Plan your visit

Coronavirus (COVID-19): As of June 1, some Parks Canada places began a safe, gradual reopening of some outdoor areas at national parks, national historic sites and national marine conservation areas. Find details here.

A lifetime would hardly give you time to scratch the surface of all the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area has to offer but a weekend will give you time to take a boat cruise, paddle to an island, cast your line in hopes of catching a northern pike or two and perhaps spend a night camping under the stars or relaxing in a B&B.

Getting here

Location

22 Third Street P.O. Box 998
Nipigon ON P0T 2J0

Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area extends from Thunder Cape at the tip of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park in the west, to Bottle Point just east of Terrace Bay, and out to the Canada-US border. It includes the waters of Black Bay and Nipigon Bay, and encompasses over 10,000 square kilometres of lakebed and overlying waters, as well as islands, shoals and some mainland. The NMCA is accessible from the north via the Trans-Canada Highway 17, which roughly follows the Lake Superior shoreline between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. The area can also be reached by boat. Red Rock and Nipigon boast marinas, while other communities, such as Terrace Bay, Rossport, Hurkett, and Silver Islet, offer boat launches and/or docks.

Hours of operation

This site is open year round.

Fees

Free admission. There are no fees for this site.

Facilities and services

Information Information
Lookout Lookout

Quick facts

  • One of the largest areas of fresh water in the world.
  • Home to the Anishinabek people for more than 5,000 years.
  • More than 70 species of fish can be found in the waters of Lake Superior.
  • Scuba divers can explore several of the 50 vessels, many of which sank during the storms for which Lake Superior is famous.