In Algoma District, nature trails and history offer distinct focal points. Mississagi Provincial Park is characterized by rugged landscapes; Sault Ste. Marie offers forest trails, museums, and the historic canal as other points of interest. When looking for a hotel, it may help to first decide which of these interests will shape your trip.
Nature trails and different planning scales
Some of the remote campsites in Mississagi Provincial Park can be reached by canoe or via park hiking trails. If camping is part of your plans, take these access options into account. For these campsites, access is a planning consideration in its own right, in addition to your stay in the park.
Around Fort St. Joseph, four nature trails wind through the forest; the trails can be explored in 20 to 90 minutes. At Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site, the Attikamek Trail system on South St. Marys Island covers 2.2 kilometres. These involve different planning scales: at Fort St. Joseph, the relevant measure is time, while at the canal it is trail length. This can help you decide whether to plan your walks around the time needed to explore or the distance covered.
History and culture in Sault Ste. Marie
The original Sault Ste. Marie Canal and its lock opened in 1895. The lock was the longest in the world and the first to be electrically powered. The opening year places this historic site in time; its world record and electric operation give it a clear technological dimension. If you are interested in the history of technology, this gives you a specific reason to explore the canal from that perspective as well.
At the Sault Ste. Marie Museum, the Skylight Gallery presents local history through artifacts, photographs, maps, and text. The Discovery Gallery is a children's area featuring artifacts, natural history, photographs, interactive elements, and a dress-up corner. The galleries have different focuses: local history in one, and an explicitly child-focused space with interactive elements in the other.
The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is dedicated to preserving Ontario's bushplane and firefighting heritage. This adds another clearly defined topic to your trip planning: the commitment to preserving this cultural heritage.
In downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Northern Superior Brewing serves food alongside lagers and ales. If food is one of your travel interests, this offers a specific culinary point of reference when planning your stay in the city.
Choose hotels to suit your travel plans
Discover more destinations: Sault Ste. Marie, Bruce Mines, Michipicoten, Elliot Lake, Blind River, Iron Bridge, Goulais River, Thessalon, White River, Algoma Mills, Richards Landing
Return to the main travel overview: Ontario.
