Categories: Travel

This Ontario train ride takes you on fall adventure through forests & into a canyon

Photo via @sault.ste.marie/Instagram

All aboard for fall foliage! If you’re looking for an unforgettable autumn experience, you’ll want to check out Northern Ontario’s rugged beauty, on a train. There are one-day adventures on the Agawa Canyon Tour Train in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, that takes you through forests and lakes. Let’s check it out!

According to the City of Sault Ste. Marie, this train ride is a “Northern Ontario travel experience that will leave you breathless.”

With only a few more weeks to check it out, you’ll want to plan ahead – or even for the future!

The Agawa Canyon Tour Train

The Agawa Canyon Tour Train’s 2024 season kicked off on August 1st, and will run until October 13th.

The one-day adventure departs at 8 am from the train station in the Canal District, downtown Sault Ste. Marie. There is free parking near the station. And note that there is no WiFi on the train.

What to expect

Once you are on board, you will take off on a 114 mile journey north that travels through the rugged beauty of Algoma, as well as the Canadian Shield.

“At the Agawa Canyon, enjoy a 90-minute stop, where you can take in the sights, including a 30-minute roundtrip lookout hike and a walk along the canyon to Bridal Veil Falls. A conductor’s whistle will signal ‘all aboard’, then it’s back on the train, to return to Sault Ste. Marie by around 5:30pm,” states the City of Sault Ste. Marie.

That’s right, it is a full-day on a train!

Outside your window, you will see the mixed “forests of the Canadian Shield open up as you skirt the shores of northern lakes, rivers and cross towering trestles. Set eyes on the same rugged landscapes and majestic views that inspired the Group of Seven to create some of Canada’s most notable works of art.”

There is commentary in English that accompanies the tour, which is also wheelchair accessible, and allows certified service animals.

Agawa Canyon Park

After a glimpse of Lake Superior, the train descent into the canyon, to the floor of the Agawa Canyon, which was created more “than 1.2 billion years ago by faulting and widened and reshaped by the last ice age that retreated 10,000 years ago.” Truly an amazing sight. And to note, Agawa Canyon Park is only accessible by rail, and you’ll get a chance to explore it!

There are plenty of picnic areas here, and you can check out some unique walks.

“Enjoy scenic walks on graveled trails leading to the famous Bridal Veil Falls or the lesser know Black Beaver Falls, or experience the invigorating climb up over 300 stairs to the breathtaking lookout, perched 250 feet above the canyon floor,” the tour states.

Be sure to pack a lunch!

This is a great way to enjoy the change of season.