Heritage
Bay Street finnsko
Thunder Bay has the highest concentration of Finnish heritage outside Finland. Hoito's Finnish pancakes (closed 2020, reopened 2024) and the Finlandia Club sauna keep the tradition alive.
The Canadian ExplorerDiscover Canada · Explore Beyond
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Lake Superior Country · Ontario
Thunder Bay
Where the Sleeping Giant guards Lake Superior's north shore.
- Best time
- June – September for hiking and paddling; February for sled-dog races.
- Getting there
- Thunder Bay International (YQT) via Toronto, or 16 hr drive from Toronto.
- Suggested stay
- 2 – 3 nights
- Known for
- Sleeping Giant · Kakabeka Falls · Fort William Historical Park
A portrait of Thunder Bay
An essential stop.
On the north shore of Lake Superior beneath the silhouette of the Sleeping Giant, Thunder Bay is northwestern Ontario's hub — a port city of Finnish saunas, Ojibwe history, and trailheads to some of Canada's most dramatic Great Lakes country.
Field notes
Three ways to feel the place.
On the map
The six places
to anchor your trip.
A tour through the icons and the under-the-radar corners — laid out the way a local would walk you through.
- 1
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
The 250-million-year-old peninsula's profile resembles a sleeping man.
- 2
Kakabeka Falls
40-m cascade west of the city, Ontario's second-tallest waterfall.
- 3
Fort William Historical Park
Reconstructed North West Company fur post — costumed and immersive.
- 4
Terry Fox Lookout
Memorial where Fox's Marathon of Hope ended, with views back to the Giant.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Kakabeka Falls
Fort William Historical Park
Terry Fox Lookout
N
Year-round
Thunder Bay through the seasons.
Spring
Pancake-flat ice breaks up on Superior and trails reopen at Sleeping Giant.
Summer
Summer in the Parks concerts, Marina Park sunsets, and the Bluesfest.
Autumn
Hardwoods turn first along the Casque Isles Trail.
Winter
Sleeping Giant Loppet ski races and ice climbing at Kama Bay.
Insider tips
From people who live there.
- 01
Bay & Algoma is the city's foodie strip — Bight, Tomlin, and Sweet North Bakery in one block.
- 02
Drive to Ouimet Canyon for a one-kilometre detour to a vertical chasm of black rock.
- 03
Pair Kakabeka Falls with a stop at the Finnish-founded village of Lappe.
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