If you’re looking to keep active while enjoying scenic riverfront views this summer, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula offers an upcoming bridge walk at the U.S.-Canada border.
The 2025 Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge walk is set to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 28, starting from the U.S. side to the Canadian side of the border, according to the Sault Ste. Marie Visitors Bureau. The annual event is co-sponsored by the International Bridge Authority and the chambers of commerce in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
“Lace up your sneakers and get ready to walk a Michigan landmark. The annual International Bridge Walk takes an easy pace and provides spectacular views of the twin Saults, the St. Marys River rapids, and the Soo Locks. Young and old, physically fit and fitness challenged, all enjoy the fantastic views and the resulting pictures that will last a lifetime,” the Sault Ste. Marie Visitors Bureau’s website says.
The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge is 2.8 miles long over the St. Marys River at the northern tip of Interstate 75, linking Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in Canada.
The three-arch International Bridge represents Michigan’s northernmost border crossing among four statewide; the other three are in the Lower Peninsula, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Here’s what to know.
When is the 2025 Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge walk?
The International Bridge walk is June 28, 2025.
What time does the bridge walk start?
The bridge walk will start at 9 a.m., weather permitting.
Where is the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge?
The International Bridge crosses the St. Marys River between Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in the U.S., and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in Canada.
Where does the walk start, end?
The International Bridge walk begins on the U.S. side of the border, departing from the Arts Center at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, the visitors bureau website says.
The walk, about 3 miles across the bridge, ends at The Marconi Club in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on the Canadian side of the border.
Do you have to pay for the walk?
No, the bridge walk is free, the Sault Ste. Marie visitors bureau says.
How long is the International Bridge?
The International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie is 2.8 miles long, according to the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
What should you bring to the walk?
Remember the bridge is an international border and you’ll need to bring travel documents, officials say.
U.S. and Canadian citizens should bring one of the following documents, the visitors bureau says:
What should you leave home?
Organizers encourage bringing as few items as possible, the visitors bureau said. And certain items are banned from the event. Any bags you bring may be searched.
Here are some things not allowed on the bridge walk:
How can you get to the bridge walk?
Busing to and from the International Bridge will be available before and after the walk, the visitors bureau says.
In the morning, buses will travel from The Marconi Cultural Event Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, to the Lake Superior State University Arts Center in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, from 7-8 a.m. After the walk, buses will take Americans back to the U.S. until 11:30 a.m. or when all American walkers have returned.
How much is the bus fare?
The bus rides cost $10 per person and $20 per family, the visitors bureau’s website says. Seating will be limited, and on a “first come” basis.
What is there to do in the area?
While in town, consider stopping by the Soo Locks, a famous hub in the Great Lakes shipping industry. You can watch freighters move through canals and locks that allow vessels of many types/sizes to traverse the 21-foot drop in elevation on the St. Marys River.
Explore downtown Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area for local shopping, a variety of dining options and to tour historic museums, Indigenous culture and vibrant art galleries.
If you prefer the great outdoors, check out waterfront activities like kayaking, fishing or lighthouse cruises along the St. Marys River.
How many travelers cross the bridge each year?
The International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie reported more than 1.5 million vehicular border crossings in 2024 — a record, the Federal Bridge Corporation’s website says.
Does the bridge have live cams to watch?
The operator offers two perspectives of traffic on the bridge, one from the U.S. side and one from Canada.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: This international bridge walk is coming up in Michigan. Where you can walk to Canada
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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