Great Lakes Waterfront Trail: Lake Huron North Channel Mini Guide Welcome to the Great Lakes What to Expect: Tips: • Follow mostly quiet northern roads. Riding on Highway 17: Waterfront Trail on the Lake • Up to 450km over 5-7 days, including • Shoulders on Highway 17 are often Huron North Channel. St. Joseph Island separated by a rumble strip and • 50km on generous paved shoulders of sometimes by a solid white line. Ride on Highway 17: Where there were no other the outside of the white line, further from options, the route follows paved traffic. Desbarats shoulders on Highway 17. This • Stay on the Signed Route: It might be Iron Bridge development was an infrastructure tempting to shave some distance off and project by Ontario’s Ministry of cycle directly along Highway 17. Many Gichi-nibiinsing-zaaga’iganTransportation to support a continuous stretches of Highway 17 have minimal route along the North Channel. The paved shoulders or no shoulders at all. Waaseyaagami-wiikwed longest continuous stretch on Highway This is a provincial Montrealhighway with a high Ininwewi-gichigami 17 is 23km between Iron Bridge and volume of truck traffic. To assist in your You’ll travel up to 460km between Sault Ste Marie Lion’s Head Bruce Mines, following the lovely safe journey,South we Glengarry recommend staying to and Sudbury, connect with 12 heritage rivers Iroquois Mississagi River. the signedMorrisburg route. emptying into the the “Caribbean of the North” in Edwardsburgh/Cardinal • Gravel Grind: Almost 50km of the route Riding on Gravel: Lake Huron’s North ChannelNaadowewi-gichigami (the area in Lake Meaford followsZhooniyaang-zaaga’igan unpaved roads and trails. The • Relax your grip, sit up a little to take Huron between the North Shore and the longest stretch of the route along Gichigami-zitbisome of the weight off your handlebars Manitoulin Island chain), touring some of the great unpaved roads is 14km (southwest of (and hands!), and hold on to the top of Canadian landscape that inspired the Group ofLucknow Iron Bridge). Each day’s itinerary and the handlebars rather than riding in the Seven. map includes an approximate distance drops. Bayfeld on gravel. Don’t get discouraged,Niigani-gichigami with • Look ahead at where you’re going, not Visit 26 communities including 3 First Nations, the right tires and a little practice, you on the ground in front of your tire. Fun as cyclist-friendly marinas and locally-owned can handle it and even have fun in the it may seem, you don’t need to avoid restaurants with great food. Enjoy night skies not process! every pebble. Cars often clear lines. Find restrained by city lights. The route is rugged, • Cell Signal and Emergencies: Cell one and ride it out when possible. relaxing, challenging and rewarding.Lake St. Clair We think Waawiyaataan signal can be inconsistent when further • Know when to sit and when to stand. you’re going to love it. Tecumseh from the Highway 17 corridor which can Stay in your seat when climbing a hill, Lakeshore Kingsville affect communication and GPS. 911 but consider standing up if you hit a This route is co-designated as part of Canada’sWaabishkiigoo-gichigami Essex remains the emergency phone number. washboard to le t your legs take more of Great Trail. At the western terminus in Gros Cap the shock. the Great Trail continues as the Lake Superior • What the Blazes?: You will follow these Water Trail from Gros Cap to Thunder Bay. Near blazes during the tour. The GLWT bird- • Try to anticipate turns by braking before the eastern terminus on Elgin Street in Sudbury, leaf-fish blaze (left) will be your you reach them, not while you’re in them. the route continues as the Voyageur Cycling wayfinding blaze. It’s also pretty sharp if • Take it easy on the downhills. Anticipate Route which will connect Sudbury to the nation’s we do say so ourselves! a safe speed and ride it out when you capital of Ottawa. Note: The green bike route marker is can. Brake when necessary, but used primarily on provincial highways. remember that gravel is dynamic. When you stop on it, it can move with you. • Use wider tires. • Have fun. Gravel can be kind of awesome. You’ll be a pro in no time. Welcome to the North Channel WELCOME PAGE 1 Great Lakes Waterfront Trail: Lake Huron North Channel Mini Guide Cycling the North: raise funds for Trust efforts, the Tour serves to • Marinas: Many marinas on the North We envision a Trail that is an integral part of each raise awareness of the Trail, the Trust, its efforts Channel are cyclist friendly and include ecosystem it connects, that contributes to the and its partners, and to connect participants with amenities such as washrooms, showers, ecology, economy, heritage and well-being of the people, heritage and wonderful assets of the public wifi and laundry. every community that participates. joined together by the Trail. • Wildlife: They can be big. Please admire, but keep a respectful distance. About the Trail Maps, itineraries and other materials from each • Enjoy Northern Time: Don’t rush. See GWTA tour are made available for public use in the sights. Visit the communities. The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail (GLWT) is self-supported touring toprint and download for There’s a lot to love in them! roughly 3000km long, stretching from the free. This mini-guide was sourced from material Ontario/Quebec border on the St. Lawrence River from the 2019 GWTA. Additional Resources: to Gros Cap, west of Sault Ste Marie connecting Route Maps: Free to download and print at: over 140 Canadian communities along the shores Many thanks to our GWTA19 partners: https://waterfronttrail.org/trip-ideas/cycle-tours/ of Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, St. Clair and the St. CAA Interactive Map: Live GPS positioning. Mobile- Lawrence, Detroit, St. Clair and St. Marys Rivers. Destination Northern Ontario friendly. Route planning on-and-off GLWT: Greenbelt Foundation https://waterfronttrail.org/map/interactive-map-2/ The Trail uses existing infrastructure, meaning City of Greater Sudbury GPS: On Ride with GPS. Keyword: GWTA19. roughly 83% of the GLWT is on-road in total Ontario Government Community Mini-Sites: Find more on each (roughly 96% along the North Channel Trans Canada Trail Ontario community at: https://waterfronttrail.org/places/ specifically). Our legacy goal is an off-road trail as The Great Trail close to the water’s edge as ecologically feasible. Ontario Trillium Foundation How can I help? About the Charity On your tour? Share your experiences with others Didn’t know that we’re a charity? and tell them about the Trail. Use the Here’s what we do: #WaterfrontTrail hashtag and those of our partners in the mini-guide to help show the value of the Trail. Follow us on social media, and lend The Waterfront Regeneration Trust coordinates your constructive voice to the growing Great a partnership of over 150 Ontario communities, Lakes Waterfront Trail community. Let others like your local government officials know about the including First Nations, often working with the support of other trail organizations, groups and work of the Trust, the importance of the Trail and higher levels of government to create, expand and cycling in Ontario. promote the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail. You can also make a donation on our The Trust’s mission to implement the Great CanadaHelps page. Lakes Waterfront Trail serves as the first step toward Regenerating the Great Lakes waterfront; About the Great Waterfront Trail Adventure to Protect, Connect and Celebrate the earth’s largest group of freshwater lakes. 157 The Great Waterfront Trail Adventure (GWTA) is communities share this vision and participate in an annual cycle tour organized and supported by the legacy initiative. the Waterfront Regeneration Trust. Rather than Welcome to the North Channel WELCOME PAGE 2 Use these social media tags to share: #Waterfronttrail #TheGreatTrail @CAASCO @ExploreON @Waterfront_RT DAY 01 Instagram: @Waterfront_RT Sault Ste. Marie Twitter: @WaterfrontRT Up to 50km Plane Heritage Centre where you can take the pilot’s seat in a passenger plane’s cockpit, and Off-Bike Activities in Sault Ste Marie Sault Ste Marie climb into the cargo holds of a real waterbomber. Don’t be in too big a hurry to leave! Begin your Be sure to stop by the Northern Superior Brewing Whitefish Island National Historic Site – Located journey with a trip around Sault Ste Marie and out Co. They have a great tap room and patio where right on the GLWT. Heritage and hiking with views to Gros Cap for a dip in Lake Superior. you can enjoy one of Sault Ste. Marie’s favourite of the St. Marys Rapids. craft beers. Round Trip – Approx. 1.5 hours Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site – Travelling the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail/Great Located along the GLWT near the Bushplane Trail from downtown Sault Ste Marie to Gros Cap Museum. is a roughly 50km round trip. You can also experience the Soo via the 23km John Rowswell Ernie’s Coffee Shop – 13 Queen St East, Sault Hub Trail, which connects many key services and Ste Marie ON. Home of locally famous (with good assets throughout the city. reason) pie. Heritage Hookup: Art Gallery of Algoma – 10 East St, Sault Ste Overnight Options: Marie, ON Sault Ste Marie was named after the nearby St. Delta Hotels by Marriott Sault Ste. Marie Premiere art gallery in the Sault. Marys Rapids and was incorporated first as a Waterfront Hotel town in 1888 and then as a city in 1912. The city 208 St Mary’s River Dr, Sault Ste. Marie Agawa Canyon Tour – Looking to tack something has an extensive history in steel and shipping.