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Highway 556 to Searchmont, Algoma, Ontario
Photo: WabbitWanderer from London, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.0

Drives Ontario Muskoka, Algonquin and Northern Ontario

Highway 556 to Searchmont

Highway 556, Highway 532 · Sault Ste. Marie → Searchmont

Leisurely17.7 mi30 min900 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,200 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 556 leaves the north edge of Sault Ste. Marie and climbs into the Algoma hills to Searchmont, 18 miles away in about 30 minutes. It's paved and curving through the Goulais River country to the ski village.

The pavement ends at Searchmont. Beyond it, Highway 556 is gravel for about 80 km to Highway 129.

Along the way

  1. Sault Ste. Marie (Highway 17)
  2. Searchmont
Elevation
900 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,200 ft
Sault Ste. MarieSearchmont
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
Sault Ste. MarieSearchmont
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • The road is paved to Searchmont only; past it the road is gravel.
  • Ontario 511 shows any closures.

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

Questions about this drive

Is Highway 556 paved?

Only from Sault Ste. Marie to Searchmont. Beyond Searchmont it is gravel for roughly 80 km to Highway 129.

How long does Highway 556 to Searchmont take?

It's 17.7 miles and about 30 minutes from Sault Ste. Marie.

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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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 556 to Searchmont, from Sault Ste. Marie to Searchmont