of the canyon and into the gorge below (access to the bottom is restricted). And while you take in the scenery from top to bottom, be sure to note the drastic differences between the flora around the platform and down at the bottom of the canyon. The major height difference between the two areas, at around 100m, means that the top of the cliffs and the canyon floor have different climates and support different plants or trees.
The lack of natural sunlight and wind on the canyon floor creates cooler temperatures all year round. So, while this part of Northern Ontario certainly does not have an Arctic climate, the Ouimet Canyon floor supports Arctic and Subarctic vegetation. It often stays cool enough down there that winter snow and ice will stick around through summer. And while looking down below, there may be evidence of part of the gorge’s creation: giant pieces of volcanic boulders and rocks have broken off the cliffs and remain on the floor.
Gazing around the cliffs will offer more evidence of that volcanic activity from long ago: the vertical and pillar-like structure of the cliff walls. This is considered “vertical jointing” and gives the Ouimet Canyon its distinct look.
Hiking to the Viewpoints
It is a short and simple 1.7 km trek out to Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park’s two viewing areas. These trails and viewing platforms are also wheelchair accessible. The trail creates a one-way loop (to help with barrier-free access) to the lookout areas and back to the parking lot.
The parking area and park space around the Visitor’s Centre is lined with picnic tables and a few sheltered picnic spots. The trailhead also offers a great deal of info on the canyon’s natural history, flora, and fauna. The trail will also include a sneak preview with a bridge over the area’s smaller canyon before you reach the first viewing platform.
- Each platform will offer different looks into different parts of the massive Ouimet Canyon. And a look in each direction from these platforms will offer a different view from the last: to the north are views into the canyon as it keeps its height but narrows; and to the south, see the opening of the Ouimet Canyon surrounding Gulch Lake.
- The looping trail leads through thick boreal forest, with each platform offering a dramatic opening off the main path. As you hike, you will not feel as high up as you are until you see the platforms!
- The scenery changes with the seasons: the lush and bright green boreal forest around the Canyon becomes a sea of reds, oranges, and golds over the fall season.
Birding at Ouimet Canyon
It may seem like all the best sightseeing is down below or across the viewing platforms, but the area’s skies and trees also offer incredible opportunities for bird viewing and nature photography.
Be sure to look up and listen closely for the huge abundance and variety of bird species around the world, in Ouimet Canyon. That first bridge or boardwalk trail along the loop is a prime spot for birding in the park as this section brings you quite close to the tree canopies.
The park is home to what are considered “neotropical migrant birds” who breed in North America but spend their winters in the Tropics; this includes species like warblers, vireos, and orioles. And as this area is part of the Canadian Boreal Forest, the trees are busy year-round with permanent resident birds. Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park also helps to protect the threatened peregrine falcon; look to the cliff tops for the best chances of spotting the falcons and their nests.
Camping & Accommodations Near Ouimet Canyon
There may not be a campground at Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, but there are several options for staying around Ouimet, Dorion, or Thunder Bay.
- The Labitule Resort is one of the closest options with sheltered campgrounds set around a small canoeing and kayaking lake. Other campgrounds still relatively close by include the Wolf River Campground, the Pass Lake Campground, or the Superior Shores RV Park.
- The Red Rock community to the north on Nipigon Bay has options for an elevated stay with the Lodge at Red Rock, or more camping accommodations with the Red Rock Marina Campground.
- From Thunder Bay to Dorion and around the Trans Canada Highway are numerous options for private rentals on Airbnb, VRBO, or HipCamp. These offer a range of stay types like cabins, cottages, campsites, RV rentals, or full homes/apartments.
Eagle Canyon Adventures
More adventures along these deep and tall canyons continue with Eagle Canyon Adventures, a short drive from Ouimet Canyon. Eagle Canyon is another day-use area with hiking trails around the scenic valleys and cliffs around Dorion. The park is home to two incredible suspension bridges across the Canyon, with one of those bridges being the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in all of Canada! And as with Ouimet Canyon, the Eagle Canyon Adventures are open from May to October.
- The main trail from the parking lot will lead straight to the large suspension bridge. Once across, there are numerous other wilderness trails to explore.
- The entire hike around the Canyon for crossing both bridges create a 2.5km loop.
- And before you hit the bridges, be sure to stop at the park office and gift shop where they offer guides on the additional trails in the area.
More Sightseeing on the Lake Superior Circle Tour
While the Lake Superior Circle Tour, at its fullest extent, is a multi-day trip around the entire Great Lake, this sightseeing trip is also easily divided into more manageable sections, or day-trip itineraries. Ouimet Canyon and Eagle Canyon are both stops on the northern Canadian section of the tour and are among several things to see on the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
- The Hurkett Cove Conservation Area is a short drive east of Ouimet Canyon with 2km of trails that lead between the small Hurkett Cove and the much larger Black Bay.
- Find several more scenic and simple hiking trails around the Red Rock and Ruby Lake areas northeast of Ouimet Canyon. These parks surround Nipigon Bay with some trails offering elevated views over the water.
- And aside from more hiking trails, the Circle Tour also includes markers for accommodations, or food and drink stops. The Diamond Willow Amethyst Mine is among the more unique attractions along this part of the Top of Superior and will be open for the season as of May 15, 2025. This is a chance to shop all of the mine’s harvested amethyst by the pail or by the stone. The property also boasts an incredible view of the Sleeping Giant.
Planning Your Trip – Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
What: Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park is a short detour from the Trans Canada Highway as it winds around the Top of Lake Superior. The park, west of the highway, is for day use only and offers picnic space around the main 1km looping trail.
The park is set up around the grand Ouimet Canyon with rock faces that plunge 100m into the valley below the viewing areas. The park’s trail offers two main viewing areas/platforms that get you views overlooking the canyon.
Ouimet Canyon is a result of volcanic and glacial activity, which helped to shape the canyon and give the rock faces a sort of pillar-type appearance. The canyon is topped with boreal forest, and the canyon floor is covered with a unique stretch of arctic and subarctic vegetation due to the cooler/darker climate under the cliffs.
Location and how to get there: Greenwich Lake Rd, Pass Lake
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park is located approximately 85 km (1 hr 15 min drive) from Thunder Bay, 1325 km (15 hr drive) from Toronto or Ottawa.
Best time to go: May 15, 2026 to October 30, 2026
Cost: Day-use fee applies. $6.50 for 2 hours to $18 for the full day per vehicle.
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