A natural wonder hidden in Northern Ontario holds one of the most head-spinning geographic titles in the world.
Treasure Island, a 110-acre stretch of forested land, is famously known as the world’s largest island in a lake, on an island in a lake; Lake Huron surrounds Manitoulin Island (the world’s largest freshwater island), which holds Lake Mindemoya, which is where Treasure Island sits right in its center.
Spanning roughly 0.4 square kilometres, this tree-covered island sits elevated above the clear turquoise waters of Lake Mindemoya. While it has deep roots in local history, including an Indigenous Anishinaabe legend naming it Mindemoya (“Old Woman”), and a brief 20th-century life as a commercial resort, the island now remains mostly private and uninhabited by permanent residents.
While you can’t freely explore its interior, visitors to Manitoulin Island can easily spot this geographic marvel from the shores of Lake Mindemoya or get a closer view by taking a kayak, paddleboard, or boat out onto the water.
Getting to Manitoulin Island itself is part of the adventure, located roughly six to seven hours north of Toronto. Drivers can reach the island via the historic Little Current Swing Bridge or board the MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry from Tobermory during the warmer months.
Whether you’re stopping by to admire the views or just want to cross a bizarre geography fact off your bucket list, looking out at an island inside a lake inside an island inside a lake is a uniquely Ontario milestone worth making the trip for.
