Old Woman Bay (Lake Superior Provincial Park)
Wawa, ON, Canada
Old Woman Bay sits at the north end of Lake Superior Provincial Park in Ontario, where a sand and pebble beach runs under a cliff said to show the face of an old woman. The cliff rises straight out of the lake at the side of the bay. The Nokomis Trail climbs the ridge above for a view down on the bay.
One of the most dramatic stops on the Superior shore, though it's more for looking than swimming.
How we score beachesHike the Nokomis Trail loop for the view over the bay, then come back down to the beach to look for the face in the cliff.
A day-use lot on Highway 17; an Ontario Parks permit is required.
A short walk from the lot to the beach; the Nokomis Trail is steep.
Summer is the easiest time to visit. The water is cold all year, and fall storms send big waves into the bay.
More Great Lakes beaches

Sleeping Bear Dunes Beach
Empire, MI · Great Lakes
Freshwater Lake Michigan surf below towering sand dunes, some over 400 feet tall, with water clear enough to rival a coastline and a hike back up the dune to burn it off.
New Buffalo City Beach
New Buffalo, MI · Great Lakes
New Buffalo City Beach is the first real Lake Michigan beach you hit crossing from Indiana, a wide stretch of sand at the end of Whittaker Street beside the harbor and the Galien River channel. Chicago weekenders fill it in summer. The town's shops and restaurants are a five minute walk back up the street.
Warren Dunes State Park
Sawyer, MI · Great Lakes
Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer has roughly three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and some of the tallest dunes in southwest Michigan. Tower Hill rises about 260 feet above the lake, and climbing it and running back down is a rite of passage. On a hot July Saturday the beach feels like a small city.
