As I write, it’s bitterly cold here near Owen Sound where for the past 6 weeks we’ve had more days under snow squall warnings than not. So it seemed a good occasion to recollect last September, when northern Ontario was gripped by a “heat wave” and on a scenic teardrop trailer drive along Hwy 17 I came upon a delightful roadside rest stop that was worth spending some time at.

• WHEREABOUTS: On Hwy 17, more-or-less half-way between Nipigon and Marathon.
• SPECIFIC LOCATION: south (water) side of road, 1km east of Main St to Rossport village, or 3km west of Rossport campground
• AMENITIES: toilets (clean!), trash bins, picnic tables, picnic shelter
• FEATURES: Lake Superior rocky shoreline, hiking trail, easy turn-around

On teardrop camper road trips I make a habit of stopping at roadside rest stops, those areas usually indicated by a brown or blue sign showing a picnic table. In a practical sense, it’s an opportunity for my pup and I to stretch our legs, use the toilet (if it’s not too horrifying), and shift mental space to refresh for more driving. But it’s also really interesting people watching as folks come and go on their way. If you’re up for some brief conversation, they’re easy to come by and a great way to learn about things to see and do (or not!) from other travellers plying the same general route as you.

In Ontario there’s over 230 these roadside rest stops, and that’s just counting those along provincial routes (many municipalities have their own too). Some of them are dull and purely functional, a few of them you wonder why even bother, but then others offer spectacular scenery or features that make it worthwhile to plan a meal stop or even a few hours as a destination in itself–those are the subject of this “Primo Picnic Area” series. To read about more Primo Picnic Areas, click on the “Trip Dispatches” category.

Perfect Location, Great Views, Mucho Space

The Rossport rest area is just under an hour drive from Nipigon and just over an hour from Marathon, so a the perfect occasion to take a break as you make your way along beautiful Hwy 17. The circular lot is trailer-friendly, and teardroppers will find they can easily park along the perimeter or back-in to a small spot off the circle. Thanks to an incline down from the road and the relatively small circle radius it’s not attractive to big rigs or large trailers.

There is a nice length of coast here, such that even if the lot were at capacity everyone would have loads of space to themselves. I enjoyed a beautiful view to the south (so good sun exposure at most times of day) of Lake Superior’s azure waters, Healey Island in the distance. My pup Luna enjoyed the water, and there’s enough public shoreline that you can walk a bit in either direction so your dog can play without bothering others.

If gazing out at the water is not your thing, you can take a walk on the Rossport Coastal Trail which connects this rest stop and the quaint village of Rossport. It’s an easy 1.5km, so maybe half-hour-ish each way, and a great way to get in some physical movement if you’ve been driving a lot. In Rossport, a further ½km from the trail-end at the east end of town, there are a few shops and a cafe.

Wow, clean facilities!

If you’re caught out by rain, or the sun is beaming down too strongly, the rest area even has a picnic shelter structure. The toilets are those spartan, indestructible concrete slab constructions deployed at many of the rest areas on provincial roads. Inside, they offer what I imagine is an accurate approximation of what solitary confinement looks and feels like. Most of them, including those at Rossport, are pit privies with no flush. What is different here is that these are the cleanest, and best maintained ones I have come across on my travels along Hwy 17. The maintenance contractor deserves and award. In fact, the whole rest stop area is clean and in good repair.

On a nice day, I could easily spend a few hours here. There are nice nooks in the characteristic rounded shore rocks you can make your special sit-spot watching the waves or have a snooze. And if you nab that little back-in spot I did (see first photo), which is perfect size for a teardrop camper or a van, you will have your own private area complete with picnic table, windbreak shrubbery, and a trail down to shore!