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Highway 17: Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa, Lake Superior, Ontario
Photo: Giorgio Galeotti · CC BY 3.0

Drives Ontario Muskoka, Algonquin and Northern Ontario

Highway 17: Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa

Highway 17 · Sault Ste. Marie → Wawa

Leisurely134 mi2 hr 15 min6,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,300 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 17 north from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa is the Trans-Canada along Lake Superior. It's 134 miles and about 2 hr 15 min. Wikipedia notes the highway is regarded as one of the province's most scenic drives and crosses the Montreal River Hill.

The drive passes Batchawana Bay and then Lake Superior Provincial Park, with Agawa Bay and Old Woman Bay along the highway. The Agawa Rock pictographs are reached from a turnoff on Highway 17. It ends at Wawa on Highway 101.

Along the way

  1. Sault Ste. Marie
  2. Batchawana Bay
  3. Agawa Bay
  4. Wawa (Highway 101)
Elevation
6,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,300 ft
Sault Ste. MarieWawa
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
Sault Ste. MarieWawa
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Services are sparse: there is no year-round fuel between Wawa and the Highway 552 junction, so fill up before you go.
  • You can drive straight through Lake Superior Provincial Park without a permit, but day use there needs a vehicle permit.
  • Storms have washed out the road between Montreal River Harbour and Wawa before; check Ontario 511 after heavy rain.
  • Winter storms close the highway for hours at times.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Ontario 511.

Questions about this drive

How long does Highway 17 from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa take?

It's 133.6 miles and takes about 2 hr 15 min without stops.

Do you need a permit to drive through Lake Superior Provincial Park?

No, not if you're driving straight through on Highway 17. Day use in the park needs a vehicle permit.

Where can you get gas on Highway 17 north of Sault Ste. Marie?

Services are sparse. Plan fuel ahead and check where year-round stations are before you leave.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.
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Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 17: Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa, from Sault Ste. Marie to Wawa