Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: September 2021
Batchawana Bay Provincial Park is located along the Lake Superior shoreline close to Sault Ste. Marie. It was named after the Ojibwe phrase for “current at the straight” or “narrows and swift water there” as there’s a strong current between Batchawana Island and Sand Point where the lake narrows. The Ojibwe believed this was caused by an underwater spirit about to surface. Batchawana Bay is a day-use park and has limited activities and facilities. It features a beautiful sandy beach. The bay itself is nice and shallow and is reputed to have the warmest water along the Lake Superior shoreline.
On our drive from Pancake Bay Provincial Park to Sault Ste. Marie, we stopped at Batchawana Bay to check out the beach since it was along the way.
It was windy and the water was wavy. It was also late in the day and the sun was starting to set, which casted a nice glow on the horizon.
It took a bit of convincing, but I managed to persuade everyone to dip our feet into the water. The water was cold, but it felt oddly refreshing after all the hiking we’ve been doing. I went in up to my knees. If we had more time, I would have even tried to go swimming. But it was getting late and everyone was getting a bit grumpy. Plus I wanted to squeeze in one more detour.
After drying off our feet, we hopped back in the car for a few minutes before stopping at Chippewa Falls for another Moments of Algoma art installation. J.E.H MacDonald was part of the Group of Seven and painted many waterfalls, so it seemed fitting that this installation was located at Chippewa Falls. There is a short trail that leads to the waterfall, but at this point I had already pushed everyone’s patience.
On the way back to the car we came across a plaque that marked the halfway point of the Trans-Canada Highway, which runs across Canada from St. John’s in Newfoundland to Victoria in British Columbia.
And with that we headed back out on the road again.
L
My progress on the Ontario Parks Challenge can be found here
Ah, I love your sunset and beach photos! I always put my feet in the water when we’re close to a river/lake/ocean … it may be cold (especially during winter), but sure is refreshing!
I love how the sun makes the landscape look so warm and golden when it’s about to set. I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only crazy person that likes to put their feet in the water, even when it’s cold. I came prepared and had a towel in the car to dry my feet afterwards and to try to get the sand off.
The sand looks lovely and soft, and the sunset over the water is stunning 🙂
The beach at Batchawana Bay is stunning. The sand is nice and soft and the water was surprisingly not as cold as I thought it would be. The sun casted such a lovely glow over the water. It felt like a magical moment.
A beautiful beach for sure and a refreshing dip. We have done that feet dip in oceans and lakes around the world. Kind of a way of letting your feet know….we were here. Thanks for sharing Linda. Allan
Dipping your fit in the water can be hit or miss depending on what shoes you’re wearing or whether you have a towel to dry off afterwards. Luckily we came prepared! It felt very refreshing and I wish we could have stayed in the water for longer. Thanks for reading. Linda
Great to find the plaque marking the halfway point of the highway. Your photos of the ripples on the water look really good. I don’t mind popping my feet into cold water as long as that’s as far as it goes.
We stopped at Chippewa Falls to find another Moments of Algoma sign. I didn’t even realize that the halfway point of the Trans-Canada highway was here until we came across the plaque near the parking lot. That was a fun little surprise. I don’t mind dipping my feet in the water either assuming I’m wearing either flip flops or have a towel to dry my wet and sandy feet off afterwards!
Yes, definitely flip flops or a small towel is a necessity! Have a good weekend, horrid drizzle here.
I should probably put a spare towel in our car just in case, especially since spring is just on the horizon. It’s currently raining here as well and most of our snow is disappearing. It sounds like the perfect day to stay indoors and get caught up on some reading.
The beach photos are very beautiful, Great Lakes Love! I don’t understand how the Great Lakes region can be the half-way point between St. Johns and BC?
Looking at the map, it does seem confusing as to why the halfway point of the Trans-Canada highway would be near Sault Ste. Marie. Part of it is because you have to drive further north to get around Georgian Bay and Lake Superior rather than cut straight across. That should give you some indication of just how much driving we did on our two-week Northern Ontario road trip!
Oh, OK. I get it now, duh! 😂 That makes perfect sence and man that’s got to be a super long drive around Georgian Bay!
It’s a super long drive through Ontario in general. I think we drove close to 5,000km during our Northern Ontario road trip!!
i can feel the refreshing water on my toes 🙂 Great photos!
Thanks!! I love dipping my toes in the water and feeling that instant shock from the cold. It feels oddly refreshing. The worst part is trying to brush all the sand off afterwards!
Haha, yeah. We recently bought Turkish sandless towels. I can’t wait to try them on the beach this summer.
I just spent the past 30 minutes reading about Turkish towels. Apparently they grow softer after washing them. They look stylish and practical. I’m convinced I need one of these in my life now.
i think you do 🙂
Where did you get yours from?
I got mine online when we were in the states. I looked it up, but it’s not available anymore.
This is a link to similar ones: https://amzn.to/3HN2dIb. I don’t know if there’s a big difference in quality between the different companies that sell them and I didn’t get to use mine yet, so I can’t recommend it 🙂
Thanks for sharing a link to a similar one. All this talk about sand and towels is getting me excited for summer. The warm weather today is just a teaser!
I know! We are definitely heading out to the beach today, but just for a walk. Yesterday we came across a guy that had other ideas…I will post about him later.
I am intrigued!! I can’t wait!
Nothing like ending up on a beach after a hike or a long sightseeing day. It’d be nice if you’d had a bit more time to rest and relax there. But, I’ve pushed people’s patience before on trips, so I empathise with you there. The sunset photos are lovely!
Even though the water was freezing, it felt very satisfying to get our feet wet. It would have been nice to stay longer to watch the sun melt further into the horizon, but folks were getting hungry. Priorities.
Your photos are stunning! 🙂 I didn’t know that the TCH half-way point is there. Interesting.
Thanks for your kind words. The sun casted such a warm glow on the beach as it was starting to set that it felt somewhat magical. I didn’t realize that the halfway point on the Trans-Canada Highway was just outside Sault Ste. Marie either. Goes to show just how much driving you have to do through Ontario to get across Canada.
Yet another wonderful place to soak up natures wonders, Linda 🙂 I firmly believe that time spent near water is the secret of happiness! In recent years, stressed-out urbanites have been seeking refuge in green spaces, for which the proven positive impacts on physical and mental health are often cited in arguments for more inner-city parks and accessible woodlands. The benefits of “blue space” – the sea and coastline, but also rivers, lakes, canals, waterfalls, even fountains – are less well publicised, yet the science has been consistent for at least a decade: being by the water is good for the body and mind. Thanks for sharing and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
I completely agree. There’s something so soothing about being in nature and by the water. One of the benefits of the pandemic was that it made us think more closely about what we wanted out of life and where we wanted to live. We ended up moving out of the city and are now in a small town with a big backyard and are close to a lot of green space. It’s made such a huge difference in our lives. I thought I would miss the city, but I really don’t. Not even for a second. When we retire I would love to live by the water, either the ocean or a lake. Thanks for reading and have a wonderful weekend, Linda.
The pictures of the lake are so pretty! And even when it’s colder out one of my favorite things is taking off my hiking boots and sipping my toes in the water! It feels so refreshing especially in the summer! Great post thank you for sharing!
I’m glad to hear that I’m not the only one that does that! It feels oddly satisfying to step into the cold water after a long day of hiking. The only issue is trying to get the sand off your feet afterwards, but luckily I came prepared with a towel! Thanks for reading. Linda
What a beautiful beach! And I love golden hour light and it looks like you got to witness quite the sunset.
I love Ontario fresh lake water and that brown water looks so inviting right now.
I noticed during daycare pickup at 5:15 how bright and sunny it was still out there. Spring and summer are slowly creeping up on us!
The beach at Batchawana Bay is such a hidden gem. We went swimming here back in 2020 and were surprised at how warm the water was, especially in comparison to Pancake Bay, which is right around the corner. I’m glad we returned, even if it was just to stick our feet in the water. I love how the setting sun makes the landscape glow. It was very beautiful.
It’s amazing how each day feels a bit longer. I’m not looking forward to daylight savings though. I always find it’s such a struggle to lose that extra hour and it throws off my sleep cycle.
Yes, next weekend’s loss of an hour of sleep will be annoying. But for me it’s worth it for the longer days. Will just have double the coffee on the Sunday. 😆
Very true. It’ll feel even more like spring then. Speaking of which, I still can’t believe it’s supposed to reach a high of 15C today!!
Yes today will be warm and rainy. Hopefully wash away the remaining snow. Watch for very high winds up to 100 km/h though!
I just came back from a walk around our neighbourhood. It is very mild outside but oh wow is it windy! At least the sun is shining though. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Wow! Amazing, beautiful, peaceful place, I love it! My favoutirte photo is the one of the foots under water, thank’s for share Linda.
Have a relaxing time!
Elvira
It felt very refreshing to dip our feet into the water. Thankfully I had a towel with me so we could dry our feet off afterwards and get rid of all the sand. It was a lovely way to end a long day of hiking and being on our feet. Take care. Linda
I’m surprised by how much miles the original Transcontinental Highway in Canada is compared to the east west interstate highway lengths in the U.S. How much shorter would the newer first class route of this highway be?
I did a bit of research on this and Canada’s highway system is nothing compared to the interstate highways in the United States. Even though the Trans-Canada Highway runs across Canada, it’s not an efficient way to move goods and people across the country. The highway goes through the middle of many cities, which results in lower speed limits and more traffic. I don’t think there are any plans to change this.
So how many days do you think it would take to cross the entire TCH then on a roadtrip?
Oh gosh. The Trans-Canada Highway stretches over 8,500km (or 5,000 miles) and would probably take about a week to drive if you were in a hurry.
We saw a few signs similar to the halfway on the Trans Canada, middle of Canada etc I wish we took pictures of them. Maggie
We only found the sign as we stopped to check out another Moments of Algoma installation and found it near the parking lot. If we ever drive across Canada I’ll make sure to put together a scavenger hunt of these signs that provide some fun facts about the Trans-Canada Highway.
Ya I wish I researched stuff like that before we left. Fun way to liven up a long drive.
It’s always nice to break up the drive, especially on a long road trip. Next time 😉
When I saw that last photo, I immediately thought of Richard and Maggie’s recent posts from their epic overland journey along the Trans-Canada Highway. Like everyone else, I agree that the lake is pretty and the soft afternoon sun only added to its beauty.
Maggie and Richard have gone on some pretty incredible adventures. I would love to drive across Canada someday. A road trip is a great to see more of the landscape and gives you an opportunity to make random detours along the way.
Pancake Bay was a lovely park to spend the afternoon. The sun was low in the sky and made the landscape look so warm and inviting. The best part was that we had the beach and trail mostly all to ourselves.
Lovely sunset photo and the lighting in that moment was really nice and warm.
Thanks for your kind words. It was a bit overcast earlier in the day, but I’m glad the clouds cleared. The sun always makes such a huge difference in terms of how the landscape appears, especially in the late afternoon, and our moods in general.
You have me with the first picture of the water and the Sun. Golden and priceless. Beautiful, happy, peaceful hiking adventure. Thank you.
It was such a lovely moment to stop here as the sun was just starting to set and dip our feet into Lake Superior. The water was freezing, but it felt amazing to just take a moment to appreciate where we are.
Beautiful photos ! Beautiful place well shared thanks 💕🎉😊👌
Thanks for your kind words and for commenting. It felt very satisfying to get our feet wet and enjoy the setting sun.
Lovely photos. The light was perfect. I can relate to dipping your feet in the water, and have done it many places!
It was great timing to visit the beach close to sunset as the sand looked golden. The water was chilly, but it felt amazing. Thankfully I came prepared with a towel so we could dry our feet off afterwards.
Good for you for dipping your feet! I am still so enamored by those giant lakes that seem more like the seaside! It is so strange to dip your feet in water like that and not have it all salty!
They aren’t called the Great Lakes for nothing. They do seem very ocean-like, especially Lake Superior. In some ways it’s nice to go swimming in a lake and not have to worry about sharks or other creatures of the sea.