Terry Fox Historic Monument is a rest stop and scenic memorial in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Here's everything you need to know about visiting!
It’s located on Highway 11/17 between Thunder Bay proper, and the exit for Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, so a LOT of fellow campers pass by it every year.
For our part, we visited it 4 times in 2025 alone, as we’d made TWO trips out to Quetico Provincial Park.
So... seems like it’s about time to write about it!
There are picnicking areas, a view, and a Visitor Information Center that provides a ton of info about visiting the Thunder Bay region. (It’s open 9 am - 5 pm daily, and is closed on statutory holidays during the off-season).
It’s also a memorial to one of the most famous and beloved Canadians of all time.
So, lots to talk about, let’s get to it!
The Basics:
Location Name: Terry Fox National Historic Monument
Address: 1000 ON-11, Thunder Bay, ON P7A 0A1
Website: Terry Fox Tourist Information Centre
Price Free!
Reservations: Not applicable.
Season: Year-round.
Logistics
The Terry Fox Monument and Rest Stop is located east of Thunder Bay, between the city and the turn off to Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
The turn off is well marked on the highway, but you’ll want to keep an eye out for it - or use Google Maps to let you know when to turn off the highway.
The 1.5 km long road from the highway is hilly and rough in spots, but you shouldn’t have any trouble getting an RV or trailer up there.
Beyond that, here’s some basic information to help you plan your visit:
Registration and Check In
This is a pretty basic roadside attraction - there’s no registration, tickets, reservations, or even parking fees involved.
Just show up and wander the area!
Parking
There’s a large parking lot at the top of the hill, next to the Visitor Centre and the monument itself.
In the middle of the area is a set of trailer/RV designated parking spots - 7 spots, across 2 little lots. We’ve never had a problem getting a spot, but there’s always at least a couple other motorhomes up there, when we visit.
The parking lot is nicely laid out, and you won’t have any trouble getting in and out with a larger or towed vehicle.
Washrooms
When we went in to the Tourism Info building on a recent visit, we overheard the employee telling someone that she keeps the outhouse locked during visitor hours.
Sure enough, there’s a sign on the door of the outhouse saying the same, and touting the other offerings in the Visitor Centre.
So, if you show up between 5pm and 9 am, you’ll want to head to the outhouse, next to the parking lot. Between 9am and 5pm, head to the Visitor Center.
Maps and Signage
There are 3 maps at the Terry Fox Memorial Lookout site, but none are of the site itself. That’s not a big deal though - everything is visible from the parking lot, more or less!
As for those 3 maps...
One is the Lake Superior Circle Tour installation:
... another is a map of tourist attractions in Thunder Bay, and the final one is the map of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope route. (St. John’s Newfoundland, to Thunder Bay.)
Accessibility
The tourism center is wheelchair accessible, and has an accessible washroom stall in each of the washrooms.
There are also two sets of designated parking spots available - one set next to the Visitor Center, and the other closer to the monument and picnic area.
The paths are wheelchair accessible, right up to the monument - but there is some uneven pavement in places.
Pets
Dogs are allowed at the site, but must be kept on a leash and picked up after.
Also: One of the little trails from the parking lot to the monument has a sign with a pop bag dispenser and garbage bin, to make that a bit easier for dog owners.
Visitor Centre
There’s a nice Visitor Centre on site. We were hoping it was more about displays and information about Terry Fox, but it’s actually a Thunder Bay and area Tourism Center.
The employee we met there was super nice and REALLY knowledgeable about the area, as well as events that were taking place.
I think she might have been infodumping on us, which I was THERE for!
Anyway, be sure to check out the Terry Fox Visitor Centre Facebook Page for any news and updates.
There’s also the Terry Fox Foundation Online Store.
Day Use Area
There’s a sprawling picnic area between the parking lot and the monument. It’s all up on small hills, with really nice wooden picnic tables all over the place.
There are also several benches all over the place, and a standing binoculars post (??), looking out over the lake.
Near the monument, there’s a binocular stand, so you can see out over the highway and Lake Superior.
One thing we noted was that there are garbage and/or recycling cans EVERYWHERE! Nice and convenient for those picnicking!
Connectivity
Our cell reception - on Rogers Wireless - is generally hit and miss when we’re visiting the Terry Fox Monument. I’ve always found that weird. You’d think with proximity to the city + being up on a hill, it would be better!
Anyway - that said - they DO have Wifi that seems pretty good every time we’re there.
You’re going to want to be near the Tourism Centre for that, though - the signal doesn’t always reach as far as the RV parking section.
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Entertainment and Activity
Here are the things you can see and do when visiting the Terry Fox National Historic Monument:
The Terry Fox Monument
The actual monument is set off from the parking lot a bit, overlooking Lake Superior, the Sleeping Giant, and - right below - the Trans-Canada Highway.
It consists of a 45 ton granite block, sitting on a base of amethyst - something the region is known for.
Terry is represented by a 9 foot tall bronze statue atop the granite base, which is beautifully designed and features several inscriptions.
Underneath the arch that Terry’s statue stands on is a carved map of Canada, which people seem to use as sort of a wishing well - there are always coins on it.
The arch itself has the provincial Coat of Arms for all of the provinces and MOST of the territories - it was made before Nunavut was a thing.
Beyond that, there are several inscriptions:
I BELIEVE IN MIRABLES...
I HAVE TO...
BECAUSE SOMEWHERE, THE HURTING MUST STOP’
July 28, 1958 - June 28, 1981
Terry Fox inspired this nation with his dream - his Marathon of Hop - a cross-Canada run to raise money for cancer research.
This courageous young man from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, new only too well the ravages of cancer... because at 19 he had lost his right leg to the disease, and etched in his mind was the pain and suffering on the faces of other cancer victims. Determined not to leave this "World of Miracles" before a cure had been found, he planned his 5,300 mile marathon.
After dipping his foot in the Atlantic, he began his epic in St. John's, Newfoundland on April 12, 1980.
Running 26 miles a day, this outstanding young athlete had conquered five provinces by the time he had reached Ontario in June. Then, at mile number 3,339, near this very site, recurring cancer forced him to give up his run.
"It feels good to give", he told the people of Ontario who responded wholeheartedly to his courage and his dream. And through his perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, he inspired an outpouring of immense national pride and a flood of $24 million for cancer research.
To the people of Ontario, Terry gave us pride - pride in having known him and briefly sharing his dream.
To every Canadian, he left us his challenge - a challenge each of us will meet in our own way.”
It is for such a reason, this monument was designed, joining east with west, depicting all provincial and territorial coats-of-arms and the Canadian emblems of the maple leaf and beaver.
As Ontario's tribute to Terry Fox's contribution to his country, this statue and monument is dedicated to his memory on behalf of all Ontario citizens.
Governor General of Canada
Honourable John Black Aird
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
Honourable William G. Davis
Premier of Ontario
Honourable James Snow
Minister of Transportation and Communications
Honourable Leo Bernier
Minister of Northern Affairs”
“Companion of the Order of Canada
They Deserve a Better Country
Terry Fox never understood why Canadians honoured him with so many awards.
Governor General Edward Schreyer invested Terry Fox with this nation's highest civilian award, September 19, 1980.
Governor General Edward Schreyer invested Terry Fox with this nation's highest civilian award, September 19, 1980.
The youngest companion of the order, awarded to Canada's heroes, Terry Fox shared the honour, accepting it, as he said, "For the all the people who have cancer and all who made my run a success."
In addition, Terry was named "Canadian of the Year" in 1980 and 1981, and winner of the Lou Marsh Award for Canada's Outstanding Athlete of 1980.
On August 29, 1981, he was posthumously inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.
He was also presented with the province of British Columbia's highest honour, the Order of the Dogwood.
And from the American Cancer Society, he received their prestigious Sword of Hope.
In addition, from the Canadian Cancer Society he was awarded the Terry Fox Citation of Honour.”
There are multiple mines and a bunch of amethyst shops in the area, and Amethyst is the official gemstone for Ontario.
Not so fun fact: The monument had to be relocated in the 1990s, because people are jerks and were gouging the stones out of the base and stealing them.
They also cut one of Terry’s hands off, and tried to saw his head off - animals.
Hiking
There aren’t any hiking trails at this rest stop, but there are some walking paths that wind around the area.
Not really a great place to get an actual workout in, but enough to stretch your legs during a rest stop.
Birding, Wildlife, and Nature
We haven’t had a ton of luck with birding at the park - probably a combination of people and traffic noise.
Since we started tracking it, we’ve seen or heard: American Crow, American Robin, Common Raven, and Swamp Sparrow.
Educational & Cultural Opportunities
Aside from the monument itself - and the aforementioned Visitor Centre - there’s a little plaque next to the parking lot that reads:
“
(1958-1981)
While in remission from cancer, Terry Fox set out to run across Canada in 1980 to raise money for cancer research. Despite having lost his right leg to the disease, this determined athlete ran 5,373 kilometers - nearly a marathon a day for 143 straight days - before being forced to stop east of this spot in the community of Shuniah when his cancer returned. His "Marathon of Hope" captivated Canadians with its bold humanitarianism, transformed our vocabulary about personal courage, and revolutionized fund-raising. To date, hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised by Fox and in his name to the benefit of cancer sufferers around the world. The heroic nature and tragic interruption of his run have made Terry Fox an enduring Canadian Icon.”.
There’s also at least one sign that teaches the history of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope.
Niantic Games
There are a small handful of Niantic game stops around the grounds.
Most are right in range of the Visitor Centre, so you should be able to access their wifi if you need to get some tasks done for Pokemon Go, Ingress, etc.
Final Thoughts
We make a point of stopping by the Terry Fox Monument every time we pass through the area.
Even before we started our RV camping adventures, it was something I did every time. It’s a great place to break up a long road trip and stretch your legs, and it’s just always felt like a respectful thing to do.
There’s been a LOT of cancer in my family - and I’m a Pancreatic Cancer survivor myself - so I’ll always be grateful for what Terry’s early efforts have done to contribute to cancer research funding, to this day.
Obviously we’ll be back.
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
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!
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