St. Joseph Island, 19 by 12 miles (31 by 19 kilometers), is the second-largest island in Lake Huron and the third-largest island in the Great Lakes Basin, behind only Isle Royale and Manitoulin Island. The island feels big and settled, with its three townships, Hilton, Jocelyn, and St. Joseph; two villages, Richard’s Landing (in the township of St. Joseph) and Hilton Beach (in the township of Hilton); and a year-round population of almost 2,000 people.

In the middle of the island is the “mountain,” which contributes the lures of mountain biking and “mountain” products (St. Joseph Island is the largest center of maple syrup in Ontario) to an island visit. The mountain provides an explanation of how multiple settlements grew up on the island; this geographical feature, unlike the island’s inland lakes (the Twin Lakes, Deer Lake, and Caufield Lake are the only ones large enough to have names), separates parts of the island from each other.