Lake Superior Circle Tour: Treasures Along Every Trail

"Leave the road, take the trails."

Pythagoras

This ancient Greek philosopher's advice is something that I can take to heart. Some of our most favorite days are when we can leave the Baby Beest parked at a trailhead and hit the hiking trail. During our Lake Superior Circle Tour, we discovered  that these numerous trails led to some amazing natural treasures.

Treasures like ...

... a canyon that opens up to allow a small river to make its way to Lake Superior,

... delicate wildflowers that adorn the path,

... informative signs that enlighten the hiker with stories of past travelers,

... rock formations that tell the tale of the forces of water, wind, and weather,

... and magnificent waterfalls that cascade over huge rocks as if in a hurry to meet up with the chilly waters of Lake Superior.

We found ourselves in a place where natural treasures adorned every trail.

The Lake Superior Circle Tour is special because the scenery can change with each mile (or kilometer) that you travel down the road. Rocky cliffs, waterfalls, sandy beaches ... all are possible depending upon the forces of nature at work in that particular location. During our past travels, we have found some favorite hiking trails along the Lake Superior shores of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And as we completed the circle in Canada this past June, we discovered more hiking treasures with the help of Google Maps and the AllTrails app.

Not surprisingly, most of our favorite hikes rewarded us with a waterfall or two. 

Gooseberry Falls, Minnesota

A Minnesota North Shore "classic". You just have to stop at this state park and take a short hike to the falls ... trust me!

High Falls on the Pigeon River; Ontario

The Pigeon River flows along the border of the United States and Canada so it's possible to see the High Falls from either side, but we felt that they are a bit more impressive when viewed from Pigeon River Provincial Park on the Canadian side.

Kebekake Falls; Thunder Bay, Ontario

A fun destination if you are only going as far as Thunder Bay, but if you can, leave the crowds behind and venture further north along Lake Superior as a plethora of waterfalls (even better than this one) await you.

MacKensie Falls; Shuniah, Ontario

Difficult to find, but well worth the thirty minute hike along a not-very-well-marked trail that follows the river to the falls.

Mazukama Falls, Ontario

Our most challenging and most rewarding waterfall hike! Be ready to scramble over boulders and get your boots wet crossing the river ... and possibly get upset with your travel companion when he momentarily gets off the "official" path.

Rainbow Falls; Rossport, Ontario

This popular provincial park hike leads to a waterfall that shows off the colors of the different minerals in the water.

Aguasoben Falls; Terrace Bay, Ontario

A quick stop off the highway ... and thus, a popular spot for tourists.

Mink Creek Falls; Ontario

Mink Creek Falls is also right off the highway, but it takes a little more effort to find, so we were rewarded with our own private viewing once we found it.

Scenic High Falls; Wawa, Ontario

We used our e-bikes to ride 3 miles down the gravel road from our campsite to enjoy this cascading beauty just before sunset.

Sand River Falls; Ontario

My favorite waterfall hike on the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Located in Lake Superior Provincial Park, this 1.5 mile trail followed alongside the Sand River's series of cascading waterfalls. We were rewarded with new waterfall views every step along the way.

Chippewa Falls; Ontario

Not the most spectacular waterfall that we saw, but it was one of the last waterfalls along the Trans-Canada Highway before crossing back into the US, so we had to bid farewell to the natural beauty of Canada.

Sable Falls; Burt Township, Michigan

One of many waterfalls that can be found along the Pictured Rocks National Seashore. Our walk alongside the falls brought us, as often waterfalls do, to the shore of Lake Superior.

In addition to waterfalls, some hikes led us to other unique treasures.

One trail led us to the stony cliffs jutting out into Lake Superior where if you look closely ...

you can see the pictographic writings of ancient people.

A walk along Stone Beach ... 

revealed colorful treasures polished over time by the force of the water. Lake Superior truly is Mother Nature's rock tumbler.

Beautiful vistas ...

and sunsets over the lake made the scrambles over rocks and up steep inclines totally worth it.

It's not Always an "Easy Walk in the Park"

I would not be honest if I told you that all of these hikes were easy. Doug and Mother Nature like to challenge me at times.

June is prime mosquito season, so permetherin-treated clothing and head nets were essential.

Look closely at the blue sign announcing the "Stairway of the Saints". I hope that getting into heaven is easier than climbing this section of the trail!

After conquering the "Stairway of the Saints" and getting lost on the trail twice, I decided that this view of Lake Superior ... complete with the obnoxious power pole was as good as we were going to get for that hike. Thankfully, Doug decided that a "happy wife, happy life" is more important than climbing up a few hundred feet more in order to get an unobstructed view.

He knows that it's important to keep his hiking companion happy ...

with a promise of beautiful treasures at the end of every trail!

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