Manitoulin Island

Manitoulin, the world's largest freshwater island, sits at the top of Lake Huron. The island, with a total area of 2,800 square km (1,081 square mi), is ruggedly handsome, with granite outcrops, forests, meadows, rivers, and rolling countryside. Yachters rate these waters among the best in the world, and anglers have taken advantage of the island's riches for generations. Hikes and exploration could easily turn this "side trip" into a weeklong stay. Winter is a snow-lover's dream, with plenty of trails for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, skating, and great ice fishing. For the most part, the island has not been ravaged by time and human incursions. Archaeological digs have unearthed traces of human habitation more than 30,000 years old. There is no interim record of people living here until explorer Samuel de Champlain met some island residents in 1650. Island towns such as Little Current (closest to the mainland), Sheguiandah, and Wikwemikong are simple and sweet.