Algoma Country

Follow the Path of the Group of Seven in Algoma!

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Algoma Country has a reputation for being an inspiration for both artists and photographers since the first visit by Canada’s Group of Seven. Once considered “unworthy” of being painted, the landscape paintings pioneered by the Group led to a new wave of Canadian art that helped to encourage and inspire how we and the rest of the world view Canada’s natural beauty. From the North Shore up the coast of Lake Superior, the Group of Seven painted areas that are uniquely Algoma.

Whether you bring your easel and paints, sketch book, or your camera, you will be inspired by what surrounds you. From crystal clear lakes and rivers, waterfalls, beautiful sunsets, wildlife or a more urban feel, Algoma Countryis waiting for your arrival and keen artistic eye

North Channel

Bordering on the east by Georgian Bay, the North Channel is a paradise of dense green forests and crystal clear water with views of Lake Huron. Friendly communities dot the highway as you travel along the path of the Group. These include the town of Spanish, Blind River, Thessalon and Bruce Mines. You will enjoy a variety of comfortable accommodations and dining with many opportunities to sketch or photograph the shoreline of Lake Huron.

Gros Cap Bluffs

A short ride from Sault Ste. Marie, this area offers amazing vistas from the coast of Lake Superior. Gros Cap Bluffs can be accessed from the Voyageur Hiking Trail, which will take visitors nearly 300 feet above the lake. Artists and photographers will have spectacular views of Whitefish Bay and the rugged coast.

Agawa Canyon

Hop aboard the Agawa Tour Train and journey to our famous canyon just like the Group of Seven almost one hundred years ago! This remote area includes five short nature trails and a 372 step climb to “The Lookout” located on the wall of the gorge. The observation platform provides a panoramic view of the beautiful untamed wilderness that inspired the Group to capture it on canvas.

Lake Superior

Take a drive up Highway 17 to Lake Superior Provincial Park where the Group painted at Sand Lake and Agawa River. Hike along the trails to the rugged coastline, to waterfalls, to lookouts with incredible views of Algoma Country’s dense wilderness, or canoe and kayak along the shore of the Greatest of the Lakes.

No matter the location or your choice of medium, you can be assured that Algoma Country’s wilderness will inspire you as it did the Group of Seven. For more information on this trip to paint or photograph Algoma Country, visit us at www.algomacountry.com

Experience the Cultural Past of Lake Superior

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A volcanic past is not the only one that can be discovered along the Lake Superior Coastline; it also has a deep rooted cultural background. A drive up the winding highway from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to Wawa, Ontario leads you on the path of learning about the ancestors of Canada’s indigenous people who settled in Algoma Country to fish, hunt and gather. Discover and learn their heritage and stories through artwork, exhibits, and the environment.

Agawa Indian Crafts and the Canadian Carver

Since 1972, this family run business on Pancake Bay is a showcase for unique, Canadian-made arts and crafts. It has grown to include three shops: Agawa Indian Crafts, The Canadian Carver and the Campers Store. With many services available from a rest stop to a gas bar, high-quality aboriginal art and crafts and wood carvings, there is something for every visitor.

Lake Superior Visitors Centre

Discover “The Power of Lake Superior” with a stop at the Visitors Centre which features indoor and outdoor displays, an activity room, indoor theatre and gift shop. One of Ontario’s largest provincial parks, Lake Superior Provincial Park has a deep aboriginal heritage, with uncovered artifacts carbon-dated back to 500 B.C.

Agawa Pictographs

Accessible by a moderate 30 minute hike on Agawa Bay, the Agawa Pictographs are located on a white granite cliff, the drawings in red ochre. Representations of canoes, a bear, an eagle, a horse, a turtle, as well as mythical ones, the Agawa site is one of the most visited indigenous archaeological sites in Canada.

Sandy Beach Pavilion

Located in the Michipicoten Bay area of Lake Superior near Wawa, Ontario, The Sandy Beach Pavilion tells the history of the early settlements and relocations over several hundred years by the Michipicoten First Nation and its people. The focal point is the Michipicoten First Nation story board and medicine wheel. It is also an eco sensitive environment.

Winter? What about it?

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Winter is upon us once again in Northern Ontario and with it comes the blankets of white and crisp, frosty air. Why not take the time this year and head out for some winter activities, for instance, cross country skiing? What better way is there to spend the day or a weekend than to strap on a pair of skis and take to the outdoors for some invigorating yet peaceful exercise? Algoma Country offers beautifully groomed trails of different skill levels, whether you’re a well seasoned veteran or a beginner about to experience your first taste of Nordic skiing.

Tucked away amongst the old growth back country of Northern Ontario, you’ll find Stokely Creek Lodge, a piece of paradise that offers spectacular views of the Algoma Highlands with friendly staff, warm lodgings and delicious food. What more could you ask for after a day of being out on the powdered trails, surrounded by tall pine and cedar trees? Your journeys will take you past breathtaking views of frozen waterfalls and lakes. Make sure you take the time to stop along the trail to look out over Algoma’s vast, untouched landscape as you gaze from atop rolling hills or King Mountain. Don’t be surprised if you end up sharing the trails with some local wildlife; moose, otters, and a variety of birds inhabit the area. Pack a camera because you’ll want to capture these fleeting moments!

Take a friend or two; stay the night or weekend; Stokely Creek offers cozy lodgings for groups of any size. A full day of skiing could just be the way for you to beat the winter blahs; think about having lunch on the trail or in one of the warming huts. Who knew you could have a picnic in the middle of a snowy retreat? Once the sun begins to set, ski back to the main lodge and relax those muscles with a trip to the sauna, or even better, a hot stone massage! (My choice would be the massage!) There are so many other wonderful amenities offered by the lodge; make sure to enjoy them all to get the full experience of what Stokely has to offer to its guests!

Designed for skiers by skiers, Stokely Creek Lodge also offers snowshoeing trails during its winter months; spring, summer and fall gives guests some incredible hiking trails. This is a travel adventure you won’t want to miss out on!

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World Class Boating

Surrounded by two of the mightiest freshwater lakes in the world, containing many smaller inland lakes, and laced with rivers too numerous to list, Ontario's Algoma Country offers outstanding water adventures for power-boaters, yachtsmen, sailors, and the like!

Lake Huron alone has more than 30,000 islands, while secluded coves, bays, and inlets abound along Lake Superior's rugged coastline. Both are punctuated by sand beaches and washed by crystal-clear waters flowing from the Canadian Shield. World Class Boating awaits you in Ontario's Algoma Country!

Almost every community, small and large, along Lake Huron's North Channel offers sheltered docking facilities. At Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada pleasure craft may enter Lake Superior through the historic Canadian lock that was restored and officially re-opened in May, 1998.

Although the facilities are spread a bit further apart along the shores of Lake Superior, there is a network of marinas from Sault Ste. Marie to Thunder Bay, and there are hundreds of coves and bays along the rugged Lake Superior shoreline which to drop anchor.

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Whether you take a guided tour through the wild, rugged, and technically challenging Canadian Shield country, or enjoy a leisurely self-guided tour on well-marked trails, ATVing in Ontario's Algoma Country offers you the experience your ATV was built for. Outfitters and resorts around the area offer a variety of services from maps and information for self-guided touring, to expertly guided full service overnight trips. Along the way, enjoy the best in luxury accommodations or sleep in a tent under the stars and experience some of the most spectacular scenery in Algoma. Bike-in fishing trips and equipment rentals are also available from some outfitters.