Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
5 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
5 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
6 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
7 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Canada Ontario Thunder Bay Sleeping Giant

Sleeping Giant

Profile of a sleeping person four kilometers long in 250-meter-high cliffs.

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Added By
RichMan64
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Sleeping Giant on Thunder Bay   Sajith T S / CC BY-SA 2.0
Sleeping Giant on Thunder Bay   Sajith T S / CC BY-SA 2.0
  Vidioman / CC BY 3.0
  Sharon Mollerus / CC BY 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

On the northern side of Lake Superior, the Sibley Peninsula juts into the largest of the Great Lakes. From the nearby city of Thunder Bay, the peninsula looms like a Sleeping Giant. The island remains of an ancient volcano, appears to be a giant sleeping on his back. The 250-meter cliffs stretch in a thin band for many kilometers.

The giant spawned a legend amongst the Ojibway Natives of Ontario. They were given directions to a secret silver mine, in exchange for a promise to never wake the sleeping giant. Amongst other Native American tribes, the Ojibway were known for their magnificent metals and jewelry, which they attribute to the Sleeping Giant of Sibley Peninsula. The entrance to the silver mine can still be viewed on an island near the foot of the Sleeping Giant.

In 2007, amongst Canadians, the Sleeping Giant was voted number one of the Seven Wonders of Canada, beating Niagara Falls. Sadly, a national board decided the Sleeping Giant did not fit the criteria.

Today the whole peninsula is an Ontario park and Sleeping Giant Provincial Park offers camping, hiking, fishing, swimming and many other activities... giant walking is not one of them.

Related Tags

Giant Folklore Indigenous Great Lakes Geological Oddities Optical Oddities Geology

Know Before You Go

The view is hard to miss from any raised vantage point in Thunder Bay. Look south over the water. To visit: From Thunder Bay, travel E on Hwy 11/17 toward Sault Ste. Marie. At Pass Lake turn (there are gas stations on both sides of the highway), turn right onto Secondary Highway 587 to Pass Lake.

Community Contributors

Added By

RichMan64

Edited By

Blindcolour, mbison, Rebekah Otto, Michelle Cassidy

  • Blindcolour
  • mbison
  • Rebekah Otto
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

September 7, 2009

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeping_Giant_(Ontario)
  • http://www.ontarioparks.com/ENGLISH/slee.html
  • http://www.visitthunderbay.com/sleeping_giant/index.htm
  • http://www.thefriendsofsleepinggiant.ca/
Sleeping Giant
Thunder Bay, Ontario, P0T
Canada
48.337222, -88.904444
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Silver Islet Mine

Silver Islet, Ontario

miles away

Silver Islet Cemetery

Silver Islet, Ontario

miles away

Porphyry Point Lighthouse

Thunder Bay, Ontario

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ontario

Ontario

Canada

Places 178
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Silver Islet Mine

Silver Islet, Ontario

miles away

Silver Islet Cemetery

Silver Islet, Ontario

miles away

Porphyry Point Lighthouse

Thunder Bay, Ontario

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Ontario

Ontario

Canada

Places 178
Stories 13

Related Places

  • The Hole of Horcum

    Saltergate, England

    Hole of Horcum

    Legend says that Wade the Giant scooped up a handful of earth to throw at his wife, leaving behind this round valley.

  • Electric Ladyland in full color.

    Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Electric Ladyland: The Museum of Fluorescent Art

    The world's only museum devoted to the wonders of fluorescence.

  • Paved but phenomena still works - right before the curve

    Klamath Falls, Oregon

    Old Fort Road Gravity Hill

    This strange hill on Old Fort Road where gravity works in reverse has been fascinating locals for years.

  • Mount Teide

    Tenerife, Spain

    Mount Teide

    According to the Guanches, the aboriginal people of the Canary Islands, the king of evil lives inside this volcano.

  • Kilt Rock

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    Kilt Rock and Mealt Falls

    Ancient cliffs resembling a kilt on Scotland's second largest island emit an entrancing sound.

  • Port Colborne, Ontario

    The Incredible Shrinking Mill

    This mill on Lake Erie appears to shrink as a viewer approaches thanks to an optical illusion.

  • Lake Wales, Florida

    Spook Hill

    A haunted hill that supposedly defied gravity.

  • Russia

    Ulakhan-Sis Range

    A remote Arctic mountain range is home to "granite cities" found almost nowhere else.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.