First stop today combines both historical and present-day prospecting as you explore one of the few locations in Ontario still actively mining gold. Kirkland Lake has a prospecting history going back more than 100 years and the Macassa Mine now in operation remains one of the highest gold grade mines in the world.
The town is strung out along the "Mile of Gold" where seven major mines dotted the town's skyline for generations. Together these mines produced over 700 metric tonnes of gold. Drive the Mile of Gold, stopping at points of interest en route. Guided tours of the Toburn Mine, the first in the area, are available during the summer, the Mine building being an iconic landmark in the town. Visit the Museum of Northern History, housed in a chateau-style mansion built by Sir Harry Oakes.
If you have time on your hands, consider taking the road less travelled as you make your way to Iroquois Falls via Highway 672 and check out Esker Lakes Provincial Park. Surrounded by boreal forest, this family-oriented park comprises dozens of kettle lakes formed when glaciers retreated 10,000 years ago. Canoeing, fishing, hiking and sandy beaches provide plenty of interest for visitors.
End today in "The Garden Town of the North" , dubbed such for the pride its community takes in their flower and vegetable gardens. Iroquois Falls was established as a company town and planned as a Garden City from the onset. The pulp mill was the town's primary industry before it closed in 2014 and this resilient town of approx 5000 people now invites tourists to experience a laid-back vacation in relative wilderness.
Aside from the outdoor recreational opportunities on offer, a visit to the Pioneer Museum will take you on a journey through history, from the opening of the paper mill to present day. Check out the Shay 70 Locomotive on display in Anson Park, believed to be the last working Shay locomotive in North America.