Somewhere west of Espanola, the bars on your phone give up. Highway 17 narrows between walls of pink granite and black spruce, the North Channel of Lake Huron flashes silver through the trees, and the city you left behind stops mattering. That moment is the whole point of the Northern Ontario Crossing.
This is a 15-day, 2,000-kilometre (1,290-mile) road trip from North Bay to Kenora along the Trans-Canada Highway, tracing the North Channel, the entire Canadian coast of Lake Superior, and finishing on the island-studded waters of Lake of the Woods. It is not a hub-and-spoke tour. You never double back. Every few days the scenery reinvents itself: Lake Nipissing gives way to Manitoulin’s limestone cliffs, then to the boreal lakes of the interior, then to the biggest freshwater lake on Earth, and finally to the sprawling waterways of Sunset Country. If you have driven the Lake Superior Circle Tour, think of this as its longer, slower cousin.
Just as important is what the trip refuses to do. It refuses to rush. Five of the nine places you sleep are two-night stays, built around paddling, fishing, hiking and the underrated art of sitting on a dock doing nothing. Lodgings favour domes, lakeside cabins and cedar sleeper barrels over conventional hotels, several of them backing directly onto protected Crown land. Fast EV chargers are mapped along the way. And you will shop and eat at Indigenous-owned and family-run stops that have been welcoming travellers along this highway for generations.
Keep an eye out the window. Moose, black bears, foxes, loons and bald eagles are regulars along this route, and on a clear night on the Superior shore, the northern lights are a real possibility.
The crossing begins in North Bay, where you will top up the EV (the city has more than 40 public charging stations, including Level 3 fast chargers — map them with ChargeHub) and check in at The Finch Beach Resort, a retro-inspired cottage resort right on the sand of Lake Nipissing. Paddle from the beach, walk Silver Beach, and grab dinner and live music at the Block House Pub. Stock up before you leave: the next stretch is wilder.
Day two takes you west on Highway 17 and south on Highway 6 to Birch Island and Among The Trees, a luxury dome glamping property on a hillside overlooking McGregor Bay. Settle in for two nights. Spend the first around the campfire and the second with Stillwater Fishing & Tours, whose guided charters and boat tours explore the untouched waters of Georgian Bay, Whitefish River First Nation and Killarney.
On day four, cross the famous single-lane swing bridge at Little Current onto Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. Hike the Cup and Saucer Trail, a four-kilometre loop along 70-metre Niagara Escarpment cliffs with options to stretch to 12 kilometres, or spend the day cycling Manitoulin’s quiet paved and gravel roads. Check in at Rockgarden Terrace Resort in Spring Bay, perched on 80-foot white limestone cliffs above Lake Mindemoya, where the family-run property has been welcoming guests since 1975. Add on the Amble Flow ritual, a four-hour journey through water, heat, earth and rest, or the guided walk into the Mindemoya Caves.
Leave the island via Highway 6 and Espanola, then follow Highway 17 west along the North Channel to the Serpent River First Nation Trading Post in Cutler. Warm up by the stone fireplace, browse Indigenous art and take in the hand-crafted birchbark canoe before continuing eight minutes down the road to Serpent River Park and the tumbling Kennebec Falls, a perfect spot for a packed lunch.
At Thessalon, turn north onto Highway 129 and into the interior. Northern Skies Resort on Chub Lake has been run by the same family for four generations and 80 years: eight fully equipped lakeside cabins and a glamping tent, surrounded by thousands of hectares of Crown land. Stay two nights. Fish, paddle the lodge canoes, take in the sauna, join one of six guided experiences, and let the evening campfire do the rest.
On day seven, drop back down to Highway 17 and stop in Bruce Mines for antiquing, the local butcher shop and lunch at Bobbers Restaurant by the marina (the homemade pies and butter tarts are a highway institution). Then it is on to Sault Ste. Marie. The Delta Hotels Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront sits right on the St. Marys River beside the boardwalk and the locks, and it is the perfect base for a few days exploring the Soo’s world-class mountain bike trails and outdoor scene.
Stock up in the Soo, pack a lunch and point north. The stretch of Highway 17 from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa is one of the most spectacular drives in Canada. Stop at Pancake Bay Provincial Park for three kilometres of sandy beach and Caribbean-blue water, and at Agawa Bay in Lake Superior Provincial Park for the visitor centre, beaches and trails.
Your home for the next two nights is Naturally Superior Adventures and Rock Island Lodge, set on a seven-acre peninsula of boreal forest and greenstone where the Michipicoten River meets Lake Superior. Walk the cobble beaches, then spend a full day on the big lake: a guided sea kayak trip along the coast, a canoe or paddleboard outing on sheltered water, or a skills course for the whole group. Evenings here are famous for dramatic sunsets and the odd aurora show.
Day ten is a long, rugged coastal drive west toward Thunder Bay, past a string of Highway 17 treasures. Stretch your legs at Aguasabon Falls and Gorge in Terrace Bay, where a short boardwalk leads to a 100-foot waterfall crashing into the canyon, and refuel at Drifters Motel and Restaurant, a family-owned local favourite. Then turn off toward Nipigon Bay and Cypress Sleeper Barrels: hand-crafted cedar barrel cabins on a Lake Superior beach, each with a bubble window for lake and night-sky views, a private sauna barrel and a fire pit with the wood already stacked. Stay two nights. Use the free day to walk Canada’s longest suspension bridge at Eagle Canyon Adventures in Dorion, or dig for your own gems at Amethyst Mine Panorama east of Thunder Bay, North America’s largest amethyst deposit.
On day twelve, detour south on Highway 587 along the Sibley Peninsula to Silver Islet. Browse the historic General Store, built in 1871, and have lunch and a slice of homemade pie in the Tea Room before rolling into Thunder Bay. Book ahead for accommodations, and if there is time, set sail with Sail Superior for a guided cruise along Thunder Bay’s rugged shoreline.
Fill the tank, the cooler and the battery before leaving Thunder Bay: the next leg is about four hours. Break it at The Riverview Lodge in Dryden for lunch overlooking the Wabigoon River, then stop at Egli’s Sheep Farm in Minnitaki for Made-in-Canada wool and sheepskin goods and a walk among the farm animals.
The last two nights are at Hawk Lake Lodge near Kenora, the only lodge in Ontario endorsed by fly-fishing outfitter Orvis, with 19 private lakes offering catch-and-release walleye, smallmouth bass and pike. Day fourteen is all about the water: kayak, swim, fish, repeat.
On day fifteen, roll into Kenora, a scenic lakeside city on Lake of the Woods with a relaxed northern rhythm. Stop by the Lake of the Woods Discovery Centre to plan the rest of your stay. You have crossed Northern Ontario. Nobody will blame you for lingering.
Book early. Many of these properties are small by design, with only a handful of domes, cabins or barrels. Reserve accommodations, meal packages and guided excursions well in advance, especially for July and August. Several of them turn up on our list of Northern Ontario stays worth booking immediately.
Plan your charging. North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay all have fast-charging networks, but stretches of Highway 17 between them are long and remote. Map your stops with ChargeHub and top up whenever you are in a town.
Stock up in the cities. Espanola, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay are your best bets for groceries and supplies before the multi-night wilderness stays.
Expect to lose signal. Cell coverage fades between towns and at many of the lodges. Download maps and the itinerary before you go, then enjoy the quiet.
Bring the gear you love. Most lodgings supply canoes or kayaks, but if you have a favourite paddleboard, rod or pair of hiking boots, there is room for all of it on this trip.
Use the interactive itinerary above to explore every stop, save the trip to your phone, or download a PDF for the glovebox. Then hit the road, lose the signal, and find out what two weeks in Canada’s great outdoors can do for you.
