Lake Superior Circle Tour

[james kent]

Dan
Plan part of a day at Wall. It's not too far past Badlands Pk. Spend another couple of days at the Russell Museum in Montana before you get to Yellowstone. Just west of Yellowstone about a half hour, is Silver City, a ghost town that you could visit while camping in Yellowstone. It's good for a days adventure and some photos.

[Dan Vang]

Dan
Plan part of a day at Wall. It's not too far past Badlands Pk. Spend another couple of days at the Russell Museum in Montana before you get to Yellowstone. Just west of Yellowstone about a half hour, is Silver City, a ghost town that you could visit while camping in Yellowstone. It's good for a days adventure and some photos.

We'll definitely stop by Wall Drug and the Corn Palace. I've been there about twelve some years ago. my wife and I are both pharmacists, so we definitely will check out Wall. I'll look into the other places you mentioned.

[Kevin K]

Do you need a passport to go into Canada?
Will a photo ID driver license work?
Also do I need proof that I own my truck and trailer?

[Pete Dumbleton]

To cross back and forth between CA and the US, you need something that proves citizenship -- DL and voter registration are not enough -- Birth certificate and DL are likely enough.

You need something from your insurance company to prove that your insurance is valid in CA -- Unlikely they will ask for it at border, but first contact with police will ask for it.

[Mike Magee]

yes, i guess just lake superior would be enough. I may skip the North Shore, having been there many times perhaps, but it is always fun to be in that area no matter how many times its been.

I'll have to look more into it later, right now I am busy planning two weeks out to Yellowstone/Grand Tetons/Devils Tower/Custer State Park/Badlands National Park. 6 months to go until our trip in Aug! Can't wait.

You can always circle Superior on one trip, then circle Huron on another, etc. until you've done 'em all. Doing all in one trip might be overload, I don't think I would appreciate the last 2/3 of the tour, but breaking it up would make each trip special.

[Adrian W]

We drove/RVed a small part of that route in 2001 from Duluth, MN to Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. We spend one night at Gooseberry Falls State Park (Waterfalls, the best visitor center, and most variety of scenic & recreational attractions. Good for day visit or extended stay. Campers are advised to make reservations in peak sesaon.) and visited Split Rock Lighthouse. Very nice drive with the scenery, but it was perhaps the worse road we have ever driven on (the MN section, Canada's was in good condition). We had to have the plumbing in the shower of the C-class motor home repaired after we got home, broken I am sure from the rough road.

We enjoyed the visiting Grand Portage National Monument ( http://www.nps.gov/grpo/ ). The Monument is located in northeastern Minnesota's Tip of the Arrowhead within Grand Portage Indian Reservation, Cook County, Grand Portage, Minnesota. Grand Portage National Monument is about 150 miles northeast of Duluth, Minnesota and 50 miles southwest of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada along the beautiful north shore of Lake Superior. The historic site is ½ to 1 mile south of the west and east exits from Minnesota State Highway 61 in the village of Grand Portage.

We drove around the city of Thunder Bay mainly to see the port area. We found a Ontario Visitor Center/Rest Area off the major interstate like highway out side of the city, it allowed over night camping. City of Thunder Bay's official travel and visitor information center, located at the Terry Fox Scenic Lookout at 1000 Highway 11/17, Thunder Bay, ON. http://maps.google.com/maps/place?cid=5664...sK7KqWWNf_S6OcK We spent the night there. A very nice place on a hill top. The next day we went to Fort William Historical Park. We enjoyed it very much. http://fwhp.ca/index.php

There were many provincial parks in the area as well.
http://www.visitthunderbay.com/index...ovincial_parks

We drove back to Duluth and spend a night at a Wal-mart. Then we took a boat tour of the harbor the next morning. There would be more to see and do in Duluth as well as Thunder Bay, but we had a time restraint at the time. We had also driven over into Wisconsin just to say we had been in the state as we were getting to the city from the St. Paul area. We drove into the port area in Duluth on the first day. We crossed the Aerial Lift Bridge onto an island and went for a walk on a beach, my son did a little swimming in the way too cold lake water (in May). There were sea plane rides one could take at the end of the island as well. Neat homes on the island drive. A neat Lake Walk by the port and bridge as well with sculptures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_Lift_Bridge
http://www.visitduluth.com/attractio...al_attractions
http://www.visitduluth.com/attractio...php?page=mtsad

That is our experence in one section of your "Grand Tour".

Here is a link to the same subject on another forum:
http://www.casitaclub.com/forums/index.php...amp;hl=superior

[SherryNPaul]

We did the Canadian part of this trip this summer. Our friend Lois (from Iowa) met us with her Casita in Rochester, NY. From there, we went across the St. Lawrence to Sharbot Lake, up to the Algonquin PP, then around. Three weeks for the Canadian side alone, and felt we had to skip some really beautiful recommendations.
On Lake Superior, spend several days (or weeks!) at Lake Superior PP. Absolutely beautiful beach, amazing hiking trails in a short driving distance, and a wonderful visitors' center to explore on rainy days. (We had several.) The hike along the river (I'll look up the name...) is an old Indian and portage trail.... many rapids and falls, amazing rock formations, and still pools. (I think it's rated easy, but that's Canadian standards, not American. It's not long, but some clambering in parts. Good footwear necessary.) The petroglyphs trail was beautiful. Again, some agility necessary, and good footwear. We met a guy here who'd been coming up for over thirty years to camp at Lake Superior PP.

Rossport CG, at Rainbow Falls PP, is a tiny campground with many great sites. Stunning views of the Lake and rocks, my absolute favorite of the trip.

Sleeping Giant PP was another favorite. We lucked into a site on the lake, with a wonderful view of the Giant from a short walk down the beach. Another wonderful visitors' center, and some awesome hikes. Drive down to the little old town (Silver something) and hike the graveyard, and save time for the Sea Lion trail. Neither is a long hike, both were rewarding.

Kakabeka (Niagara of the North) was not really strong when we were there. Releases are timed. Stay in the upper, wooded cg, not the riverfront one. Too much traffic noise. Nice staff. Sites had decent separation, wooded, not as nice as some other PPs we visited, but very pleasant for a few days.
We also stayed at Pancake Bay and Neys on Superior. Both very nice, though weather was not accomodating.

In Minnesota, we stayed at the city cg at Grand Marais (get a spot on the far end, near the marina, but away from the traffic... it's a huge city cg of over 300 sites). Not much for amenities, but you can walk to town, and Grand Marais is a lot of fun. Do take the opportunity to eat the walleye fish and chips at the little fish shop near the craft school near the cg.

Gooseberry falls has a paved hiking trail to the falls. Very easy. The falls were not strong this trip, and lots of kids clambering on the rocks were a little annoying. The cg itself is quite nice, though sites are fairly close together.

In Canada, if you want/need power, plan on spending more, and take long extension cords. We didn't need power, and found that often the best sites near the water were without electricity. Everywhere in Ontario, bath houses were spotless and well-maintained, (well, except Fairbank Lake, which had some repairs going on, but the views and hikes made up for it.).

Take the trip, and take as much time as you possibly can to do it. Our neighbors to the north are wonderful, friendly and congenial hosts, and you will enjoy the campgrounds and nature's splendor along the drive.

Sherry

[Eric Thompson]

We did the entire trip 2 years ago and highly recommend it. The Ontario Provincial Parks are outstanding.

Eric

I might take this trip this summer.

Attachment 17874

Anyone done this trip?
Good places to camp?
Things to see?

[Joy A]

The high light of my Great Lakes trip last year was my time spent near the water. I often harken back to the camping I did around Lake Superior.

The first camping was at Grand Marais, MN (city park where we had our fiberglass gathering), then travelled down to Duluth. Several weeks later I was in WI and Door County, I had gone to southern Minnesota so I came into WI at LaCrosse and went across to Door County. I left there heading for Bayfield, WI and back on Lake Superior. I travel on to Copper Harbor, Marquette, Munising and on through Pictured Rocks continuing on to Sault Ste Marie. There was only about 50 miles of the route below Lake Superior that I missed from Duluth east.

If I ever make it back to the Great Lakes states I know I'll find myself somewhere near Lake Superior. The camping I did near Lakes Michigan and Huron was nice but I truly enjoyed the Superior area better. If the Grand Marais, MN and the UP didn't have such nasty weather in the winter, I might think about living there.

Some day I plan to visit Canada from Saskatchewan east and will definitely do the north section of the circle tour.

[SherryNPaul]

Do you need a passport to go into Canada?
Will a photo ID driver license work?
Also do I need proof that I own my truck and trailer?

As of this past summer, you can no longer use a normal photo id drivers license to enter Canada. You and your passenger(s) need a passport, Nexus, or a special "enhanced" driver's license carrying more info than a normal state issued license.
We were asked for our passports at each border. Make sure you keep your driver's license, registration and insurance card easily available as well.
Our trailer was not searched at the Canadian point of entry, but it was searched when we re-entered the U.S. as a routine check for foreign produce. (We did not carry U.S. produce into Canada, or vice versa. Limits on labeled foodstuffs and prohibitions are available online.) Canada did not allow any weapons, including pepper spray and bear spray. We were questioned on this, and were happy that I had looked it up online and left them behind with a cousin in NY. (Wasp spray is ok, though, as far as I know.) This link may help answer some of your questions
http://www.consular.canada.usembassy...ter_canada.asp

Sherry

[C C Clark]

We're anticipating buying our first egg. This string on Lake Superior is drawing me closer to getting on the ball about the purchase. I'd love to make that tour be our first.
My dad is from the Soo and his grandfather is in under the Big Shining Water somewhere (fell overboard during a crossing.) Anyway, it would be so cool to go all around that beautiful country. Thanks for the info.