Manitoulin Island is an island located in Northern Ontario. In all honesty, I did not know that Manitoulin Island existed till we actually moved to Lake Huron. I remember visiting Tobermory once and seeing the Chi-Cheemaun leaving the dock. It looked so grand and magnificent and it made me wonder where the ferry was going. I did some research and realized that it went to an Island called Manitoulin Island. Right away, I looked into ways of visiting this island and was planning a trip for the following summer. So here is my tips on how to get to Manitoulin Island.
Manitoulin Island is paradise for all those outdoor adventure lovers. Not knowing much about the Island, I did some research on it and quickly realized that it was a must for our family to visit Manitoulin Island.
There are so many beautiful trails and we had to see the incredible natural beauty of these islands through our own eyes. Manitoulin Island is the world’s largest freshwater island and then in itself is something I wanted to witness for myself.
How to get to Manitoulin Island
The island is located around 4 hours north of where we live on Lake Huron. There are two ways to get to Manitoulin Island
- Drive north around the lake through Parry Sound and up to the Killarney Provincial Park and then south from Little Current
- Drive to Tobermory and take the Chi-Cheemaun ferry from there.
The fun way to get to Manitoulin Island
Although there are two ways to get to this island, my favourite way is to cross the lake on the Chi-Cheemaun. Make sure you book your ferry in advance here. The best part about this route is that you can take your car on the Chi-Cheemaun and cross with it. Once you drive into the ferry, you park in the cargo section and then make your way onboard. The crossing is approximately 2 hours and there are multiple locations on the ferry where you can sit.
Once on the island, you dock at South Baymouth. You then make your way back to your car and then wait for your turn to get off the ferry. During the crossing, it is mandatory to be on board and you are not able to sit in the car.
On the Chi-Cheemaun
There is a restaurant on the back end of the ferry and you are able to sit here and enjoy a nice meal. You can also sit on the deck and take in the beautiful views of the crossing. It gets quite chilly during the crossing and I would definitely recommend having a sweater on hand. You are not able to take any food or drinks out of your car but we did take the girls water bottled and some snacks. When we visited, the restaurant was closed due to COVID and this is the reason why we took some snacks onboard!
After visiting Manitoulin Island, I can attest that this is one the prettiest places we have visited in Ontario. If you are up for a hike, make sure you hike the Cup and Saucer trail. This trail is quite long and intense so make sure you take lots of snacks and water if you are hiking with little ones.
I hadn’t done much research about this trail and did not take a ton of snacks – let me assure you this was a BIG mistake! But, the girls hiked all the way up and down. The hike is a 250 feet climb and they were champs! We also learnt a lesson to pack our backpacks with snacks no matter how short we may think the hike is!
Final thoughts
Visiting Manitoulin Island was extremely worth it. I am glad we chose to take the Chi-Cheemaun rather than driving to the island. They say half the fun is in the journey and this journey was definitely one we will fondly remember for years to come.
If you plan to visit Manitoulin Island, also check out our other blogs on visiting the Bruce Peninsula. There are so many beautiful places to visit and explore.
I hope you enjoyed reading on how to get to Manitoulin Island. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us!
