Explore Canada Series: Part 2 - Algoma Country
📖 My Wild Ride Through Algoma
Part 2: The Itch to Return (Literally)
I’ve driven through Algoma Country more times than I can count—each time, a totally different ride.
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Grade 6: Classic family road trip. Too much candy. Zero phone signal.
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2020: A solo COVID escape to the lake—just me, some podcasts, and a backseat full of fishing gear. 🎣
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Most recently: A January mission with my brother, hauling a carload of stuff from Toronto to Vancouver. Whiteout conditions. Trust in snowplows. Highway 17 through Wawa? A memory branded in frost.
But the trip that really stuck (in more ways than one)...
August 2020.
🛣️ The Drive That Itched Back
After a summer of fishing, remote work, and quality lake time, I was heading south to Toronto.
My mom had this sweet idea—plant a few trees before leaving. 🌲
Wholesome, right?
So I did. Planted. Sauna’d. Dove into the lake. ✅
Next morning—hit the road, feeling grounded. Peaceful. Recharged.
Then somewhere near Batchawana Bay…
🔥 IT HIT.
A firestorm of itchiness climbed my legs like a slow-moving nightmare.
Turns out, the tranquil little grove where I planted those trees?
Poison. Freaking. Ivy.
Pro tip: if you don’t know what it looks like—learn now. Save yourself. 😬
Unique Experiences – Only in Algoma
🧙♂️ Agawa Rock Pictographs
These ancient Ojibwe pictographs are etched into the cliffside above Lake Superior—raw, powerful, spiritual.
⚠️ The trail hugs the rockface over open water. It's short but intense. Wear good shoes. Bring respect. Leave changed.
✈️ Bush Plane Adventures
Floatplane into a fly-in lodge or remote outpost where the only noise is loons and the splash of your line hitting water.
Silence becomes a sound, and suddenly, your group chat doesn’t seem that urgent. 🛶🎣
❄️ Winter Sports Mecca
Algoma is a full-send winter playground:
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🚴♂️ Fat biking through the forest
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🏂 Telemark skiing past frozen lakes
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🥾 Snowshoeing under stars
And it all ends in a cabin with wood smoke curling from the chimney and a sky full of stars.
🔊 Indigenous-Led Experiences
Support local Indigenous-owned businesses and get a deeper connection to this land—from the Robinson-Huron and Robinson-Superior Treaty territories to hands-on cultural experiences, guided hikes, and workshops that leave you better than they found you. 🧡
Jason's Recommendation ✨
If you’re only stopping once—make it Batchawana Bay or Old Woman Bay.
Camp if you can. Hike if you’re able. And look up. The stars in Algoma are something else.
Also—stop in Wawa.
Yes, Wawa.
The Giant Goose is ridiculous and iconic, and it’s the perfect midpoint stretch-your-legs-and-laugh break on your way through. 🪿
All jokes aside, the Lake Superior shoreline in Algoma is one of the most underrated places in Canada. It feels ancient. Humbling. Folk tale-level unforgettable.
🎒 Itchy Takeaways
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Bring long pants.
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Learn your plants.
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Don’t skip the drive.
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And say yes to detours—you never know what will stick with you. (Or on you.)
Got something to share?
Stories, tips, or just want to say hey — hit reply. We read everything and love hearing from fellow explorers.
