Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is located on the Sibley Peninsula in Lake Superior. It consists of a series of mesas that when viewed from Thunder Bay, resemble a giant lying on its back. With over 100 km of hiking trails that weave through the forest, past towering cliffs, and along the rocky coast, there is no shortage of opportunities to see all the (non-sleepy) natural wonders in Sleeping Giant.

We’ve been to Sleeping Giant twice:

Hiking Trails

Sleeping Giant offers just over 100 km of hiking trails that offer beautiful views of Lake Superior and the surrounding area and feature many interesting geological features. Below are some of the trails that we’ve hiked.

(1) Middlebrun Bay Trail (9.8km round trip, rated moderate). The trail first leads to Middlebrun Bay (2.3km one-way from the trailhead), a secluded sandy beach before continuing onward to Finlay Bay where there is a single backcountry campsite.

(2) Sea Lion Trail (0.8km round trip, rated moderate). The trail starts at the the South Kabeyun Trailhead and from the parking lot and back, it’s a 2.4km round trip to complete. There’s a sign along the trail to turn off for the Sea Lion Trail, which leads to a diabase rock arch along the rugged shores of Lake Superior.

(3) Top of the Giant Trail (21.8km round trip, rated difficult). The trail leads to the top of the tallest cliffs in Ontario and is reputed to provide panoramic views of the east and west coast of the Sibley Peninsula on Lake Superior. 

A more detailed description of the hike can be found here

Other Activities and Attractions

Sleeping Giant also offers a variety of other activities and facilities, including:

  • Excellent wildlife viewing
  • Swimming at Marie Louise Lake
  • The historic community of Silver Islet, which is located at the tip of the Sibley Peninsula. The houses were originally built to house miners, but today they are used as summer cottages.

Camping

There is one main campground in Sleeping Giant at the Marie Louise Lake Campground. There are also ten campsites located on the west shore of Marie Louise Lake that provide a more secluded camping experience. It’s a bit of a drive to get there along a gravel road, but it’s all worth it for the peace and quiet (and views of the sunrise). We opted to camp at the west shore of Marie Louise Lake both times we visited the park.

Sleeping Giant also offers around 27 backcountry campsites, which are accessible by foot.