Thunder Bay lies at the far northwestern point of the Great Lakes of North America, and is a transportation bridge between the rich agricultural Prairies of Canada and the Atlantic Ocean and the rest of the world. The population of Thunder Bay was approximately 108,000 at the time of the 2011 census.

A few decades back there were two towns here named Fort William and Port Arthur and the combination was usually referred to as the Lakehead. Today we have the city of Thunder Bay instead, but the town names are still used for districts.

Get in

Thunder Bay is on Trans-Canada Highway 11 and 17. From the east, it is a 7-8 hour (700 km) drive from Sault Ste Marie and from the west, it is a 7-8 hour (720 km) drive from Winnipeg.

Thunder Bay has not been served by passenger rail since 1989 due to a politically motivated right-of-way dispute between Via Rail and Canadian Pacific Railways. The closest rail service is in Armstrong or Longlac, 250-300km distant.

Greyhound runs intercity buses west to Winnipeg and east via Sault Ste. Marie to Toronto. There is no easy way to Duluth, across the US border, other than driving there.

Thunder Bay's commercial airport, 15 minutes west of the downtown centre, has scheduled service to Toronto and Winnipeg. As of April, 2014 there were no direct flights to the US. One local transit bus passes each 30-40 minutes daily; the Airlane Travelodge and Valhalla Inn operate hotel shuttle buses.

Get around

Thunder Bay isn't known for being a walkable city. This is largely due its Twin-Cities heritage which causes the city to be very spread out. Until 1970, the city was actually two separate large communities (Fort William and Port Arthur) separated by a swamp that has since been built up into an area of suburban big-box stores, shopping malls and chain restaurants known as "Intercity". City council seems to finally, in recent years, be developing the north end (Port Arthur) into an entertainment district with the Marina Park as its centrepiece, and the south end (Fort William) into a business district. Within each of these districts (North end and South end downtown cores) walking is certainly viable in the non-winter months. During the winter months, your face will freeze off.

As a result of this, your best way to get between these two zones is by bus. Up-to-date schedules are available on the Thunder Bay Transit website.

Alternatively, there are multiple taxi services.

The city is increasingly focused on expanding its network of bicycle paths as well. Transport by inline skates can work well on these paths, but sidewalks are often too mottled to afford any speed or efficiency on skates.

Do

Sleeping Giant looms on the horizon, as seen in this view from Memorial Avenue in Intercity.

• Raven Ecoventures, ☏ +1 807-933-5241. Take a guided wilderness canoe trip or ecotour in this land of lakes, trees and moose. 
• The area has a large Finnish population, so saunas are common and popular.

• Fort William Historical Park. A recreation of the days of the North West Company and the Canadian fur trade circa 1815. Over 40 buildings on 225 acres, it offers a look at fur trade life, culture, rafts, medicine, business, domestic life and heritage farming. RVs and tent campsites are now available, and pets are welcome. 

• Sleeping Giant Provincial Park. 

Enjoy a hike along one of the beautiful trails at Sleeping Giant. Take Top of the Giant, a challenging 25km return (I think) trail to a spectacular lookout over Tee Harbour, Lake Superior, and a rugged cliff's edge. In March, Sleeping Giant hosts theSibley Ski Tour, a Thunder Bay tradition.

• Silver Islet. 
• Kakabeka Falls. 
• Take a walk around the harbour.
• Visit the amethyst or agate mines.
• Visit Ouimet Canyon and/or Eagle Canyon.

Walk across the suspension bridge at Eagle Canyon for beautiful views.

• Drive west of Thunder Bay to Quetico Provincial Park[1] - some of the best canoeing in the world awaits!
• You can also canoe on White Otter Lake, near Quetico and Atikokan. Visit White Otter Castle[2], a 3-storey wooden cabin single-handedly built by Jimmy McQuat on the shores of the lake. Legend is that Jimmy built it for his sweetheart and then got jilted. There is a walking trail from the castle area that leads to an abandoned WWII POW camp, but this has not been restored for tourists. Be careful of rusted metal and sharp edges in the camp.
• Ron's Virtual World, 234 Van Norman St, ☏ +1 807 345-4171. Has laser tag and many arcade games for a bit of fun. Most people who grew up in Thunder Bay have hosted their birthday here at least once in their life. $. 

Eat

South End

• Norma Jean's Restaurant, 123 May Street South (1 Block from City Hall), ☏ +1 807 623-1343. Do you like Burgers, fries and milkshakes? It's all here, along with a few other dishes. Nothing will blow you away, but sometimes when traveling that's a good thing. A nice way to eat locally. ~$13 
• Cronos Cafe, 433 Syndicate Avenue South (Two blocks south of Arthur St), ☏ +1 807 622-9700. 11AM-3PM. This is a Greek restaurant that has strayed from a core-Greek menu to include decent burger-and-fry combos. The Chicken Souvlaki with Fries or Greek Salad is delicious. They're light on the fries though, so you might want to ask them to double up. You should specify thick for the milkshakes. Popular with high school students and business people alike at lunch, due to its proximity to both a public and Catholic high school as well as city hall and the civic centre. ~$12. 

• Up In Smoke BBQ and Grill is a fabulous little Cajun gem. Take home a family pack, as it is both delicious and plentiful.

North End

• The Sovereign Room, 220 Red River Rd (around the corner from The Prince Arthur Hotel, heading west), ☏ +1 807 343-9277. Tu-W Sa-Su 4PM-2AM, Th-F 11AM-2AM. Popular pub, the menu features North American pub faves with some added flare (like duck confit poutine), as well as a variety of Continental cuisine. Whatever you like to eat, wash it down with something nice from the cellar or choose from the best selection of beer in the city. $10-$30. 

• The Hoito, 314 Bay Street (Northwest corner of Bay and Algoma). For a unique dining experience, visit Thunder Bay's famed Finnish restaurant, The Hoito. On weekend mornings, it is packed with locals of all ages, families and friends eating together, delicious Finnish pancakes. The Hoito is a beloved Thunder Bay institution! ~$11. 
• Calico Coffee House, 316 Bay Street (Next door to The Hoito), ☏ +1 807 766-9087. Calico is a charming independent coffee shop next door to the Hoito, with fair-trade coffee and locally baked treats. ~$7. 

• The Thai Kitchen, 36 Cumberland Street S (Nearby the Casino), ☏ +1 807 345-1707. The Thai Kitchen is easily Thunder Bay's best choice for Thai food. Originally only providing catering and special events food, the actual restaurant opened for the first time in 2007 and it is getting busier. If you want very reasonably priced food and you like Thai, this is the place. The husband and wife owners are friendly, both speak Thai (one is an immigrant from Northern Thailand) and it's hard to spend more than $20 per person and not feel like to over-ate!

Showing up before the dinner rush (5-5:30PM) is a good idea on Friday and Saturday nights. You'll get more prompt service and the cooks will have more time to spend on your food. Most main dishes are $9 and come with rice or noodles. Try the Kaeng Penang (#33)! ~$14. 

• Armando, 28 Cumberland Street North (Across from the Prince Arthur Hotel), ☏ +1 807 344-5833. Armando (the man) is an Italian-Canadian who hails from Naples. His family's Italian eatery serves classics and does them well, and he'll even sing to you at your table. The prices have been increasing in recent years, but the quality is superb. Expect to pay about $45 plus drinks per person. There are several excellent dishes that are not on the menu. Of particular quality are any of their meats in the signature Sambuca sauce. Ask for veal or bison if available. The closest you'll get to Donatello in Bologna without leaving Thunder Bay. ~$45. 

• Bistro One offers excellent fine dining.

• Prospector, in downtown Port Arthur, is a fantastic steakhouse. With an amazing cut of Prime Rib, fantastic sides, and a delicious soup and salad bar, The Prospector is the place to be.

• Thunder Bay has a couple of sushi places: Wasabi and Sushi Bowl. They are tasty, but visitors from larger cosmopolitan centres or the coast will likely be disappointed as sushi is much more expensive than they may be accustomed to. Sushi is approximately twice the price here as in Toronto for example.

• Thunder Bay is also famous for a unique pastry called a Persian. A Persian is similar to a danish with a mysterious pink icing. Some say the icing is strawberry, others say it is cherry, but it certainly is pink. Most people eat their persians just as they are, but for a special treat, have yours cut, buttered and grilled/toasted.
• Gargoyles Grille & Ale, 11 CUMBERLAND ST. S. (corner of Lorne and Cumberland Street), ☏ +1 807 345-3011. 11:30 - 24:00. The bar is constructed of cluttered stone and covered with statues of Gargoyles. These mid-evil creatures help us to create a very unique dining and entertaining experience. The food is very original and tastes amazing. 
• White Fox Inn, 1345 Mountain Road, ☏ +1 807 577-3699. 17:00 - 24:00. a number of signature dishes including our succulent Rack of Lamb, juicy selection of steaks, and our ever-popular White Fox Salad. A wonderful place for a night out. Beautiful scenery surrounding the restaurant in the countryside. $$$. 
• Organic Garden Cafe, 415 Fort William Rd (Drive up Water St and turn on Fort William Road. It is a bit hidden on your Right hand Side.), ☏ +1 807 344-1917. Amazing vegetarian food.

Ovo, Lacto, Vegan-friendly, Organic, Western, Take-out. Small organic cafe using some fresh produce grown by the owners. Open Tue-Thur 12-6pm, Fri 12-8pm. $$. 

• Naxos Grill & Bar, 610 Arthur Street West (Next to the LCBO on Arthur street.), ☏ +1 807 475-3886. Greek Food. Great for lunch or dinner! $$. 

Drink

• International House of Tea, 899 Fort William Rd, ☏ +1 807 626-0130. Loose leaf tea. 
• Steepers, 122 May Street N (Two blocks northeast of Victoriaville), ☏ +1 807 476-0698. A tea house. 
• Seattle Coffee House, 588 Arthur Street West, ☏ +1 807 577-3355. 07:00 - 23:30. A local coffeehouse that serves unique drinks along the lines of Starbucks. A wonderful café experience with cosy fireplaces and bench seating. 

Sleep

• Try a remote, rustic wilderness cabin powered by the sun on its own private lake and trail network to get a sense of the wild beauty of Northern Ontario.

• Thunder Bay International Hostel, fax: +1 807 983-2914. Longhouse Village, RR 13, 1594 Lakeshore Drive, +1 807 983-2042. Located 18 km east of the city. If travelling by Greyhound, tell the driver ahead of time to drop you off at the hostel; call Greyhound ahead of time to be picked up. Beds are $20 per night. Camping is $12 for one person or $19 for two people. 

• Sleeping Giant Guesthouse, 139 Machar Avenue, ☏ +1 807 683-3995, toll-free: +1-866-424-5687. Located on the north side of downtown Thunder Bay. Beds start at $21 per night. 

• Eldorado Beach on Lake Superior Bed and Breakfast, toll-free: +1-866-205-0855. Located just east of the city, for those driving along highways 11/17. Full breakfast, family friendly, starting at $65 per night inclusive. 

Go next

Isle Royale, a wilderness park, lies within sight in Lake Superior. Commercial ferries from Grand Portage, Minnesota provide the nearest official access to the island, but it's accessible from Thunder Bay by private boat.

Routes through Thunder Bay

Fort Frances ← Atitokan ←	W  E	→ Red Rock → North Bay
Winnipeg ← Dryden ←	W  E	→ Red Rock → Sault Ste Marie
ENDS ←	N  S	→ Template:Rtarrow becomes Template:Rtarrow Grand Portage → Duluth