North Bay.
The City of North Bay sits on the northeast shore of Lake Nipissing in the Nipissing District, with Trout Lake bounding the city on the east. North Bay is the historic crossing point between the Great Lakes and the Ottawa River — the La Vase Portage between Lake Nipissing and the Mattawa River was the canoe route Samuel de Champlain used in 1615 and the fur-trade voyageurs ran for two centuries afterward.
The Kate Pace Way, named for Olympic alpine skier Kate Pace Lindsay, runs the paved waterfront ribbon along Lake Nipissing through the city, parallel to the Memorial Drive segment of the Trans Canada Trail. Marathon Beach, the Heritage Carousel, and the Discovery North Bay Museum (in the heritage CPR station downtown) cluster on the waterfront.
North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority manages Laurier Woods Conservation Area (152 ha of in-city wetland and mixed forest with boardwalks) and the Duchesnay Falls trail to a multi-tiered cascade at the eastern city edge. Highway 11 from Toronto and Highway 17 west from Sudbury and east toward Mattawa meet at North Bay; Algonquin Provincial Park's western edge lies further east through Mattawa and is out of strict city scope.
North Bay sits on the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe, with Nipissing First Nation immediately west on Lake Nipissing.
Today's read.
Real-time conditions updated; AI field notes unavailable.
On the record.
Every claim sourced. Click through to the original.
- 01Kate Pace Way is the City of North Bay's paved multi-use waterfront trail along Lake Nipissing, named for Olympic alpine skier Kate Pace Lindsay.Source ↗
- 02Laurier Woods Conservation Area is a 152-hectare in-city wetland and mixed-forest reserve managed by the North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority, with boardwalks and a multi-loop trail network.Source ↗
- 03Duchesnay Falls is a multi-tiered cascade on Duchesnay Creek at the eastern edge of the City of North Bay, accessed by an NBMCA trail off Highway 17/63.Source ↗
- 04The Memorial Drive segment of the Trans Canada Trail runs along Lake Nipissing through downtown North Bay.Source ↗
- 05North Bay sits on the historic La Vase Portage between Lake Nipissing and the Mattawa River, the canoe route Samuel de Champlain used in 1615 and the fur-trade voyageurs ran for two centuries afterward to cross between the Great Lakes and Ottawa River watersheds.Source ↗
6. activities
worth your time
StrongHiking
Laurier Woods Conservation Area is a 152-hectare wetland-and-mixed-forest reserve inside the city, managed by the North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority — boardwalks across the marsh, a multi-loop trail network through the woods, and good four-season access from neighbourhood trailheads. At the eastern edge of the city, the Duchesnay Falls trail climbs alongside Duchesnay Creek to a multi-tiered cascade, with NBMCA trail access off Highway 17/63. The two CAs together carry the in-city day-hike substrate; longer wilderness hiking sits east of the city through Mattawa and into Algonquin's western edge, in adjacent jurisdictions.
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StrongWalking & Strolling
The Kate Pace Way runs the paved waterfront ribbon along Lake Nipissing through the city, named for Olympic alpine skier Kate Pace Lindsay; the Memorial Drive segment of the Trans Canada Trail runs the same lakeshore corridor parallel to it. Together they tie the downtown waterfront — Marathon Beach, the Heritage Carousel, the Discovery North Bay Museum in the heritage CPR station — into a continuous flat walking loop along Lake Nipissing. Sunset Park anchors the northern end of the waterfront; the marina and Heritage Train sit at the centre.
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StrongNature & Discovery
Laurier Woods Conservation Area's 152 hectares of wetland, marsh, and mixed Canadian Shield forest sit inside the city — boardwalks across the wetland carry waterfowl and marsh-bird viewing, and the upland trails carry forest-bird substrate through the seasons. North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority manages the area as a multi-use reserve with seasonal interpretation. At the eastern edge of the city, the Duchesnay Falls trail adds a short interpretive walk to a multi-tiered cascade on Duchesnay Creek.
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StrongCycling
The Kate Pace Way carries paved multi-use cycling along Lake Nipissing through the entire city — the easiest entry point for a flat lakeshore ride. The Memorial Drive segment of the Trans Canada Trail runs the same lakeshore corridor; together they make North Bay the eastern anchor of paved cycling along the eastern Lake Nipissing shore. The downtown grid connects directly to the waterfront marina and the Heritage Carousel; the long-distance Trans Canada Trail continues east from North Bay along Highway 17 toward Mattawa and beyond.
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StrongSailing & Boating
The North Bay Waterfront Marina anchors the eastern end of Lake Nipissing — one of the largest lakes in Ontario at roughly 830 km² and 65 km long — with municipal slip product on the downtown waterfront. From the marina, sailors and motor-boaters run out into the open lake; the lake is large and shallow, and wind builds steep waves quickly off the city. The downtown grid sits directly behind the marina, and the Kate Pace Way and Memorial Drive Trans Canada Trail run along the same lakeshore corridor.
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StrongHeritage & Culture
The Discovery North Bay Museum is in the city's heritage CPR station downtown — a local-history museum on the historic railway corridor that made North Bay a regional hub. The Heritage Carousel on the waterfront, alongside the Discovery North Bay Heritage Train, is run by community volunteers and sits at the centre of the downtown waterfront ribbon. The deeper heritage layer is the La Vase Portage between Lake Nipissing and the Mattawa River — the canoe route Samuel de Champlain crossed in 1615 and the fur-trade voyageurs used to move between the Great Lakes and the Ottawa River. Downtown, the Capitol Centre is the regional performing-arts venue.
Read field guide arrow_outward15. more outings
surveyed.
Activities supported across North Bay without a featured write-up.
- 01
Trail Running
Kate Pace Way - 02
Mountain Biking
Informal CA-trail use (Laurier Woods, Duchesnay Falls trail) - 03
Paddling — Flatwater
canoeing · kayaking · sup - 04
Surf & Wind
windsurfing - 05
Swimming & Beach
lake-swim · beach-day - 06
Freshwater Fishing
walleye · pike · smallmouth-bass - 07
Cross-Country & Nordic
classic-xc - 08
Snow Adventure
snowshoeing · ice-skating · snowmobiling - 09
Seasonal Phenomena
fall-colours - 10
Wildlife Viewing
raptor-eagle - 11
Motorized Touring
scenic-drive - 12
Indigenous Experiences
first-nations-guided-experience - 13
Food & Drink
brewery · farmers-market - 14
Geology & Discovery
rockhounding - 15
Arts & Craft
artist-studio-tour
Local operators.
Trusted outfitters, guides, and experience providers in North Bay.
Northern Edge Algonquin
All-inclusive wellness, yoga, and group retreat centre on Kawawaymog Lake at Algonquin Park.
View on AER arrow_outwardOtter Pointe Resort
Four-season glamping domes, cabins, and lakeside tent sites with paddlecraft and a boat launch near Rutherglen, Ontario.
View on AER arrow_outwardOn the map.
North Bayand the local operators we've mapped nearby.
Key resources.
- cityofnorthbay.caParks, trails, and beaches inventory (Kate Pace Way, Marathon Beach, Memorial Drive TCT, Sunset Park) — City of North Bay
- nbmca.caDuchesnay Falls — North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority
- discoverynorthbaymuseum.comDiscovery North Bay Museum (heritage CPR station)
- capitolcentre.orgCapitol Centre (downtown performing arts)
- nfn.caNipissing First Nation
- nbmca.caLaurier Woods Conservation Area — North Bay–Mattawa Conservation Authority
- cityofnorthbay.caNorth Bay Waterfront Marina — City of North Bay
- northbaycarousel.comHeritage Carousel and Discovery North Bay Heritage Train (waterfront)
- ontario.caOntario Fishing Regulations Summary — Fisheries Management Zone 11 (Lake Nipissing)