Terrace Bay Lighthouse

I’m not sure how we’ve managed to miss seeing the Terrace Bay Lighthouse over the past few years. We’ve driven right past it 2-4 times every year, and never noticed it.

Sure, we’d seen signs about it, but just assumed that it was located down closer to the shore - and haven’t bothered making the “side trip”.

Then we saw it listed on one of the Lake Superior Circle Tour signs, and decided to make a point of visiting - for the sake of completion. Once we realized how many of those points we’ve seen on our own, the drive to collect them all really set in, LOL.

So, we decided to visit it during a recent stay at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park - it’s only about 20 minutes away from the campground.

As it turns out... it was right off the highway. So weird.

It’s a 50 foot tall replica lighthouse (“replica” being a piece of info I had been missing!), modeled after the one in Slate Islands Provincial Park, and is basically a rest stop.

Spoilers: We didn’t see anywhere suitable for RV or trailer parking, so it’s not like we would have been able to visit any time we’d passed it.

Anyway, I figure we’re not the only ones who weren’t sure what the deal was, so let’s get that all straightened out:

The Basics:

Location Name: Terrace Bay Lighthouse
Address: Simcoe Plaza, Terrace Bay, ON P0T (Click for Google Maps Location)
Website: Visit Terrace Bay - Terrace Bay Lighthouse
Price Free!
Reservations: Not Applicable
Season: May to October

Logistics

This is a roadside attraction in the parking lot of a strip mall. Basically a little park space with parking and the shops wrapping around it, right on the side of the highway.

Beyond that, here’s some basic information to help you plan your stay.

Registration and Check In

There are no registration, reservations, or check in required - or available. You just show up, park your car, and wander the site.

Parking

The parking for Terrace Bay Lighthouse is shared with the strip mall that partially surrounds it.

It’s a pretty standard strip mall parking lot, but pretty small - we didn’t see anywhere suitable to park trailers, as all of the parking is perpendicular/adjacent to the sidewalk.

Also note: Even in September - while the lighthouse itself wasn’t busy - the parking lot was pretty full!

Washrooms

There are no washrooms on site. That said, there is a gas station next door, and a few restaurants in the surrounding plaza. If you’re extending your stay a bit by visiting vendors, you should be able to find a washroom somewhere.

That said, a sign in the lighthouse directs people to “The Visitor Room” or the Terrace Bay Community Center (1 Selkirk Ave - Basically across the gas station from the lighthouse) for public restrooms.

No addresses were provided, so I Googled. Apparently The Visitor Room is a defunct coffee shop? So maybe don’t plan to go there for the washrooms.

Maps and Signage

There are no maps for the site, just a large map of Terrace Bay.

That said, you really don’t need a map or directional signage for this attraction - it can be seen from the highway, and getting around it is pretty straightforward.

It’s just a lighthouse!

Accessibility

While the lighthouse itself is not wheelchair accessible, the park area that surrounds it is, to some degree.

There’s a designated parking spot across from the lighthouse, with a marked path across the parking lot to the sidewalk that goes up to the lighthouse.

... and that’s about it, as far as accessibility goes.

Pets

Pets are allowed on the site, but are required to be leashed and picked up after.

There is a little stand with a poop bag dispenser and garbage bin located behind the lighthouse.

Park Store

There is no park store at the Terrace Bay Lighthouse.

Visitor Centre

The Lighthouse is basically its own Visitor Centre, though with limited facilities. There weren’t any real displays or educational signage on the site, so far as we saw.

Day Use Area

There is a small, grassy park area around the base of the Terrace Bay Lighthouse, with a few benches and picnic tables in the immediate vicinity of the lighthouse itself.

Connectivity

On Rogers Wireless, we had pretty good cellular reception at the Terrace Bay Lighthouse Site.

Miscellaneous

Some random info specific to this site:

The Strip Mall

The Simcoe Plaza strip mall that backs the lighthouse has a few restaurants, an LCBO, a vape store, a Canada Post office, and more. There is also a motel and gas station directly adjacent to the site.

Terrace Bay Lighthouse Festival

The third Friday in August, the site is host to the Terrace Bay Lighthouse Festival, a one day event.

This festival features food vendors, live music, an artisan street market, children’s entertainment, a car & bike show, Bingo, movies, a beer garden, and more ... all in celebration of the area’s maritime heritage.

Entertainment and Activity

This is where we generally highlight the various activities you can participate in, at a featured venue. In the case of Terrace Bay Lighthouse... that’s pretty limited.

In any case, here are your options:

The Lighthouse

The Terrace Bay Lighthouse - built in 2011 - is a 50 foot tall replica of the lighthouse that’s situated at Slate Islands Provincial Park. That one is much more difficult to get to, though!

The lighthouse that it plays homage to is known for being the Great Lakes lighthouse at the highest elevation - 224 feet above sea level.

This one involves 52 steps to get to the top , with the last 10 steps being closer to a ladder than a normal step. You cannot see through the steps so it's not as scary as some other venues!

Moments of Algoma

At the base of the Terrace Bay Lighthouse, there is a Moments of Algoma installation.

This one features A.Y. Jackson - specifically his paintings of the Slate Islands.

You might remember A.Y. Jackson - one of Canada’s “Group of Seven” artists - from our earlier post on Onaping Falls. The lookout and welcome centre there are named after him, as that waterfall was one of his favourite locations.

Selfie Station

Located in front of the Terrace Bay Lighthouse is a selfie stand set-up. This is the second we’ve seen in the area, with the other being at Aguasabon Falls & Gorge.

It’s a cute thing - just a little wooden stand that will hold your cell phone at two different angles.

You can set the timer on your phone’s camera to take the selfies you want, lighthouse in the background.

You can even use a QR code - posted on the stand - and hashtags to get your selfie featured on the town’s social media.

Biking

The Great Lakes Waterfront Trail has a self-guided “Terrace Bay Beach to Lighthouse Lookout” ride.

This route is 4.7 km long, with a suggested completion time of 1-2 hours.

See their PDF for more info, Here.

Niantic Games

There are 2 Niantic Game stops at the Terrace Bay Lighthouse site, and good cell reception to be able to access them.

Final Thoughts

Overall it's cute but kind of a weird little attraction.

It being in a strip mall - behind a motel and beside another motel and a gas station - is kind of a weird vibe. This attraction definitely seems like something that would be much better suited at somewhere like the beach.

It's a cute enough stop, but just where there's no washroom there .... it doesn't seem to serve very well as a rest stop. Picnic stop, sure.

Overall, we think it's a “See it once and you've seen it” kind of venue though.

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
Bridgeview Lookout Tower
Chippewa Falls
Kakabeka Falls
Little Falls Scenic Lookout, Atikokan
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!