Great Lakes Circle Tour facts for kids

The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a special set of roads. It lets you drive all the way around the amazing Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. You can choose to drive around just one lake. Or you can explore all of them! It's a fantastic way to see beautiful scenery. This tour was officially started in 1988.

Explore the Great Lakes: Circle Tours!

The Great Lakes Circle Tour in northern Michigan

Lake Superior Circle Tour: What will you see?

The Lake Superior Circle Tour (LSCT) is a long road trip. It goes all the way around Lake Superior. This tour is about 1,280 miles (2,060 km) long. It takes you through Michigan, Ontario (Canada), Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Michigan's Lake Superior Route

In Michigan, the LSCT starts near Ironwood. It then goes to Sault Ste. Marie. Along the way, it follows several highways. These include US 2, M-28, and M-64. You'll also drive on M-38 and M-26. Near Houghton, the tour uses US 41. There's even a loop route on M-203 between Hancock and Calumet. The main tour continues on US 41 and M-28. It also has a side trip on M-77 to Grand Marais. Another loop on M-123 takes you through Newberry and Paradise. Finally, the tour follows I-75 to Sault Ste. Marie. It leaves Michigan by crossing the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge into Canada.

Ontario's Lake Superior Route

Once in Ontario, Canada, the tour follows city streets in Sault Ste. Marie. Then it joins Highway 17, which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway. This part of the drive is very scenic. It goes along the mountainous shoreline. The highway eventually meets Highway 11. Both highways run together through Thunder Bay. The tour then turns onto Highway 61. About 37 miles (60 km) south of Thunder Bay, the tour crosses the Pigeon River. This river marks the border with Minnesota.

Minnesota and Wisconsin's Lake Superior Route

In Minnesota, the LSCT follows Minnesota State Highway 61 (MN 61). This highway runs from the Canadian border to Duluth. In Duluth, the tour uses I-35. It then takes the US 2 exit to Wisconsin.

The Lake Superior Circle Tour in northern Wisconsin on Highway 13

The tour enters Wisconsin on the Richard I. Bong Memorial Bridge. This bridge carries US 2 between Duluth and Superior, Wisconsin. In Superior, the route follows US 2 and US 53. It then turns onto Wisconsin Highway 13 (WIS 13). Near Ashland, the tour returns to US 2. It follows US 2 across northern Wisconsin to Hurley. This is where it crosses back into Michigan at Ironwood.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour: A Journey Around the Lake

The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (LMCT) goes all the way around Lake Michigan. It mostly follows state highways that are close to the lake. This tour passes through Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. There's even a special "spur route" that uses the SS Badger ferry. This ferry crosses the lake between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Illinois's Lake Michigan Route

In Illinois, the LMCT starts on Illinois Route 137. It then joins U.S. 41 (Lake Shore Drive). The tour follows U.S. 41 for a bit. Then it takes U.S. 12 into Indiana.

Indiana's Lake Michigan Route

The LMCT in Indiana uses I-94 and US 12. This part of the tour is mostly urban. It starts in Hammond near the Illinois border. US 12 goes through busy areas like Gary. It also passes through the Indiana Dunes National Park. This park is a beautiful natural area with sand dunes.

The tour offers different ways to see the area. You can drive along US 12, which is closer to the lake. Or you can take I-94, which is a major highway. Both routes pass through important cities. These cities developed because of industries like steel and meat packing. You can see places like the U.S. Steel's Gary Plant. You can also visit Marquette Park, which has sand dunes. The tour continues on the Dunes Highway. It passes through towns like Portage and Chesterton. Finally, it reaches Michigan City. Here, you can see Mount Baldy, a large sand dune. The road then heads northeast into Michigan.

Michigan's Lake Michigan Route

The Lake Michigan Circle Tour on the Grandview Parkway in Traverse City, Michigan

The LMCT enters Michigan in Berrien County on US 12. Near New Buffalo, it switches to I-94. It goes north to the Benton Harbor and St. Joseph area. Here, the tour follows local business routes and M-63. It then joins I-196 and US 31.

The tour continues north on US 31. It sometimes uses business loops through towns like Muskegon and Ludington. In Ludington, you can take the S.S. Badger carferry across the lake. This is a special "connecting route." The tour continues on US 31 to Manistee. Here, it joins M-22. This road goes around the beautiful Leelanau Peninsula. There's also a spur loop on M-109. The tour rejoins US 31 at Traverse City. It follows US 31 to its end near Mackinaw City.

Then, the LMCT uses I-75 north. It crosses the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Lake Huron Circle Tour also joins I-75 here. After crossing the bridge, the LMCT follows US 2 westward. It goes through towns like Rapid River and Gladstone. In Escanaba, the tour follows M-35. It continues on M-35 to Menominee. From there, US 41 carries the tour into Wisconsin. There's also a "spur route" on M-183 on the Garden Peninsula.

Wisconsin's Lake Michigan Route

The LMCT in southern Wisconsin running with WIS 32

In Wisconsin, the LMCT follows US 41 south to I-43 near Green Bay. From I-43, it goes up into the Door Peninsula. It uses WIS 57 and WIS 42. Then it comes back south to I-43. The tour continues on I-43 to Port Washington. It briefly follows WIS 32 there. Then it gets back on I-43 to Milwaukee. In Milwaukee, it rejoins WIS 32. This road takes the tour to the state border.

Lake Huron Circle Tour: Discovering the Shoreline

The Lake Huron Circle Tour near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

The Lake Huron Circle Tour (LHCT) travels clockwise around Lake Huron. It starts at the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario.

Michigan's Lake Huron Route

In Michigan, the LHCT passes through several interesting places. These include:

• Bay City, Michigan
• Au Gres, Michigan
• Alpena, Michigan and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (a special underwater park!)
• The famous Mackinac Bridge
• The International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

There's also a Michigan spur route. It uses part of M-134 to Detour, Michigan.

Ontario's Lake Huron Route

In Ontario, Canada, the LHCT goes through places like Sudbury, Ontario. It also explores Ontario's Bruce Peninsula and the beautiful Bruce Peninsula National Park.

An Ontario spur route offers a fun ferry ride. It uses the MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry. This ferry crosses the mouth of Lake Huron's Georgian Bay. It goes from the Bruce Peninsula to Manitoulin Island and back.

Lake Erie Circle Tour: A Scenic Drive

The Lake Erie Circle Tour (LECT) goes all the way around Lake Erie. It follows highways that are usually very close to the lake. This tour covers parts of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan in the USA. It also goes through Ontario in Canada. The entire tour is about 680 miles (1,094 km) long.

Michigan's Lake Erie Route

Starting in Detroit, the LECT follows Interstate 75 (I-75) south from the Ambassador Bridge. It then uses M-85 through Lincoln Park to Trenton. The tour rejoins I-75 and continues south through Monroe. It crosses into Toledo, Ohio.

Ohio's Lake Erie Route

In Ohio, the LECT leaves I-75. It follows I-280 around the east side of Toledo. The tour then takes SR 2 to Sandusky. This city is home to Cedar Point, a famous amusement park! It then joins U.S. Route 6 (US 6) to Cleveland. West of Cleveland, US 6, US 20, and SR 2 all run together. The LECT continues on SR 2 through downtown Cleveland. On the east side, the tour uses SR 283 to Painesville. It then merges onto US 20 until Geneva. The tour follows SR 531 along the lake. It goes between Geneva and Conneaut. Finally, it returns to US 20 east to the state line.

Pennsylvania's Lake Erie Route

In Pennsylvania, the LECT follows Pennsylvania Route 5. This route goes through Erie County. This road is also part of the Seaway Trail.

New York's Lake Erie Route

When entering New York, the road becomes New York State Route 5. It leads to Buffalo. From there, the tour crosses the Peace Bridge into Ontario, Canada.

Ontario's Lake Erie Route

In Ontario, the LECT follows Ontario Highway 3. This highway runs the entire length of the tour in the province. It goes from the Peace Bridge to the Ambassador Bridge.

Lake Ontario and Seaway Trail: A Different Kind of Tour

Unlike the other four Great Lakes, Lake Ontario doesn't have a "Circle Tour" sign. Instead, it's part of the Seaway Trail. This trail is only in the USA. It starts in Erie County, Pennsylvania. It travels through cities like Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester. It also goes through Oswego and Ogdensburg. The Seaway Trail ends near Massena at the Seaway International Bridge.

History: How the Tours Began

Plans for the Great Lakes Circle Tours started in 1985. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) talked with other states and Ontario, Canada. They wanted to create a tour route around Lake Superior. This happened in May 1986.

The idea came from Paula Blanchard. She was the First Lady of Michigan at the time. She suggested forming the tour in the fall of 1985. Representatives from Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ontario all agreed to the plan. Michigan designed the first signs in 1986. They sent the designs to the other governments for approval. The Great Lakes Commission officially approved the Great Lakes Circle Tour in November 1988.

Images for kids

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  The Lake Superior Circle Tour in northern Wisconsin on WIS 13

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  US 41 near the junction with US 141/M-28

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  Lake Michigan Circle Tour near US 10's crossing in Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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  Lake Erie Circle Tour along PA 5 in Erie County, Pennsylvania, which is also part of the Seaway Trail and BicyclePA Route Z

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  Lake Superior and Lake Huron Circle Tours cross the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge