Sudbury first flourished as a mining town, a heritage it continues to embrace. Through Science North and Dynamic Earth, the province runs tours that promote these geological roots. Coined GeoTours, the program visits Northern Ontario’s most significant sites, including natural destinations like waterfalls, cliffs, canyons, mines and museums.

Spotlights of the Tour

A.Y. Jackson Lookout

A.Y. Jackson Lookout provides a panoramic view of Onaping High Falls, a 150ft waterfall plunging into the Sudbury Basin. The nearby area contains rock types exhibiting the formation of Sudbury’s largest mineral resources. The basin itself is over two billion years old.

Copper Cliff and Copper Cliff Smelter Superstack

The “Superstack” symbolizes Sudbury’s mining heritage and its impact on the environment. It stretches 380m into the sky, making it the tallest chimney in the Western hemisphere. In fact, it is Canada’s second largest freestanding structure, second only to the CN Tower in Toronto.

Discovery Site of Sudbury Mining Camp
The Sudbury Mining Camps relate back to 1883 when nickel-copper ore first surfaced on the site of the Canadian Pacific railway. This area directly contributed to Sudbury’s rise as Canada’s first major mining camp and the world’s nickel capital.

Jane Goodall Reclamation Trail
Connected to Rainbow Routes, this trail follows a path once completely barren. It is a part of the Sudbury Land Reclamation Program, which seeks to restore and preserve the environment once devastated by the city’s mining initiatives.