Sault Ste. Marie.
Sault Ste. Marie sits at Baawating — the rapids of the St.
Marys River — where Lake Superior drains into Lake Huron and the Canadian and U.S. shores face each other across the channel. The 1895 Sault Ste.
Marie Canal National Historic Site, with the world's longest lock at construction and the only emergency swing dam still in existence, anchors a downtown waterfront that runs from Whitefish Island NHS through the canal grounds to Roberta Bondar Park and the 25 km John Rowswell Hub Trail. Inland, the Sault Ste.
Marie Region Conservation Authority manages Hiawatha Highlands and Fort Creek Conservation Area, and Hiawatha holds 50+ km of groomed classic and skate ski trails plus four named singletrack systems — Crystal Creek, Red Pine, Pinder, and Farmer Lake — maintained by the Sault Cycling Club. Garden River First Nation (Ketegaunseebee) sits immediately east on Highway 17; the Voyageur Trail Saulteaux–Goulais section runs north and east, part of a planned 1,100 km Sudbury–Sault–Thunder Bay wilderness trail.
Today's read.
Real-time conditions updated; AI field notes unavailable.
On the record.
Every claim sourced. Click through to the original.
- 01The Sault Ste. Marie Canal opened in 1895 was the world's longest lock at the time of its construction and the first lock to be operated by electricity, completing the all-Canadian navigation chain from the Atlantic to Lake Superior.Source ↗
- 02Whitefish Island was an ancestral fishing station of the Anishinaabek of the Great Lakes for over 2,000 years; it was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1981 and returned to Batchewana First Nation reserve status in 1997.Source ↗
- 03Hiawatha Highlands offers more than 50 km of professionally groomed classic and skate cross-country ski trails, plus 9 km of dedicated fat-bike trails and 9 km of snowshoe trails.Source ↗
- 04Hiawatha Highlands is home to four named singletrack mountain-bike trail systems — Crystal Creek (19 km), Red Pine (14 km), Pinder (5 km), and Farmer Lake (7 km) — maintained by the Sault Cycling Club.Source ↗
- 05The John Rowswell Hub Trail is a 25 km paved multi-use non-motorized loop connecting the St. Marys River waterfront, Bellevue Park, Roberta Bondar Park, Algoma University, Sault College, and Fort Creek Conservation Area.Source ↗
- 06The Voyageur Trail Saulteaux–Goulais section near Sault Ste. Marie is 40 km of main linear trail plus 26 km of loop trails and 15 km of spur/access trails, part of a planned 1,100 km Sudbury → Sault → Thunder Bay wilderness trail.Source ↗
- 07Bon Soo, held annually in February since 1964, is the largest winter carnival in Northern Ontario.Source ↗
7. activities
worth your time
StrongHiking
The Voyageur Trail's Saulteaux–Goulais section delivers 40 km of main linear trail plus 26 km of loop trails and 15 km of spur/access trails through Lake Superior shoreline, the Root River, Crimson Ridge, McIntyre Lake, and Mabel Lake — with nine day-loops accessible within roughly 30 minutes of the city. Closer in, Fort Creek Conservation Area packs 77 hectares of forested gravel loops and a 1.6 km paved Hub Trail spur inside city limits, and the Attikamek Trail circles South St. Marys Island past the canal heritage buildings to the rapids.
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StrongWalking & Strolling
The Sault Canal NHS lock walk threads the 1895 lock, the red-sandstone superintendent's residence, and the powerhouse onto South St. Marys Island, where a footbridge connects to Whitefish Island and its boardwalks past reconstructed birch-bark longhouses and a fishing-weir overlook of the rapids. Bellevue Park's 2.4 km asphalt walkway loops a 17 ha riverside park downstream, and Roberta Bondar Park's waterfront pavilion grounds and the adjacent 38-slip marina anchor the central waterfront end of the Hub Trail.
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StrongCycling
The John Rowswell Hub Trail is a 25 km paved non-motorized loop linking the St. Marys River waterfront, Bellevue Park, Roberta Bondar Park, Algoma University, Sault College, the hospital, and Fort Creek Conservation Area in seven signed sections. The flat paved grounds inside the Sault Canal NHS extend the riverside ride between the heritage buildings and the lock, and the Sault is a recognized node on the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
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StrongMountain Biking
Hiawatha Highlands holds four named singletrack systems maintained by the Sault Cycling Club: Crystal Creek (19 km, green to black) for machine-built flow and jump lines including Soonami and Da Big Kahuna; Red Pine (14 km, green to black) for rolling loop options; Pinder (5 km, green to blue) for tight twisty beginner singletrack; and the Farmer Lake plus Swamp Donkey loop (7 km, blue to black) with the scenic Angry Goat extension. Black Diamond Enduro lines — Crazy Train, Once Bitten, and Headbanger — drop off Canyon Climb.
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StrongCross-Country & Nordic
Hiawatha Highlands grooms more than 50 km of professionally maintained classic and skate-ski trails across the Crystal, Pinder, Red Pine, and Farmer Lake systems repurposed for winter use. Lake-effect snow off Lake Superior sustains a long Nordic season into late March, with grooming maintained by Hiawatha Highlands and chalet access at the conservation area.
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StrongSnow Adventure
Hiawatha Highlands runs 9 km of dedicated fat-bike trails (Sault Cycling Club maintained, around Crystal Creek and Kinsmen Park) and 9 km of snowshoe trails parallel to the ski network. The Sault Canal NHS adds winter fat-bike rentals on the canal grounds, and the Sault is a major OFSC snowmobile hub with trails radiating north into Algoma.
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StrongHeritage & Culture
Two National Historic Sites cluster on the downtown waterfront: the 1895 Sault Ste. Marie Canal NHS — world's longest lock at construction, first lock to operate using electricity, home of the only emergency swing dam still in existence — and Whitefish Island NHS, an Anishinaabek fishing station of more than 2,000 years co-managed by Batchewana First Nation, with a Parks Canada Indigenous-perspectives exhibit co-developed with Batchewana First Nation and the Métis Nation of Ontario. The Ermatinger–Clergue NHS, Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, and Art Gallery of Algoma's Group of Seven holdings round out the cluster, and the Agawa Canyon Tour Train departs 429 Carmen's Way on a 114-mile (183 km) rail excursion (2026 season Aug 1–Oct 18). Bon Soo, annually in February since 1964, is the largest winter carnival in Northern Ontario.
Read field guide arrow_outward17. more outings
surveyed.
Activities supported across Sault Ste. Marie without a featured write-up.
- 01
Trail Running
Hub Trail - 02
Camping
frontcountry - 03
Nature & Discovery
birding · nature-interpretation - 04
Paddling — Flatwater
canoeing · kayaking - 05
Paddling — Whitewater
Root River (modest) - 06
Surf & Wind
windsurfing · kitesurfing - 07
Sailing & Boating
sailing · motor-boating - 08
Swimming & Beach
lake-swim · beach-day - 09
Freshwater Fishing
steelhead · salmon · walleye - 10
Sky Watching
stargazing - 11
Seasonal Phenomena
fall-colours - 12
Wildlife Viewing
raptor-eagle · salmon-run-viewing - 13
Aerial Experiences
float-bush-plane-tour - 14
Motorized Touring
scenic-drive · motorcycle-touring - 15
Indigenous Experiences
first-nations-guided-experience - 16
Food & Drink
brewery · farmers-market - 17
Arts & Craft
artist-studio-tour
Local operators.
Trusted outfitters, guides, and experience providers in Sault Ste. Marie.
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On the map.
Sault Ste. Marieand the local operators we've mapped nearby.
Key resources.
- parks.canada.caSault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site — lock, Attikamek Trail, urban fishing access — Parks Canada
- ssmrca.caHiawatha Highlands and Fort Creek Conservation Areas — Sault Ste. Marie Region Conservation Authority
- saultcyclingclub.caSault Cycling Club — Hiawatha Highlands MTB trail inventory
- voyageurtrail.caVoyageur Trail Association — Saulteaux Section
- parks.canada.caUrban fishing at the St. Marys Rapids — published seasons and access — Parks Canada
- hiawathahighlands.comHiawatha Highlands trails — winter ski, snowshoe, and fat-bike grooming
- saultstemarie.caJohn Rowswell Hub Trail — City of Sault Ste. Marie
- ontario.caOntario Fishing Regulations Summary — Fisheries Management Zone 10