Sawpit Bay
Ontario
Find: Feldspar/calcite, unakite, zeolites, colorful granites, hematite
GPS: 46.967303, -84.749805
Nearest city: Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Recommended Vehicle: Any
Summary:
Sawpit Bay is one of the more popular spots along the Eastern shore of Lake Superior that isn’t a Provincial Park. It is tucked away, just past the trees alongside the Trans-Canada Highway (HWY 17).
To access, just pull into the dirt pulloff as you head North and you’ll see an area to park within the trees. I had fun hiking through some footpaths that were along the shores here and besides a couple swimmers by the hotel, I was the only guy on the beach after I cleared the first set of cliffs.
I found a wide array of different rocks here, with granites being the dominant thing found. They had exceptional beauty and distinct character. Locals mentioned that agates are found here from time to time, and this is one of the better spots to look for Lake Superior Agates on the Canadian side of the Lake.
Video Guide
Check out the video to best see what can be found when exploring this spot.
The path down to the shore from one of the parking areas (I believe there's another further up to the North)
Recommended attire if you wanna stay in the water. It's chilly.
The bedrock creates some picturesque views, especially as you explore more.
A unakite with vibrant, electric green epidote.
I believe this is feldspar.
A well-worn footpath that leads between the cliffs.
It led to an overlook of a swooping bay full of rocks.
The water drops off quickly, with jagged edges of bedrock waiting in the depths. Be cautious.
An fun find within the matrix - agate?
The veins here get even crazier as you continue up the coast. My non-geologist's guess is that this is some sort of feldspar.
Photo-evidence of the beautiful granites.
A larger, crazier feldspar.
This pocket within the basalt appears to be purple. The stone it was within weighed a good 80lbs.
A giant boulder of what I'd guess to be weathered and oxidized iron.