MacKenzie Point is one of those places that surprisingly few local people have visited. It is a small rock outcrop on Lake Superior that is perfect for watching the waves crash in or for an evening picnic.
Roundtrip: 1 km +
Difficulty: Easy
Location: Thunder Bay, ON
The views of Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant from here are beautiful, especially at sunset. In the winter you can hike over the ice from MacKenzie Point up the MacKenzie River as far as you can –depending on the ice conditions.
From Thunder Bay, take Highway 11/17 east 20 km to Lakeshore Drive and turn right (west) onto Lakeshore Dr. After just 100 metres, turn left onto Coral Beach Rd. (at Fire Hall) and follow the road across the railroad tracks. Keep left and follow the road to where it ends at the parking area.
My parents had a camp at adjacent Crystal Beach in the 1960s. I learned to swim at MacKenzie Beach. My parents had a friend called Marnie (don’t know her last name) who ran the campground just before the railway tracks. Great place to grow up. We used to catch smelt in the MacKenzie River. The water turned black with them. And then at a creek two camps west of our place at Crystal Beach (I think the creek has since disappeared). We used to collect firewood from Caribou Island and the Sibley peninsula as well. Miss living up there.
This is such a gorgeous spot for a picnic!
How odd is it that I’ve never noticed the Sleeping Giant when I’ve been out to MacKenzie Point? I must have been too busy taking pictures of everything else. Beautiful spot!
Yes the tracks have been removed since I posted the directions. They’ve removed them from the entire Kinghorn line now I think. There is a group hoping to make the old rail bed into a recreational trail. I have been to Wild Goose many times, thanks for all your comments!
We stopped in here today on the way back from Dorion,and didn’t notice any tracks.
If it was the same tracks that went by WEST FLORAL BEACH ROAD off Lakeshore Drive,then I believe these tracks were removed,as my uncle and aunt have a cabin on WEST FLORAL BEACH and said it was real interesting to watch how they removed the rails,spikes and ties.
When we left here we drove Down Lakeshore Drive and stopped at a place called Wild Goose Park for a rest and bbq,this place is very nice to swim at with Sandy beach.Have you heard of this place? Try it out ,i’m sure you will enjoy.
Thanks for your comment! I don’t think the train still runs over the river, I think they took the tracks out…someone correct me if I’m wrong! They are currently building twin bridges over the MacKenzie River for highway expansion and found some interesting bits of history there: http://tinyurl.com/2wyfhpu
I loved the pictures for a long time I have been looking for pictures of Coral Bay Road never dreaming that it had become a park.
I used to live on Coral Bay rd many yrs ago before moving to
BC. I lived towards the right rather than the left we were
one of only two permant residents down there and all the rest
were summer cabins. The fun us kids had playing in the river
and the lake. Does the train still go over the river.
I remember the bridge being wiped out in the rain and the
train winding up in the river. Also the same conducter had
hit a car at the the train tracks there. Needless to say the conductor soon retired. That was a great place to snow mobile and
ice fish. And the sleeping giant is just beautiful from there.
Those were the days the only thing the lake can keep is its
mosquitos and black flies. I even miss the Thunder storms