Ouimet Canyon

Ouimet Canyon
Ouimet Canyon - photo taken from one of the two designated lookout points
Map showing location of the canyon in Ontario
Map showing location of the canyon in Ontario
Ouimet Canyon
Location of the canyon in Ontario
Floor elevation311 m (1,020 ft)
Length2,000 metres (2.0 km; 1.2 mi) North-South
Width150 metres (490 ft)
Depth100 metres (330 ft)
Geology
TypeEroded diabase sill
Geography
LocationThunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates48°47′39″N 88°40′01″W / 48.79417°N 88.66694°W / 48.79417; -88.66694[1]
Topo mapNTS 52A15 Greenwich Lake

Ouimet Canyon is a large gorge in the municipality of Dorion, Thunder Bay District in northwestern Ontario, Canada,[1] about 60 kilometres (37 mi) northeast of the city of Thunder Bay. The gorge is 100 metres (330 ft) deep, 150 metres (490 ft) wide and 2,000 metres (2.0 km; 1.2 mi) long, protected as part of Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park.

There is a walkway consisting of boardwalks and trails, which leads to viewing platforms overlooking the canyon. Visitors to the canyon should remain on the marked trails for their own safety. Also in the Ouimet Canyon area, there are rare alpine flowers that are considered especially beautiful and arctic plants normally found one thousand kilometres further north. The canyon is shown in the IMAX film North of Superior.

The canyon was named after the former railway station of Ouimet,[2] located nearby on the Canadian Pacific Railway line. The station itself was named after the Canadian Minister of Public Works from 1892 to 1896, Joseph-Aldric Ouimet.

Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park, a day-use park with no camping facilities, covers an area of 7.77 square kilometres (3.00 sq mi) around the canyon.

  1. ^ a b "Ouimet Canyon". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2015-03-26.
  2. ^ "Ouimet". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved 2015-03-26. (railway point)