My brother-in-law Paul has spent years on the road as a long-distance trucker, and knows of several scenic hot spots between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. Located approximately 17kms west of the Peninsula Road turnoff for Marathon, Mink Creek Falls are accessed via a well-worn path directly off Highway 17.

The Falls are roughly at the halfway mark between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay. If your timing doesn’t work out for a picnic lunch, the location offers a welcome break for the road weary traveler. A 5 minute hike will take you to the top of the Falls, from where a small network of trails will allow you to see them from several vantage points. We visited the Falls at the end of July, and the waterflow was still enough to put on an impressive display.

Getting there: A logging road and widened parking area can be found on the north side of the highway (N48 46.268 W86 30.830). There is no signage for the trailhead. You will need to cross the highway, and the beginning of the trail can be found just beyond a gently sloping slab of rock.