Touring by Car or Motorcycle in Sault Ste. Marie
Whether you’re exploring by car or motorcycle, a side trip from the Inn through Algoma Country will expose you to scenic vistas, unmarred shorelines, sun-warmed beaches, and the rugged Canadian Shield’s landscape of granite rock faces and towering maples and white pines. The north and east section of Hwy. 17, even though part of the TransCanada Route, is surprisingly traffic-quiet, even mid-summer. Plus there are so many side-road jaunts to spectacular places. The scenery is amazing at any time of the year, but fall brings the multi-coloured palette of red maple and birch. If you are travelling by motorcycle, you can park your bike in our secured garage overnight, worry-free. Read more…
The Inn supports your Road Touring adventure:
- Indoor storage – You can secure your motorcycle in the Inn’s locked garage.
- Room Packages – Combine your adventure with a stay at the Inn, and enjoy the pools and whirlpools of Club Cabana Aqua Spa after your day’s adventure. Find out more.
- Lunch to Go – The Inn’s kitchen will create a hearty and healthy boxed lunch for you to enjoy.
- Adventure Hosts – Consult with an Adventure Host for activity assistance.
Or call 1-888-461-7077 for more information on packages, adventures and more.
Lake Superior
This is a “must do” drive during the fall colour period but is always seasonally scenic. You can simply drive and feast your eyes on the spectacular vistas, or explore along the way. Touring along Highway 17 north from Sault Ste. Marie provides you with awesome views of the rugged Lake Superior coastal area. Photography and painting opportunities abound. Visit attractions like the Canadian Carver/Agawa Crafts tourist centre. Swim at Pancake Bay or Katherine’s Cove. Hike a trail right off the highway. Linger at lookout pullovers at Old Woman Bay, Sand River, and Agawa Bay. Ponder the Agawa Pictographs. There is no loop back…you return the way you came. But you get a lovely second perspective coming home.
The Searchmont Valley
A drive to the village of Searchmont using Highway 17 and Highway 556 gives you excellent vistas of this geo-rugged inland route that runs alongside the Goulais River. Colours in the Fall are miraculous. Return via the same route, (43km/27mi x 2). You can also take a side loop from Hwy. 556 through the pretty Bellevue Valley, which dips down to the Goulais River then back up to Hwy. 556 just outside Heyden. Stop for lunch at Mountain View Lodge just outside Searchmont, on the Goulais River amid huge pine trees.
Sylvan Valley
Highway 638 from Echo Bay to Bruce Mines is a scenic back-road trip, quiet, all paved, offering visitors attractive views of rural agricultural lands, rolling rock upland country with inland lakes and streams, and rural villages. The area was originally settled for logging, farming and railroad interests and today has a strong Mennonite community offering seasonal farm-gate produce. The area also has a vibrant artist community that organizes the Sylvan Valley Circle Art Tour the third weekend of September. From the Inn, the tour is 193 km/120 mi round trip. You can take the Hwy. 17 bypass to the turn-off at Hwy. 638, or travel the old highway, through Garden River First Nations territory to Echo Bay, along the St. Mary’s River. You’ll return to Hwy. 17 at Bruce Mines, a historic village that grew from copper mining, and eat lunch at several restaurants there.
St. Joseph’s Island
Highway 548 circles St. Joseph Island (72 km/45mi) and provides visitors with scenic views of the St. Mary’s River and the North Channel flowing into Lake Huron (also a Great Lakes shipping channel), as well as rolling inland forest and farming areas. St. Joe’s is the second largest freshwater island in Canada. It was linked to the mainland by bridge in 1972 and has been home to year-round settlement for generations. Highlights of this tour include the waterside villages of Richard’s Landing and Hilton Beach. St. Joe’s is known for its maple syrup production, deer population, and the Fort Joseph National Historic Site, known for the role it played in the war of 1812 between Britain and the United States. There are many side roads to explore in this forested and pastoral landscape. The turn off to Hwy. 548 is 45 km/28 mi from the Inn. Ask our Adventure Hosts for a map of St. Joseph Island.
Grand Algoma Tour
This ride is a spectacular two-day tour along the Lake Superior shoreline north to Wawa, then inland through the heart of Algoma country on Hwy. 101 to Chapleau, then along Hwy. 129 to Thessalon (on Hwy. 17 E.) on the north shore of Lake Huron. Lake Superior is in sight for most of the ride to Wawa, with many stops and overlooks to enjoy. Stay overnight in Wawa, a great little town shouldered up to pristine Wawa Lake. Wawa was a favourite haunt of Group of Seven artists and famous pianist Glenn Gould. Hwy. 129, with plenty of twists and mile-high cliffs will not disappoint. Consult with one of our Adventure Hosts about your itinerary, maps and distances.
Circle Lake Superior Tour
This 2080 km/1300 mi ride takes you through three states and one massive province, experiencing different cultures and local traditions. Lake Superior is the world’s largest freshwater lake, its coastline characterized by miles of mountains, forests and waterways. This distinctive topography is reminiscent of Highway 1 down the California coast. Start your journey at The Water Tower Inn where we can offer you secure indoor storage for your bike. See tour video and access map: www.ridelakesuperior.com.
Or call 1-888-461-7077 for more information on packages, adventures and more.
