Explore the Landscape that Inspired the Group of Seven
- Cycle from Lake Superior (west of Sault Ste Marie) to Sudbury. From 380-570 km including trips to St. Joseph Island and Manitoulin Island.
- Rugged and Relaxing – Picturesque Mennonite and Amish farms dot the forested Northern roads on the Canadian Shield. 12 heritage rivers and 16 beaches on the clear waters of Lake Huron.
- Bike Friendly Marinas – The North Shore is a world-class sailing destination known as ‘The Carribbean of the North’. Several marinas along the North Shore offer public services that may be used by cyclists.
- Sault Ste Marie
- Hilton Beach
- Bruce Mines
- Thessalon
- Blind River
- Spanish
- Wilderness and Waterfront are within your grasp in dozens of natural areas with waterfalls. Explore Whitefish Island, Lake George Wetlands, Chutes Provincial Parks.
- Heritage – Steeped in history. Indigenous, logging, mining, shipping, bush planes, maple syrup and funky public art and monuments like the giant loonie.
- Breweries – Great craft breweries in Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury.
Take the road seldom seen. Cycle the North.
Mini guide includes detailed itineraries for a 4-6 day cycle tour from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury, including suggestions for overnight accommodations, rest stops, free route maps and gps routing.
What You Need to Know
Over 570km long including St. Joseph and Manitoulin Island
Gros Cap (Sault Ste Marie) – Sudbury
- 380 km long + 80km on St. Joseph Island, mostly on road
- Route includes roughly 60km of provincial roadways, including 50km on Highway 17
- Shouldering expansions of Highway 17 to accommodate the route were completed in 2018
- Highway 17 is a provincial highway with a posted speed limit of up to 90km/h, and heavy traffic including consistent truck traffic.
- Route includes roughly 40km of gravel roads (longest section is 14.5km)
- Downloadable maps mark sections of gravel road with a unique line type
- Interactive map notes surface type when you click on the route
- Family Friendly Sections – John Rowswell Hub Trail (Sault Ste Marie, 26km), Junction Creek to Bell Park (Sudbury, 8km), Boom Camp Trails (Blind River)
- Part of the Trans Canada Trail
- Connects in Gros Cap to the Lake Superior Water Trail
- Connects in Sudbury to the Voyageur Cycling Route
- Connects in Gros Cap and Iron Bridge to the Voyageur Hiking Route
- 26 Communities and First Nations, most with amenities
- Work to sign St. Joseph Island with MTO is ongoing, with Great Lakes Waterfront Trail signage signage presently in place.
Manitoulin Island
- 113km from Espanola to South Baymouth on provincial Highway 6
- Paved roads, hilly terrain with some narrow shoulders
- Largest freshwater island in the world
- Manitoulin Island, a great cycling destination, is home to over 800km of cycling routes. See MICA for more information.
- Transit to Bruce Peninsula possible via the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry (spring and summer only)
- Green Provincial cycling route designation signs are presently in place on Highway 6 between South Baymouth and Espanola. Great Lakes Waterfront Trail markers will be forthcoming.
Background of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail northern expansions
In 2019, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail launched a 460km expansion along the Lake Huron North Channel, completing a 3 year program to connect 26 communities and First Nations from Sault Ste Marie to Sudbury along a signed, mostly on-road route–the first long distance cycling route in Northern Ontario. The expansion brings us to the shores of the final domestic Great Lake: Lake Superior. This work has been accomplished in partnership with local communities, The Great Trail, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Tourism Northern Ontario, and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The Lake Huron North Channel expansion of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail provides users the opportunity to celebrate the heart and spirit of Northern Ontario communities.
Manitoulin Island is now part of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail
Working with MICA, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and the Ministry of Transportation and 4 local communities, the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail expanded to Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. This 113km signed cycling route connects Espanola to South Baymouth where people can take the Chi-Cheemaun Ferry to Tobermory and the GLWT in the Bruce Peninsula. The connection is entirely on-road using Provincial Highway 6. It is part of an island cycling network of over 800km, which our partner MICA has championed.
“Highway 17, I must’ve traveled it close to a thousand times, but always on the highway, never off the highway. It was just amazing. There were spots and times where we could’ve taken a shuttle to skip an area but I said, no, I want to see the back roads here, so the countryside and everything else.”
“Rediscovering the natural beauty of the north, the friendly and interesting people, seeing the lakes, trees and fields up close, sense of individual community and non-commercial nature of the ride, discovering how much agriculture there is in the area, reminder of importance and presence of first nations…”
Photos Showing Shouldered Sections of Highway 17
Photos Showing Gravel Sections of Route
Lake Huron North Channel Partners
