Community Forums

Thurstga · 03-10-2019, 11:50 PM

Would like to take a Lake Superior circle trip late August early September. Would start from Atlanta and travel north to the east side of Michigan crossing into Canada Sault St. Marie. Drive express mode to Michigan. Traveling in a class c Minni Winnebago 33’ (2 campers). Will be towing small car for day tripping. Anticipate @3 week trip. Looking for recommendations on places to camp. Plan to spend 1-3 day stops around Lake Superior with stopping at good location for day tripping in car. We love seeing nature with wild critters top of our list. Also would like to do some bank fishing.
Any recommendations on camping and must see....

Thanks for your help,
Tony

RangerRick · 03-12-2019, 05:49 AM

We took that trip a few years ago. There are a some nice places go visit on the Canadian side. Around Sault Ste. Marie you can keep busy for a couple of days, Canadian Bush Plane Museum, Agawa Canyon Tour Train, Sault Ste. Marie Canal National Historic Site. All along the route are great scenic lookouts. Near Thunder Bay there is Amethyst mining, Zip lining, Terry Fox Memorial (must see and read his history), Fort William Historical Park, Kakabeka Falls. Be sure to keep your fuel tank full as there are a few areas that are a long way between gas stations. On the US Side there is Copper mining, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. This list goes on. Definitely a great trip.

mckbeth · 03-12-2019, 10:05 AM

Lots, I mean lots to see and do, both sides of border. To do the trip around Lake Superior, assuming it will be your first and only, you will need minimum of 12 + days.
I have lived at both ends of Superior, all my life, Sault Ste Marie & Thunder Bay, and drove/camped around the lake numerous times.
Depending what you wish to see/do you may message me direct for ideas, if you are interested.

grindstone01 · 03-12-2019, 10:20 AM

If you are going to move the RV every 1-3 days, a toad might not be needed. A Class C would do just fine going around Lake Superior and the roads/towns are RV friendly for parking. A bicycle or moped would be ideal for most small towns.
https://superiorcircletour.com/

dwwalker1954 · 03-12-2019, 07:16 PM

Wife and I did the trip two years ago in late September. It was beautiful. Stayed at Glenview RV park in Sault Saint Marie. When in the Soo take the Black Bear Express/Agoma Canyon Train Trip. It will take about a day. Then stayed at Wawa RV Park, and in Thunder Bay we stayed at Thunder Bay KOA. All three campgrounds were wonderful with great staff. In Minnesota we have stayed several times at Pennmerata at Two Harbors. In the UP we have stayed several times at River Road Campground outside Ontonogan. In Saint Ignsis [spelling] Tiki campground is great.

BarabooBob · 03-12-2019, 07:41 PM

I would take a day trip to Mackinac Island. It is a tourist trap but my wife and I enjoy it. Do a Google search to see if it is something you would like.
We also like Whitefish Point Maritime Museum, and Tahquamenon Falls just west of Sault Ste Marie.
On the trip back home I would suggest going through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Take in the Keweenaw area. There is a lot of mining history and great museums.
Going across Machinac Bridge is something to really enjoy.

Nevermind Me · 03-13-2019, 08:18 AM

Assuming you'll be coming down the Minnesota side of Lake Superior on your way home, you'll find waterfalls, lighthouses, granite rock shorelines and ultimately the city of Duluth, MN that is a great 3-4 day lakeside city to spend time in. A few years ago while there we did see a wolf along the highway, a very rare experience.

ldwslw · 03-13-2019, 08:22 AM

We are headed up there for the circle 9/1. Leaving from VA and planning on taking 4 weeks. So far we are staying near Mackinaw for 3 days. Marquette for a few days. Porcupine SP, and the state park near Duluth. You can't book Canadian Provincial Parks till 5 months out but we are looking at Sleeping Giant, Neys and Agawa then back to Sault Ste Marie and home.

I have been scouting the forum and there is a lot of good information from people who have done the trip. Even with 4 weeks I believe there are things to do and places to see that we won't have time to go and do.

Really looking forward to the trip. Maybe in a couple of years we can do the trip the other way around.

Teamfoxy · 03-13-2019, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thurstga

Would like to take a Lake Superior circle trip late August early September. Would start from Atlanta and travel north to the east side of Michigan crossing into Canada Sault St. Marie. Drive express mode to Michigan. Traveling in a class c Minni Winnebago 33’ (2 campers). Will be towing small car for day tripping. Anticipate @3 week trip. Looking for recommendations on places to camp. Plan to spend 1-3 day stops around Lake Superior with stopping at good location for day tripping in car. We love seeing nature with wild critters top of our list. Also would like to do some bank fishing.
Any recommendations on camping and must see....

Thanks for your help,
Tony

We did part of that trip two years ago when we had our trailer. We parked at the KOA in Sault Ste Marie and day tripped up the coast as far as Wawa. If/when we do it again, we will stay at some of the Provincial Parks along the lake shore. I agree with grindstone about the need to tow a car. I can't recall any place along the way where we could not have parked our current 34 foot MH.

Triangle Drifter · 03-13-2019, 07:17 PM

We are doing the same sort of route late June into July. Some CGs chosen but most are not.

We have been to the MI UP before but never around the N shore of Superior.

Bosunmate · 03-13-2019, 09:10 PM

We are also making a trip around Lake Superior from South Carolina, leaving on Sep 20th for about 3-4 weeks. I’m studying any info I can find on the trip. I see we will be on the tail end of the camping season, but hopefully the weather will cooperate.

Best regards.

Patrick

grindstone01 · 03-14-2019, 08:13 PM

Recent news article I ran across.

Lake Superior nearly 100 percent frozen as cold and snow increases ice coverage

3/13 - Duluth, Minn. – It has been an impressive winter on Lake Superior. That’s because ice has covered nearly 100 percent of the big lake.
According to a professor at University of Minnesota Duluth, the lake hasn’t seen this much ice since 2014. And, it will have an effect on our summer.
“The timing of the start of that layer of warm water forming plays a huge role in sort of what sort of warm temperatures we see in the middle of the summer,” said Prof. Jay Austin, with the Large Lake Observatory. “This’ll be a cooler summer, yeah. And in fact the relationship there is pretty strong.”
This is only the fifth time in 20 years that Lake Superior has had more than 90 percent ice coverage. The last time the lake froze over was in 1996.

bobmar · 03-14-2019, 09:29 PM

Gotta throw this in: We did the circle tour last fall end of Sept. In the car, not the RV. We were retracing our steps from when we did it when we were first married in a ‘66 Datsun with no charging system we had to push to start and a 7x7 canvas tent.
Anyway, this time we stayed in Red Rock ON at the Red Rock Inn(between Nipigon and Thunder Bay). An absolute call from the past. If you want, swing by and check out this unique place out. Don, the owner, knows everything about the area, history and fascinating stories. Check out his website. Not much else in Red Rock tho. Camping unknown. Also agree with the others ideas for interesting places to check out.
Sorry for the hijack.

scubastevee · 03-17-2019, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grindstone01

Recent news article I ran across.

Lake Superior nearly 100 percent frozen as cold and snow increases ice coverage

3/13 - Duluth, Minn. – It has been an impressive winter on Lake Superior. That’s because ice has covered nearly 100 percent of the big lake.
According to a professor at University of Minnesota Duluth, the lake hasn’t seen this much ice since 2014. And, it will have an effect on our summer.
“The timing of the start of that layer of warm water forming plays a huge role in sort of what sort of warm temperatures we see in the middle of the summer,” said Prof. Jay Austin, with the Large Lake Observatory. “This’ll be a cooler summer, yeah. And in fact the relationship there is pretty strong.”
This is only the fifth time in 20 years that Lake Superior has had more than 90 percent ice coverage. The last time the lake froze over was in 1996.

Hi, this temperature differential between the air and water can cause fog banks along the TransCanada. At times, the fog is so thick you can't see what's on the highway and may have to wait until later in the morning to travel (once the fog dissipates). Have fun, Lake Superior is beautiful.