Hiking.
Crimson Ridge, McIntyre Lake, and Mabel Lake all sit on the Voyageur Trail's Saulteaux–Goulais section, which runs north and east of Sault Ste. Marie as 40 km of main linear trail plus 26 km of loops and 15 km of spurs.
Algoma Country counts nine day-loops accessible inside roughly 30 minutes of the city, and the corridor is part of a planned 1,100 km Sudbury–Sault–Thunder Bay wilderness trail.
The brief.
The Saulteaux–Goulais section is volunteer-managed by the Voyageur Trail Association's Saulteaux club; expect way-marked but rough wilderness trail rather than a groomed path. Inside the city, Fort Creek Conservation Area (77 ha, SSMRCA-managed) gives you a 1.6 km paved Hub Trail spur plus hilly forested gravel loops, and the Attikamek Trail loops South St.
Marys Island past the canal heritage buildings to the rapids. Best window is May through October — the Voyageur loops cross Lake Superior shoreline and hardwood country that's at its most legible once snow has cleared and before it returns.
Two named loops in the Saulteaux section (Crimson, St. Kateri) appear on Trailforks as user-contributed entries; cross-reference the VTA section page for the official routing.
8. places.
- 01
Sault Canal NHS — Attikamek Trail (South St. Marys Island)
Easy interpretive loop between the 1895 lock and the rapids, passing the canal heritage buildings; doubles as the official angler-access route to the St. Marys Rapids.
- 02
Whitefish Island NHS trails
Boardwalk and footpath network across the 22-acre island, with reconstructed Anishinaabe longhouses and a fishing-weir overlook of the rapids; co-managed by Batchewana First Nation.
- 03
Voyageur Trail — Saulteaux–Goulais section
40 km main + 26 km loops + 15 km spurs through Lake Superior shoreline, the Root River, Crimson Ridge, McIntyre Lake, Mabel Lake, and Hiawatha Highlands; nine day-loops within ~30 minutes of the city.
- 04
Voyageur Trail — Crimson hiking trail
A named loop in the Saulteaux section listed on Trailforks (user-contributed); pairs with the VTA section page for verification.
- 05
Voyageur Trail — St. Kateri hiking trail
Another named Saulteaux loop on Trailforks (user-contributed) inside the Saulteaux–Goulais corridor.
- 06
Fort Creek Conservation Area
77 ha SSMRCA park inside the city, with a 1.6 km paved Hub Trail spur plus gravel loops through hilly forested ground.
- 07
Hiawatha Highlands Conservation Area
Wider trail network shared with cyclists and skiers, SSMRCA-managed; doubles in summer as a hiking gateway into the Saulteaux corridor.
- 08
Bellevue Park waterfront walkway
2.4 km asphalt loop in a 17 ha riverside city park, flat enough for any visitor and useful as a Hub Trail connector.
Today's read.
Cold but firm — winter-ready conditions · light winds · clean air.
By the book.
- 01The Sault Canal NHS visitor centre is open seasonally May through October; site grounds (Attikamek Trail, fishing access) remain accessible year-round with seasonal variations.Source ↗
- 02Whitefish Island is held as Indian reserve land under the management of Batchewana First Nation; visitors are guests on First Nation land and should follow posted protocols, including respecting the reconstructed cultural structures.Source ↗
- 03The Hub Trail (which carries Fort Creek's 1.6 km spur and the Bellevue waterfront link) is non-motorized only — hiking, cycling, skating, wheelchair.Source ↗