For a complete travel guide to Lake Superior — the roads along its shoreline, the best places to stay and eat, a checklist of activities and adventures — subscribe to the Gear Patrol magazine, which includes a full chapter of stories about the region, exclusive to print. – The Editors
The stretch of highway between Wawa and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario is considered by many to be among the most scenic in Canada. The twisty tarmac skirts the shoreline of Lake Superior in a Provincial Park named for the body of water. Along the way, iconic waysides such as Katharine’s Cove and Old Woman’s Bay are mandatory stops for the road tripper, but there’s one that doesn’t show up on any map: Bathtub Island, a secret haunt known only to savvy locals. Look for cars on the shoulder somewhere south of Katharine’s Cove and then tramp through the pine woods to emerge on a sandy beach. 50 yards offshore is the island, more of a rock really, whose shallow pools fill with frigid lake water where they’re warmed by the sun, giving the island its name. Wade out to the island, scramble ashore, then soak in the sun with a million-dollar view of the big lake. Given its remoteness and secret whereabouts, you can wear as little as you dare.