By Sault Tourism
adventures just steps away from your hotel or downtown
Sault Ste Marie has a number of well known hiking, lookout and fall-colour viewing areas just outside the city including Robertson Cliffs, King Mountain or Lake Superior. But you actually don’t have to travel as far to see some pretty spectacular sights! You can stay within the city limits and still get lookout views, see incredible waterfalls or enjoy beautiful, glassy in-land lakes.
So keep reading to learn about these mini-urban adventures in Sault Ste. Marie
Crystal Creek Waterfalls: Part 1
The beautiful Crystal Falls at Kinsmen Park, with a total height of around 80 metres, is one of the most popular visitor spots in Sault Ste. Marie, attracting thousands of visitors each year. Easily accessible from the Kinsmen Park parking lot at Hiawatha Highlands, a boardwalk with handrails leads to the base of the falls with steps leading up to several viewing platforms.
CRYSTAL CREEK WATERFALLS: PART 2
On the other side of Thayer Reservoir, in Kinsmen Park, are the lower Crystal Falls, including the delightfully named Minnehaha Falls. Access to these falls requires a little more work than the higher ones, with some hiking and exploring just off the multi-use cycling/hiking trail TLC, but the rewards are worth it!
Odena Lookout at Hiawatha
The Odena lookout and Odena Loop at Hiawatha Highlands is part of the Voyageur Trail. The large ‘Loop’ trail is a 4.2km hike that starts at Sixth Line and weaves itself over to Connor Road. Alternatively if you just want to enjoy the incredible view, the Lookout hike is a short 400 metre trot uphill. Once you get to the top the view will take your breath away. Beautiful maple fall colours blended with vibrant coniferous greens make this lookout truly spectacular.
BEAVER LOOP (FARMER LAKE TRAIL)
Checkout the Beaver Loop, an out and back 4km loop with a beautiful lookout at Farmer Lake – also part of the Voyageur Trail at Hiawatha Highlands. The trail head is at the end of Connor Road, where there is ample parking, then the trail heads north and east, initially along the route of the Odena Loop before forking off to the right. The trail is a multi-use trail so you’ll find hikers and cyclists alike!
Attikamek trail on Whitefish Island
The Attikamek trail on Whitefish Island is a beautiful and easy-paced hike, perfect for enjoying nature. Parking is at the trailhead, located at Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site, from where you can access the Island across the famous locks. Batchewana First Nation Whitefish Island Reserve is a traditional territory and meeting ground of the Anishinaabe peoples of the Great Lakes due to the abundance of natural resources and fish in the St. Marys River
Gros Cap Conservation Area
The lookout at Gros Cap Conversation area is another great spot just outside the city limits. While the tree species here don’t offer the vibrant red and oranges of Hiawatha, you can still enjoy fall tones with incredible views of the place where Lake Superior flows into the St. Marys river, the Gros Cap lighthouse, and any Lake Superior ‘lakers’ that happen to be cruising past.
The lookout is part of the Saulteaux-Goulais section of the Voyageur Trail, which leads west and north towards Red Rock.
