Bridgeview Lookout Tower

The Nipigon Bridgeview Lookout Tower is one of those places that we passed a few times, before actually checking it out.

It’s the tall tower that you can see in plain view from the Nipigon Bridge, but - at the time - we had no idea what it was called. More importantly, we had no idea what the parking situation was!

If we’d ever gone through with just a passenger vehicle, that would be no problem... but in a 27' RV and towing a car? Parking is a huge consideration!

We’ve found ourselves stuck unhooking the car and pulling a tight U-Turn a couple of times now, so we’re always a little nervous turning off the highway to check out a new place!

Anyway, we finally got around to checking out the Bridgeview Lookout Tower in either 2023 or 2024, and we’ve stopped there a bunch of times ever since.

See, we’re trying to get better about taking hourly stretch breaks on drive days, and Nipigon is PERFECTLY located for one such break - it’s almost exactly an hour from Thunder Bay!

Thankfully, parking was not an issue - more on that in a bit - which facilitated all those subsequent visits.

More than just a basic rest stop, the Nipigon’s Lookout Tower has a lot going on for it. To this day, I’ve STILL never gone up it, myself... but I always have fun walking around the area as Porter does.

Lots to talk about, so let’s just get right to it...

The Basics:

Location Name: Nipigon Bridgeview Lookout Tower
Address: Railway St, Nipigon, ON P0T (Click for Google Maps location)
Website: Nipigon - Bridgeview Lookout Tower
Price Free!
Reservations: Not Applicable

Logistics

The Nipigon Lookout Tower is located near the Nipigon Bridge - you can see it as you’re crossing the bridge, when heading west towards Thunder Bay.

You’ll just take the first left after crossing that bridge, and the parking lot will be in view almost immediately.

This is your basic roadside rest stop - there is no registration required (or available), and parking is free. Just pull up, find a parking space, and wander the site as you like.

Beyond that, here’s some information to help you plan your visit:

Parking

There are two parking areas at the Nipigon Bridgeview Lookout Tower.

The main parking lot is for regular vehicles, with a single row of normal sized parking spaces that accommodates 22 vehicles.

The second parking area is across from the main parking area, on the right as you’re coming from the area of the bridge.

This is a small trailer/RV parking lot - it can hold maybe 2 RVs or trailers, assuming everyone is being conscientious about how they’re parking.

Washrooms

There’s a single washroom building at the far end of the parking lot from the tower - a single stall composting toilet.

Maps and Signage

There are a couple of maps at this lookout tower, though neither of them are specific to this attraction.

One is a map of the Nipigon area in general, with several points of interest mapped out for you.

The other is a display and map of the “Lake Superior Circle Tour” attractions.

We’ve been to a bunch of them so far - Kakabeka Falls, the Terry Fox National Historic Monument, The Sea Lion at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, Aguasabon Falls & Gorge, Pebble Beach in Marathon, the Wawa Goose, Scenic High Falls of the Magpie River , Old Woman Bay and The Agawa Rock Pictographs at Lake Superior Provincial Park, and Chippewa Falls.

12/18 - not bad!

Anyway, that was a bit of a tangent - you really don’t need a map of this attraction, as it’s pretty straightforward and all visible from the parking lot.

Accessibility

There are no designated accessible parking spaces, though it’s usually empty enough - at least whenever we’ve visited - that parking shouldn’t be an issue.

The walking path from the parking lot all the way down to the bridge is wheelchair friendly, though it does go more downhill as you get closer to the bridge.

The tower itself is not wheelchair accessible in any way.

The washroom isn’t marked with a wheelchair accessibility symbol, but it appears to be accessible - plenty of room in the stall, plus hand railings. The door isn’t automatic, though.

Connectivity

We’re on Rogers Wireless, and have had great cell reception every time we’ve visited.

Pets

Pets are allowed, but should be on a leash and attended to at all times.

Also, there’s a poop bag dispenser on site, and several garbage cans - so be sure to pick up after your dog, and properly dispose of the droppings!

Day Use Area

There are a couple of picnic spots at the Lookout Tower Rest Stop.

One is a small picnic area at the base of the tower, the other is a covered picnic shelter on the other end of the parking lot, next to the outhouse.

Entertainment and Activity

Beyond stretching your legs and using a washroom, there are a few things you can do while visiting the Nipigon Lookout Tower:

The Bridgeview Tower

The Bridgeview Lookout Tower was built in 2018.

There are 6 sets of steps - 65 in total - to get to the top of the tower, which is 40 feet tall.

Due to its design, the tower feels very sturdy - it doesn’t sway in the wind, the way some other towers do.

The top viewing platform has a glass barrier the whole way around, giving a mostly unobstructed. 360 degree view for quite a distance.

You can see the cemetery below, a good view over the Nipigon River Bridge, Lake Helen, a marina, and more.

The Walking Path

The walking path that goes from the parking area to the observation tower continues beyond the tower, all the way down to the bridge.

At the bridge, you can take some stairs to go up to the bridge level and across, or continue along the trail, crossing underneath the bridge.

At least as far as Porter had gone in, the views under the bridge weren’t as nice as he was hoping - he was more interesting in the mechanics of the bridge itself.

That said, the trail looped back once you crossed under the bridge, with nicer views at that point.

By the way - you might want to bring ear plugs. The last time we were down there, a train passed RIGHT by - while I appreciated the horn honk greeting, my eardrums did NOT!

Moments of Algoma

There is a “Moments of Algoma” installation, adjacent to the parking lot - this one features Frank Johnson.

The featured painting on the easel is one that he did of the Nipigon River.

For more details on the Group of Seven - and the other installations - visit the Moments of Algoma Website.

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

We’re usually more interested in the tower than in birding, but we have noticed a LOT of birds in the area on a few of our visits.

In the spring, there were a lot of Yellow-Rumped Warblers in the woods next to the RV parking lot, and we usually hear - though rarely see - a fair amount of birds in the woods below the parking lot.

Also: LOTS of wildflowers in the area, depending on the season! We were shocked at how many were still around in September.

Educational & Cultural Opportunities

Aside from the Moments of Algoma installation, there are a few more educational signs and such.

The most striking is the display about the Indigenous Group of Seven, which I’d never even heard of.

Also known as the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. (PNIAI), the Indigenous Group of Seven was also a collective of 7 artists, though this one was - as the name suggestions - all First Nations painters.

They were Jackson Beardy, Eddy Cobiness, Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Daphne Odjig, Carl Ray and Joseph Sanchez, and their collective was based out of Winnipeg.

You can read more about them on The Canadian Encyclopedia, or Superior Country.

Niantic Games

There are a bunch of Niantic Game stops - Ingress Portals, Pokestops, Pokegyms, etc - in the immediate area of the Nipigon Bridgeview Tower, with several more closer to the actual bridge.

As mentioned earlier, we’ve always had great cell phone connectivity in the area.

Final Thoughts

I feel like every time we visit the Bridgeview Lookout Tower, it’s a slightly different experience.

Whether it’s the flowers blooming, the colour of the tree leaves, the signage we notice, or how much of the trail we do, every visit has been different enough to keep it interesting.

Overall, it’s a nice, relatively low-effort way to stretch your legs and enjoy a nice view, as a quick rest stop. It’s also conveniently located, almost exactly an hour from the Terry Fox Memorial.

So, I expect we’ll continue our tradition of visiting every time we pass by!

More Northern Ontario Provincial Parks & Places to See

Want to read some more about the parks we've camped and at places we've seen in Northern Ontario? Here are some more posts!

Northern Ontario Campground Reviews:

Aaron Provincial Park
Agawa Bay Campground, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Blue Lake Provincial Park
Caliper Lake Provincial Park
Esker Lakes Provincial Park
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
Kettle Lakes Provincial Park
Lake Superior Provincial Park
MacLeod Provincial Park
Neys Provincial Park
Ojibway Provincial Park
Pakwash Provincial Park
Pancake Bay Provincial Park
Pukaskwa National Park
Quetico Provincial Park
Rabbit Blanket Lake, Lake Superior Provincial Park
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park
Rene Brunelle Provincial Park
Rushing River Provincial Park
Sandbar Lake Provincial Park
Sioux Narrows Provincial Park
Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
White Lake Provincial Park

Northern Ontario Places to See:

Aguasabon Falls & Gorge
Amethyst Mine Panorama
Batchawana Bay
Chippewa Falls
Kakabeka Falls
Mink Creek Falls
Old Woman Bay
Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park
Potholes Provincial Park
Roy Wilson Suspension Bridge
Sand River Falls
Scenic High Falls
Temagami Fire Tower
Terrace Bay Beach
Terry Fox National Historic Monument

Want to explore beyond Northern Ontario? Check out our full list of Campground Reviews, Ontario Waterfalls, and other Places to See.

We also have a ton of Camping Recipes to cook up, while on your adventures!