It’s not easy keeping things fresh on the ‘gram when everyone’s phone has a wicked camera and a million filters to make almost any picture look good. So, for the true Instagram aficionado, we offer the best spots for Insta shots in Northeastern Ontario, by season, so you can keep your feed fresh and inspiring while creating long-lasting memories for you and anyone adventurous enough to join you.

Spring for Your Camera

Early in the year, we love to run to Instagram and post pictures of all the little buds blossoming. The fresh, vibrant green that shouts “spring!” from every leaf when they first bloom is the perfect backdrop for photoshoots. You might not be an avid hiker—or perhaps the mud is a big deterrent—but you can find accessible trails at Temiskaming Shores’ Devil’s Rock hike in Northeastern Ontario, so fear not. This route has incredible views of Lake Temiskaming that you’ll be dying to snap a pic of.

Kap-Kig-Iwan Provincial Park, near the border of Quebec, draws tons of nature enthusiasts and photographers to its Englehart River each year. Waterfalls, rapids, and a scenic lookout . . . think you can make this an Insta-worthy stop?

Head north and stop in to check out the street art in Timmins. You’ll want to stretch your legs after all your exhausting picture-taking, so you might as well take in some of the local artwork while you’re at it. Maybe you’ll find a bit of inspiration from what fellow artists are portraying through their work, too!

Get Summa’ that Beach Love

Aside from the blackflies, summer is glorious up North. Considering all the fun activities there, ranging from paddleboarding over crystal-clear tributaries while snapping pictures of turtles all the way to rock climbing on the escarpment, you can make a strong claim to ’gram fame by staging some of the best shots in Northeastern Ontario.

Cup & Saucer Trail on Manitoulin Island (not Manitou Island on Lake Nipissing in North Bay) is a really great little hike of up to 8.7 miles (14 km) through incredible bush and past many fascinating rock formations, including caves and crevices. The way the escarpment juts out at the end gives you an excellent panorama of the forest below, including views of several pristine lakes. When you’re done, you can check out Bridal Veil Falls and some of the sculpture and heritage plaques they’ve installed as part of the Billings Canada 150 project. 

And really, if you’re coming all this way to take photos of pretty things (and perhaps do a bit of adventuring), you should go to Killarney Provincial Park. It’s not far from the island and offers 249 square miles (645 square km) of parkland, right on Georgian Bay. Did you know there’s a ton of pink granite here? It’s really cool to see, especially at sunset. But if you’re pressed for time, there’s always the ultra-photogenic Killarney Lighthouse.

If you’re heading even further north, consider checking out Lake Nipissing—and not just to check out Manitou Island, now that you know it’s not a typo! If you want to get on Manitou and do some hiking or see the lighthouse, you’re going to have to leave from North Bay . . . unless you have your own boat, of course. 

While you may come for the lake tour, you’ll stay for the surprising number of beautiful white sand beaches here—perfect for a North Bay beach vacation.

Fall for Insta-worthy Scenes

Speaking of North Bay, Duchesnay Falls might be the most Instagrammable waterfall in all of Northeastern Ontario. It’s gorgeous, and the hike’s not too bad either. This is the right time of year to plan a road trip and experience the fall colors like a local. North Bay is a great starting point; from there, you can flip a coin for going North on 11, through White Bear Forest (worth a stop for the black gums alone!), and ending in Timmins. 

Or you can go West on the Trans-Canada Highway and end up with (hopefully) blue skies in Sudbury, catching some deep reds along the escarpment. The City of Greater Sudbury’s Regreening Program is focused on bringing the landscape back to life. According to their website, “From 1978 to 2019, over 3,400 hectares of land were limed and grassed and over 9.8 million trees have been planted.” It makes a difference for those photos!

There’s a lot to see in either city, and beyond, especially in the fall. Timmins has great scenery year-round, so you can hit the same spots multiple times and create a meta post of all four seasons! Check out “Traversing Timmins: A Guide to the Best Hikes” to help focus your search to the best spots.

Winter Wonderland in Focus

Sudbury can’t claim Shania Twain like Timmins can, but it’s the home of the Big Nickel and that’s got to count for something! Sudbury has a lot of historical significance in Northeastern Ontario, as does Big Nickel, so do it proud and get its best angle when you stop here for a snap. You can go ice fishing and get an amazing shot of a frozen lake, too. 

Not to be outdone in the mineral department, Timmins can offer you an old gold mine called the McIntyre Mine Shaft. It has an iconic headframe to consider as part of your Insta tour. Then, for something completely different, check out the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat. How cool would it be to come home with snaps of polar bears living in Northeastern Ontario—not many Instagrammers can beat that! 

There’s no doubt that Northeastern Ontario is one of Canada’s most photogenic regions. For more photo ops and adventure spots, check out our Northeastern Ontario Travel Guide.