Roadside
Attractions

The Loonie

If you want to catch a glimpse of what the rest of the attractions on this list will be like, you won't get a better example than Echo Bay's Loonie Monument. A 15 foot wide to-scale replica coin, made of fibreglass and steel, hoisted over the skyline of a small Ontario town. 

Unlike some other roadside attractions, the loonie was not just put here to drive tourism in a struggling town. The man who designed the loonie (not the statue, the actual coin), Robert R. Carmichael, was originally from Echo Bay, and the date on the coin is symbolic of the year loonies were first introduced by the Mint. In 1992 (after loonies became an iconic symbol of Canadian culture), the statue was erected in Carmichael's honour - cementing his legacy.

Although smaller than Sudbury's "Big Nickel", it holds at least 20x the value. Source.

Batchawana Bay

What a coincidence that one of Lake Superior's finest beaches lies directly beside Ontario's finest highway. Immensely clear yet frothy waters await you at Batchawana Bay Provincial Park. As per the park's facilities, the large parking lot makes for easy pull-ins (even with a trailer), complete with a charming tourism information centre. Picnic benches line the scenic shoreline making for a wonderful mid-trip pitstop.

Additionally, the renowned Voyageurs' Lodge sits on the side of the road opposite the park. This stop features world famous apple fritters (which are actually worth the hype), an LCBO, a general store, and one of the last gas stations for 150km (or until Wawa). Not only is this stop recommended, it is likely a necessity when traversing up ON-17.

Agawa Lookout

Calling all drivers who will get really distracted driving through Montreal Harbour, 'cause this one is for you. This is a classic northern Ontario pull-over lookout, and a very scenic one at that. Although the spot itself doesn't have much to it (it's just a parking lot), it's a great place to stop for a moment to admire the view you'd been working up an appetite for since Sault Ste. Marie. It's also a great stop to eat the apple fritters (image right) you bought from Voyageurs. 

Sand River Falls

One of the things most indicative of northern Ontario is its roughness and rigidity. The rocks are sharper, winds colder, waves bigger, lakes icier, and the waterfalls come with a punch. Much is the case for Sand River/Pinguisibi Falls. An unsuspecting footpath emerges through the trees and you begin to feel a thunder in your feet that sings in harmony to the white noise of rushing water in your ears. You turn a corner and a massive waterfall emerges, splashing in each and every direction. The river's unique white sand makes a stark contrast with the charcoal Canadian shield rock it tumbles powerfully over.

And best of all, this trip can be as long or short you like - from 0 to 6km. The first falls are right outside the parking lot, but cascades and cataracts continue all the way to the trail's end. This could easily be a 10 minute or 3 hour outing. But regardless of how long, experience a little.

Old Woman Bay

Old Woman Bay is a perfect spot to take a dip amidst the long drive through Lake Superior Provincial Park. After passing Sand River Falls and Katherine Cove (another great spot to swim, by the way), Highway 17 diverges away from the shoreline for about 40km, until reaching beautiful Old Woman Bay. A fine, white sand beach is overlooked by sheer rocky cliff faces. Ojibwe legend says that you can see the face of an Old Woman in the rocks (if you can't see it, you're not alone - I've googled desperately for someone to explain where the nose, mouth, eyes, etc., are, yet no one has posted a diagram online). 

Regardless of whether it looks like an old woman or not, I sure as heck know it looks beautiful, and makes for amazing daytime or sunset viewing. The picture above is the aerial shot of the bay viewable from the Nokomis Trail, and the view from the bay itself is pictured right (and yes, that's this website's homepage). Pulling off the highway shows a large parking lot and a footpath to the wide sand & pebble beach at the mouth of the Old Woman River. Great spot to stop and enjoy a frothy swim in some of Lake Superior's finest waters.

Magpie Falls

A stunning 23m high and 38m wide tumbling cascade about 4km south of downtown Wawa. Admittedly, this is the least "roadside" of all the roadside attractions I will cover in this list. It is a solid 2km drive down a dirt road, but 100% worth the little bit of extra effort to visit. 

From the Highway, turn left onto Pinewood Drive - a small dirt road (don't worry, if you miss it, just turn into the Esso ahead, because you can access Pinewood Drive from there). After Pinewood Drive curves left, you turn right on Scenic High Falls Road, which winds through fields of sandhill cranes (pictured right), before ending at the parking lot. At the actual site, there is a picnic bench, pavilion, information panels, and the actual lookout platform. From there is the scenic vantage point, and a fantastic rest area mid-trip. Definitely worth a stop.

Wawa Goose

The classic - a favourite of "wacky place" books and websites around the globe. Wawa's 9m tall Canada goose replica has attracted tourists off of Highway 17 and onto the 101 for years. Overlooking the Magpie River, the goose stands tall as an icon of Wawa and northern Ontario.

After diverging onto Highway 101 from Highway 17, you see the goose to your left. The site itself features the statue, as well as the town's tourism information centre. This, coupled with picnic tables and a scenic lookout point, makes the goose an ideal picnic spot.

As previously mentioned, the statue was put here to attract tourists onto Highway 101, which serves as the town's main road. When the Trans-Canada Highway passed by Wawa in 1960, local businessman Al Turcott commissioned the original goose in September (pictured left). As you can see, the design has changed greatly in the years past, but you can still the original goose outside of Young's General Store, just a stone's throw farther down Highway 101.

As per the actual material, the plaster that the original goose was made of stood no chance against Wawa's unique climate, featuring frigid winters. So, in 1963, the goose was revised to be more streamline in design, and purely made of steel - which did wonders for its durability. This goose (pictured right) lasted until 2017, when it was replaced with its third and current version. 

It's as iconic and wacky as those National Geographic books make it out to be.

Winnie the Pooh

While en route to England for the First World War in 1914, veterinarian Harry Colebourn passed through the small town of White River, Ontario. A hunter struck him a deal - for $20 (~$600 in today's money), he'd sell Colebourn a well-manicured and human-accustomed female black bear cub. And being the animal loving man he was, Colebourn accepted the offer, taking the White River native with his regiment to England. Even after growing loyal to her owner, the bear was still unnamed, so Colebourn started calling her "Winnie", after the town Colebourn lived in, Winnipeg. Soon after and much to Colebourn's dismay, the regiment was forced to put the cub up for adoption before their landing in France. But luckily for us, it was the London Zoo who'd taken custody, and this was where young Christopher Robin would make great friends with the bear. His father, A.A. Milne, was greatly inspired by Christopher's adventures with the bear, basing the charming and charismatic teddy bear we now call "Winnie the Pooh" after the real life girl who once called White River home.

And now, the town of White River has a park right in the centre of town, featuring the tourist information centre, a playground, and of course, the famous statue of Winnie the Pooh facing Highway 17. It's the main tourist attraction in White River, and it's very easily accessible - it's a pretty cool thing to see and read about, especially if you've got young'uns. Passage is from this site's White Lake Provincial Park Page. Click here for the full guide.

The Lighthouse

One of Terrace's Bay two famous roadside stops is a 50 foot replica of a lighthouse found on the nearby Slate Islands. The Terrace Bay Lighthouse serves as an icon of the town, as seen in the Terrace Bay logo (left).  Located in the Simcoe Plaza, the lighthouse is just a fun thing to climb and lookout of when stopping for gas or groceries in town. Although the foreground is nothing spectacular (half of it is Simcoe Plaza), you can see the rest of town in the background, and, on a clear day, Lake Superior beyond that. Inside, you can see the mechanics of how old-fashioned wooden lighthouse used to function, including an actual decommissioned light inside. For a loonie you can even use binoculars atop, if you so desire. 

It's another free roadside stop, with a decent view and fun experience. Why not?

Aguasabon Falls

A short walk descends a few feet to a suspended lookout platform over the Aguasabon Gorge. To your left is the scenic 100ft/30m falls themselves; and to your right is the 2.6 billion year old canyon wall. A high vantage point over Lake Superior paints the background, while splashing water and mist paints the foreground. A nice stopover on the Circle Tour, highly recommend. Even if you're towing a trailer, it's easy to navigate, and it makes use of the much needed 20 minute rests along your journey up 17. Do visit if you're in the area. Passage from this site's Aguasabon Falls Page. Click here for the full guide.

Nipigon Lookout

Often called the "Bridgeview Lookout", the Nipigon Viewpoint is a 12m high lookout tower in its namesake town. Lying near the bank of the Nipigon River, the tower serves as a vantage point over the bridge (pictured above), as well as the town of Nipigon (pictured right). To access, you must turn left onto Railway Street after crossing the Nipigon River Bridge, then the tower will be on your right, along with its parking lot. 

The Nipigon River Bridge was built in 2018 as a replacement to the jangly 1974 design, and serves a much more important purpose than you may have realized. It is the only road connecting the eastern half of the country to the west - the only one (other than driving around all of Lake Superior). In honour of this, (and to attract tourists into Nipigon off of highway), the town erected the lookout platform in 2018, and it's been an iconic roadside stop ever since.

Terry Fox Statue

Right before you enter Thunder Bay, you'll see an inviting sign to the "Terry Fox Scenic Lookout", which tells a story and offers much to see. Every good Canadian will have heard the story of Terry's Marathon of Hope at least 100 times throughout their childhood. A heroic run across the country to fund cancer research that tragically ended prematurely due to his bone cancer spreading to the lungs. The statue is a commemoration of where his efforts were halted by an unstoppable force - in the community of Shuniah, ON. 

The run ended in 1980, and the statue was erected less than 2 years later. Although it was originally put directly on the edge of the highway, the statue was later relocated a little bit closer to Thunder Bay atop a cliff, which has the advantage of offering a stunning view of the city and Sleeping Giant. The site itself features a large parking area, washrooms, a tourist information centre, and the memorial itself. 

Definitely worth a visit - enjoy the history, the statue, and the view.

Kakabeka Falls

Kakabeka Falls P.P. is located at 4853 Highway 11/17, in the town of the same name. The park features the second highest waterfall in Ontario, at 47m. On the Kaministiquia River, the falls' well-earned nickname is "the Niagara of the North", as it is so easy to access and so unbelievable beautiful. There is a famous boardwalk encircling the falls, making it a photographer's dream. The park also features a few trails and a small campground. Passage from this site's Kakabeka Falls Page. Click here for the full guide.