We drove across the Canada side and down the Minnesota side of Lake Superior as part of Big Trip #5 in September 2026. 

Months ago, when we started planning what would become Big Trip #5, we knew we wanted to go up through the Finger Lakes, into Ontario, across the top of Lake Superior, and down the west side of the lake in Minnesota. Despite all our pre-trip research, we didn’t know until we swung north on the Trans-Canada Highway at Sault Ste Marie, ON and started seeing signs for Lake Superior Circle Tour that it was a thing! So I thought it might be useful to someone planning a Circle Tour trip to read our thoughts.

The Lake Superior Circle Tour is a 1300-mile drive around Lake Superior, tracing the shore of Lake Superior through Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Our version of the LSCT only covered the Ontario and Minnesota portions of the route; we had previously been to Lake Superior when visiting the Keweenaw Peninsula and Sault Ste Marie in Michigan during Big Trip #1. We traveled counter-clockwise, arriving at the circle from Chutes Provincial Park to the east, and met people going both directions; there doesn’t seem to be a “better” way to do the loop.

Our version of the LSCT was focused primarily on visiting provincial parks, with one national park and several city stays thrown in. When we travel, we prioritize hiking, and are thrilled when we come across a fun restaurant or brewery; your trip requirements may vary, but we loved our Lake Superior itinerary and had a wonderful adventure through Ontario and Minnesota:

• Lake Superior Provincial Park, ON
• Wawa, ON
• Pukaskwa National Park, ON
• Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, ON
• Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, ON
• Thunder Bay, ON
• Grand Marais, MN
• Duluth, MN

Tip 1: Book campsites waaay in advance! We booked the provincial parks the minute they opened up five months in advance (and still didn’t get our top campsite choices at a few of the parks), and Duluth as early as we added it to our itinerary. Pukaskwa is first-come, first-served, so we made sure to arrive before 11am to claim a spot as people checked out.

Tip 2: Plan the following stops and tasks in advance: gas, groceries, emptying black and gray tanks, and refilling your fresh water tank. Other than a night in Wawa and a night in Thunder Bay, we didn’t have water or sewer hookups at our Canadian campsites, and didn’t have sewer at our Minnesota campsite, so made sure our tanks were prepared for each stop. We refilled gas and groceries in the bigger cities—Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa, Marathon, Nipigon, and Thunder Bay—and then didn’t have to stress about running low in the middle of nowhere. The one tiny gas station/food stop outside a city you MUST make is Voyageurs General Store between Sault Ste. Marie and Lake Superior Provincial Park, for an apple fritter!

Tip 3: Almost all of the hiking is dog-friendly! What a refreshing change from American national parks. Exceptions include some sandy swimming beaches, and the Agawa Rock Pictographs Trail in Lake Superior Provincial Park. I can’t think of anywhere else in our Lake Superior wandering where Tilly wasn’t allowed.

Tip 4: What were our favorite hikes and stops along the way, you ask?

Favorite hikes: Orphan Lake in Lake Superior Provincial Park; Top of the Giant in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park (but better to skip the 8 miles that you can bike instead); Oberg Mountain in Grand Marais

Favorite campgrounds: Rainbow Falls Provincial Park; Grand Marais Rec Area (mostly for the attached beach); Lakehead Basin in Duluth (for the bridge and the location)

Favorite activities: inhaling an apple fritter on the way to Lake Superior Provincial Park; taking Tilly to the dog beach at Lake Superior PP; eating treats from Silver Islet General Store in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park; fancy dinner at Tomlin in Thunder Bay; sunrise on the beach at Grand Marais Rec Area

That’s it—make a plan, be prepared, and have fun! It’s a wonderful route to explore!