The Top Things to Do in Thunder Bay: The Ultimate Guide to City Activities and Outdoor Adventures
Thunder Bay is the most northern major city in Ontario with an abundance of things to do for history, culture and nature lovers. From celebrating its Indigenous communities to appreciating outdoor adventures in my now two times visiting Thunder Bay, I’ve come to understand that there are so many things to do here!
The famous Kakabeka Falls, the second highest waterfalls in Ontario next to Niagara Falls
As someone from southern Ontario, I’ll be the first to admit that I grew up thinking “northern” in this province meant somewhere near Algonquin Park. Many years later, I now know that North Bay hardly even scrapes the surface for what’s considered “north” in Ontario.
At this point in my life, I’ve been lucky enough to travel well beyond southern Ontario to many countries around the world, but I didn’t realize just how much the experience of international travel would truly help me appreciate the natural spaces we have here in Canada.
The region of Thunder Bay is one of these truly beautiful natural places. It’s filled with lush green boreal forests, dramatic cliffs and deep canyons, mountain tops and hills, views of the seemingly endless horizon across Lake Superior accented by the distant silhouette of “The Sleeping Giant,” an abundance of lakes, hiking trails and cycling paths, and it makes an excellent base to see more of the northernmost stretches of Ontario.
But there’s a lot more to do in Thunder Bay than just appreciate its nature. As the hub of Northern Ontario, it has its fair share of museums, restaurants, historic sites and activities worth appreciating while you’re in the city—a list that is always growing and changing.
I’ve now been back to visit Thunder Bay twice, and I have to say that it is definitely a memorable part of Ontario to visit. Life and the atmosphere certainly feels a little different in the real north of Ontario, and no matter which season you visit in, I think you’ll find there’s so much to see and do in Thunder Bay!
A Very Brief History of Thunder Bay
View of the “Sleeping Giant” in the distance from Anemki-Wajiw (formerly Mount McKay)
Thunder Bay has been the home of Indigenous communities for centuries. The Anishinaabe peoples of Gitchi-Gami (Lake Superior)—in large part represented by the Fort William First Nation (Anemki-Wajiw)—continue to call Thunder Bay home today.
It was the Indigenous peoples of Thunder Bay who first named the Sleeping Giant “Nanabijou”, meaning “The Spirit of Deep Sea Water”. The legend goes that the spirit was turned to stone when the white man was given the location of a nearby silver mine. No matter which vantage point you see the Giant from, it looks like it’s resting or sleeping. You can make out where the Giant’s head, body and arms might be folded across its chest, and it’s a sight that follows you through most of your travels in and around Thunder Bay.
Beginning with the European fur trade and over the past hundred or so years, Thunder Bay became home for many European immigrants, too. This primarily included Finnish and Italian immigrants, but also immigrants from other Scandinavian and Baltic regions. Comparing the geography of northern Ontario with that of Scandinavia and the Baltics, it’s easy to see how many of these European communities may have been prepared for and attracted to the weather, climate and landscapes of Thunder Bay.
Seeing as it’s also in one of the most northwestern sections of Lake Superior in a large, naturally protected bay, Thunder Bay has been an essential port city for centuries. The first European fur trading post may have been established here in the late 1600s, but it was an Indigenous trading post for long before then.
With industrialization, Thunder Bay later became the final stop on the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway for goods arriving from the Maritimes and heading to western Canada. Although there are alternative methods to transport goods today via Canada’s rail systems, many shipping vessels still operate on Lake Superior through Thunder Bay today.
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How to Get to Thunder Bay and Where to Stay
Most people drive to Thunder Bay, because having a car is more or less a necessity to check out most of the things to do in and around the city.
Many people drive to Thunder Bay from Manitoba, Northern Ontario, or take a long (but worthwhile) drive from Southern Ontario. Depending on where you’re driving from, it can be a bit of commitment to drive to Thunder Bay. So if you’re looking for a more convenient way to get here, flying is a great option.
Flying to Thunder Bay
Chris and I have visited Thunder Bay twice now, and both times we’ve conveniently flown from our home base in Toronto to the city. I love flying from Toronto to Thunder Bay because it’s quick (turning a 15 hour drive into a less than 2 hour flight!), and super easy, especially if you fly from Billy Bishop Airport.
Chris and I live in the east end, and always find Billy Bishop Airport to be the most convenient to fly out of Toronto, if the flights and the destinations make sense. Security is usually very quick, making the journey a breeze!
If you fly to Thunder Bay, the only catch is you’ll need to rent a car on arrival. But there are several affordable options available at the Thunder Bay Airport from well-known companies like Enterprise, National, Hertz, etc.
Stay at The Delta Hotels Thunder Bay
Delta Hotels Thunder Bay
View of the Sleeping Giant at sunrise from our room
Chris and I stayed at the Delta Hotels Thunder Bay on our most recent return trip, which is an excellent place to stay in the city!
It’s right on the waterfront, and easily walkable to everything downtown. It’s close to green spaces like Marina Park and the Waterfront Trail, excellent restaurants and plenty of activities on the water.
The lake-facing rooms also have incredible views of Lake Superior and The Sleeping Giant (it’s worth watching at least one sunrise over the Giant during your stay!), and bikes are even available to rent from the main lobby to take along the waterfront.
The Best Things to Do in Thunder Bay
Putting together this article after only two trips to Thunder Bay, I’m realizing just how many unique experiences Chris and I have appreciated during our visits here. The city may only have a population of around 120,000 people, but it packs a punch when it comes to things worth doing and seeing when you’re in the region.
Celebrate and Learn About Thunder Bay’s Indigenous Cultures
Fort William First Nation powwow under Anemki Wajiw (formerly Mount McKay)
Fort William First Nation (Anemki Wajiw) is one of the most prominent reservations in the Thunder Bay area. It’s an Anishinaabeg and Ojibway First Nation reserve with over two thousand registered band members.
Each year, Fort William holds two annual powwows—one is typically in the summer around the July 1st long weekend, and the second is a fall gathering in late September. Both of these events are community-focused for the First Nation, but are open to the public to attend, observe and learn.
When you come to a powwow here, you can expect food trucks, traditional dances for all age groups and traditional regalia under the backdrop of towering Anemki Wajiw (which translates to “Thunder Mountain”; formerly Mount McKay). Tickets are often available for purchase on arrival at the event, and shuttle buses are arranged from the parking area to the site of the powwow near Anemki Wajiw.
If you’re visiting Thunder Bay in the early or late summer, keep an eye out for information for these powwows on their website.
Appreciate Downtown Thunder bay’s Restaurants and Shops
Thunder Bay is continuing to grow and develop year after year, and with that comes a whole host of great places to come for coffee, a craft beer, a great meal and everything in between.
There are some excellent food and drink stops in Thunder Bay. Some of my favourites are:
Swell Bakery: It’s popular, but for good reason. They may not be open every day of the week, but from Wednesday to Saturday they make some seriously delicious pastries. Go early around opening (9am) to avoid potential lines and choose from the best of their selection before they sell out!
St. Paul Roastery: Connected to Swell, this local coffee shop is all about expertly roasted beans and delicious cups of coffee that hit the spot. It’s an inviting space rooted in the warmth and community of its regulars.
Lakehead Beer Company: An excellent craft brewery serving a wide variety of their delicious beers on tap. You can also stop for a bite at Subdivision, which is connected to the brewery and offers Detroit-style pizzas, sub sandwiches, fried chicken and other snacking staples.
Tomlin: This popular spot might be tricky to get a table at (no reservations for groups of less than 6 people), but I promise you that the wait is worth it. Their sharing-style menu is focused on local, seasonal ingredients and inventive dishes.
Everything from the Fried Oyster Mushrooms to the Peach and Apricot Salad and Pork Schnitzel was fantastic during our fall visit. Their cocktails are also delicious—I particularly loved the “Midnight Wander” with a unique combination of rye, stout, lime, egg white and nutmeg
Barkeep: This cocktail bar has a delightful menu and a cozy setting. They have indoor and outdoor seating areas, depending on the time of year you visit, and a few small bites. Chris and I went here as we were waiting for a table at Tomlin, and really loved the excuse for a nice cocktail.
A few more notable spots to visit for food and shopping include:
Goods & Co. If you’re in the mood for a little extra bite, another coffee or some shopping, this woman-owned market is home to 25 local food, beverage and shop vendors.
It’s a particularly excellent place to shop for a gift, or something to remind you of your trip to Thunder Bay. I loved stopping at Peace & Quiet Candle Co. for some of their Thunder Bay-themed candle sets. Chris and I each picked one up.
Outside of the downtown core, check out Westfort Village. Make sure you head to The Sal for a delicious all-day breakfast, lunch or dinner, followed by some shopping.
Kangas Sauna is also a little out of the downtown core with—you guessed it—traditional Finnish saunas inside. But they also have the “Little House of Pancakes Inside” serving up Finnish-style pancakes for breakfast and throughout the day.
If you want to take a taste of Scandinavian pancakes home with you, Hoito Restaurant also offers Finnish-style pancakes, and sells Finnish pancake mix in several stores across town, including Nomad on Bay.
For those who love their dishes with a little extra heat, you also need to pick up locally made Heartbeat Hot Sauce during your trip to Thunder Bay. Their sauces are phenomenal, and have even become famous from appearances in the show Hot Ones. You really can’t go wrong with their flavours, but I love their Camp Sauce and Dill Pickle Serrano.
Walk or Bike Along Waterfront Park
Walk along Lake Superior at Marina Park
After spending some time walking around downtown and enjoying a few of Thunder Bay’s restaurants and shops, the waterfront offers excellent spaces to stretch your legs while appreciating the views along Lake Superior.
Marina Park is a nice park to visit for all ages, with several places to walk, sit and appreciate the view.
The Thunder Bay Waterfront Trail is also part of the Trans Canada Trail, and begins at Fisherman’s Park West, continues through the Kaministiquia River delta islands to Fort William First Nation, and goes all the way to Fort William Historical Park. It’s an excellent trail for either walking or cycling.
Don’t forget that bike rentals are available in the main lobby of the Delta hotel near Marina Park.
Fort William Historical Park
This is an excellent place to visit in Thunder Bay for all ages, and it dives a little more deeply into the region’s history.
The park is located a few kilometres from Lake Superior up the Kaministiquia River. It’s long been part of the Indigenous trade routes through Northern Ontario, and later became part of the European fur trade route.
The park sits on approximately 250 acres of land, with over 50 buildings spread across the property to help visitors immerse themselves in the Indigenous and fur trade history of the land. Many of the structures here are heritage buildings, while others have been built to reimagine what the area and fort would have looked like centuries ago.
You can expect to meet animators playing the role of tradespeople from the early days of the North West Company during your visit, and see reenactments of fur traders pulling up to the docks of the fort in Voyageur canoes on the river. There are also several exhibits in the different buildings that shed light into the hardships and ways of life in the days of the past.
Since the park is so large with several forested areas, good walking shoes (and bug spray for spring or summer visits!) are a must.
Appreciate Independent Theatre & Local Arts
As a former theatre student and teacher, I love any opportunity to celebrate the arts while I’m on the road. I heard about the Magnus Theatre long before visiting Thunder Bay from one of my best friends who has spent many years touring with shows across Canada.
We have a lot of incredible professional theatres to celebrate in Ontario—including the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque—and The Magnus Theatre is one of them. It’s Northwestern Ontario’s only professional theatre, a registered charity and a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. It’s located in downtown Thunder Bay at the top of Red River Road, and has shows running at various times throughout the year.
Chris and I were excited to learn there was a show on during our fall visit. We saw a production of the new Canadian play Bigfoot! by Ephraim Ellis. The actors were excellent—hailing from various parts of Ontario—and we were impressed with the whole production. I’d easily recommend catching a show here while you’re in town.
Thunder Bay is also home to a bevy of art galleries you can visit. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery, Ahnisnabae Art Gallery and Definitely Superior (Defsup) Art Gallery are each worth a visit. Keep an eye out for CO.LAB Gallery and The Creative Company, too.
Try the Famous Pastry of Thunder Bay
They’re called “Persians”—and if the name confuses you as much as it does me, allow me to explain:
In the 1940s, the story goes that the owner of Bennett’s Bakery, Art Bennett, was making the dough for one of his new treats. At the time, a gentleman named General John “Black Jack” Pershing visited Bennett…so he changed the name of the treat to “Persians”…I don’t really understand why they aren’t just called “Pershings,” but that’s a story for another day.
Persians are something like a crossover between a cinnamon roll and a donut. They are fairly sweet, but tasty, and identifiable by their signature pink frosting spread across the top. The recipe is top-secret, and was passed down by Art Bennett to Mario Nucci when the bakery was sold in 1962.
All these years later, Persians can still be purchased from Bennett’s Bakery, now owned by the sons of Mario, brothers Joe, Danny and Sandy Nucci, and adjoined The Persian Man donut shop.
Trying a Persian on a sunset sail
Getting ready for a sunset sail with Sail Superior
Views of the Sleeping Giant from the harbour
Go Sailing on Lake Superior
Seeing as Thunder Bay is a port city, you kind of have to get out on the water at some point during your visit. The bay is vast, with beautiful views of The Sleeping Giant in the distance and the highlands surrounding the city.
Sail Superior runs sailing tours from different parts of Thunder Bay, but taking a tour from Prince Arthur’s Landing marina is the easiest place to start from in the centre of town. We took a sunset tour on the bay from here, and it was such a nice way to relax after a full day in the city.
You can take a look at the Sail Superior website for all of the types of public, private and specialty tours they offer.
A Few Activities Outside of Thunder Bay That We Loved
Low water levels at the cascades during our fall visit to Cascades Conservation Area
Most of these activities outside Thunder Bay involve heading to conservation areas, green spaces and protected parks. For this reason, although there are some restaurants outside of the city, you want to be smart about having enough snacks, food and drinks before leaving town, and always make sure you bring a refillable water and plenty of extra water, especially during the summer months.
For any days you’re heading to parks and trails without many food options, I’d highly recommend grabbing lunch items like made-to-order sandwiches, deli salads and snacks to go from either Nomad on Bay or George’s Market & Celebrations in Thunder Bay. Wherever you go, remember that these are wild spaces where plenty of animals live, including predators, so make sure you practice smart trail safety.
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
I’d might as well get the most famous place to go outside of Thunder Bay out of the way first: Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. It’s a massive park famous for its boreal forests, wildlife, lakes, trails and views of Lake Superior.
It’s also home to one of the most famous hikes in Ontario—the Top of the Giant trail. It’s a beast of a trail, at 23km in length (in and out), with a gradual 528m of elevation gain. You really need to plan on spending the whole day here if you want to tackle this hike, as it takes around 7 hours minimum to complete.
If you’re stopping for photos and snack/hydration breaks (which you definitely should be), the hike can take a lot longer. Add in travel time to/from Thunder Bay, and you’ve got yourself a full day. When Chris and I visited, the group we were with was a mix of adults and kids around 10+. It was hard work, but everyone was able to complete the hike, if that helps with your planning.
At the very top of the hike, you’ll be met with unparalleled sights of the steep cliff drop beneath you, and sweeping views of Lake Superior. Be very careful around the cliff edges here, and make safe choices. Make sure you stock up on snacks, sandwiches, electrolytes and water from one of the stops above so you have plenty to fuel yourself through the hike, and leave the trails nicer than how you found them by taking everything out that you brought in.
Don’t forget to visit the Terry Fox National Historic Monument along Highway 11/17 on the way to/from Sleeping Giant, too.
Views from the Top of the Giant hike at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
Canada’s longest suspension bridge at Eagle Canyon Adventures
Walk Across Canada’s Longest Suspension Bridge
It might surprise you to learn that Canada’s longest suspension bridge isn’t in Western Canada. It’s actually about 45 east of Thunder Bay at Eagle Canyon Adventures in Dorion.
The park consists of two suspension bridges going across the canyon—the first is 300 feet, and the second is the longest in the country at 600 feet. They are a thrill to walk across, as they’re quite high up over the canyon, and the views are incredible.
You can also walk along the foot path at the bottom of the canyon here, enjoy the picnic spots throughout the property, and if you’re too scared to go across either suspension bridge, there are stairs that take you back to the bottom to bypass the bridges.
Eagle Canyon is only open from mid-May to mid-October each year, and it’s privately owned with an admission fee and waiver. You can visit their website to learn more ahead of your trip.
Visit Kakabeka Falls—the “Niagara of the North”
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is a bit of a drive outside of the city, but like most other spots away from town it is a worthwhile place to go. It’s the second tallest waterfall in Ontario next to Niagara Falls, and the park has several hiking trails offering different views of the falls and the surrounding forests.
Bring a picnic and good walking shoes, and plan to spend at least a half-day at the park. If you’re looking for local food nearby, there are a few restaurants in the town of Kakabeka Falls near to the park.
Hit More of the Region’s Parks and Trails
The region around Thunder Bay is full of many more beautiful parks, green spaces, rivers and lakes. Here are a few more parks that Chris and I visited and loved:
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park. Ouimet is a 150m wide gorge with dramatic, rocky cliffs that drop 100m down straight to the canyon floor. There is a trail and boardwalk path here that takes you to two beautiful lookouts of the canyon.
This park is close to Eagle Canyon, making it easy to visit both in the same day.
Cascades Conservation Area. This park is just a short drive north of Thunder Bay, with a few trail loops that all connect to the Cascade Falls on Current River. There’s a mix of flat and rocky trails, and make sure you wear solid footwear for walking around the rocks near the cascades, especially if any of them may be wet and slippery.
Kinsmen Park. This is a nice park for walking and hiking, but it’s known especially for its mountain biking park. There’s a skills park close to the parking lot, but beyond the bridge over the river there’s a whole network of forested trails with varying elevation. Several of the mountain biking trails lead up to the top of a hill with panoramic views of Thunder Bay.
If you’re in town without a bike, give Fresh Air a call to arrange a mountain bike rental by the day (options will be available online soon).
Pigeon River Provincial Park. Located right beside the Minnesota border, Pigeon River has a scenic Boardwalk Trail on Lake Superior in addition to a few inland trails leading to its waterfalls. The Boardwalk Trail is close to the parking area, while access to the High Falls Trail Loop and High Falls to Middle Falls Trail are up a small path along the east side of Hwy 61 from the parking area, with a tunnel that takes you under the highway and over to the trails (no need to cross the busy road on foot!). The views of High Falls are especially beautiful!
Celebrate the Culture and Beauty of Northern Ontario
There is so much to appreciate and discover in and around Thunder Bay. Whether you first arrive by car or by plane, when you step outside there is a certain crispness and freshness to the air that you just don’t get where I’m from in Southern Ontario. This is part of what makes returning here for a visit so enjoyable.
If you’ve been looking for a good excuse to explore more of Northern Ontario, then Thunder Bay is definitely a great place to start. I feel like there’s plenty to keep you occupied in this guide, but I’m hoping to get up to Thunder Bay in the winter time next. Stay tuned, and happy travels!
I’d like to thank Thunder Bay Tourism for hosting Chris and me as media on both our summer and fall visits to Thunder Bay. All opinions expressed in this article are entirely my own.
Bri Mitchell
Bri Mitchell is a travel writer and content creator from Toronto, Ontario. She loves to highlight all things nature, food, wellness, sustainability and adventure in her work. Bri writes and shares her travel experiences from across Canada, the United States and around the world on Instagram and TikTok (@brimitchelltravels); in her articles for travelingmitch, Ultimate Ontario, and We Explore Canada; and in her weekly travel newsletter, The Weekly Traveller.