The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. It consists of routes for circumnavigating the lakes, either individually or collectively. It was designated by the

Great Lakes Commission The Great Lakes Commission is a United States interstate agency established in 1955 through the Great Lakes Basin Compact, in order to "promote the orderly, integrated and comprehensive development, use and conservation of the water resources of ...

in 1988.

Tours

Great Lakes Circle Tour on Interstate 75

Lake Superior Circle Tour

In Michigan, the Lake Superior Circle Tour (LSCT) runs from the state line at Ironwood to

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...

. In between it follows U.S. Highway 2 (US 2) to Wakefield, M-28 to Bergland and M-64 to Ontonagon. At Ontonagon, the LSCT continues east along M-38 to M-26. It follows M-26 to Houghton and then follows US 41 north to

Copper Harbor Copper Harbor is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located in Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located within Grant Township. The population of the CDP was 136 as of the 2020 census. The community ...

. There is a loop route along

M-203 The M203 is a single-shot 40mm grenade, 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 grenade launcher, M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the High-Low Syste ...

between Hancock and Calumet. Travelers following the tour need to backtrack down US 41 to Houghton and then follow US 41 back to M-28 in

Covington Covington may refer to: People * Covington (surname) Places United Kingdom * Covington, Cambridgeshire * Covington, South Lanarkshire United States * Covington, Georgia * Covington, Indiana * Covington, Kentucky, the largest American cit ...

. US 41/M-28 carries the tour to Harvey where M-28 carries it eastward. There is a spur routing along M-77 running north from Seney to Grand Marais. The mainline tour departs from M-28 to loop northward along M-123 through Newberry to Paradise and back to M-28. Then it follows M-28 for a third time until reaching Interstate 75 (I-75) where it follows the freeway north to Sault Ste. Marie. It leaves Michigan on the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge crossing into Ontario. Once in Ontario, the tour follows city streets through

to Highway 17, the Trans-Canada Highway. It follows Highway 17 north along the mountainous shoreline through a remote region of Ontario. The highway curves to the west north of Sault Ste. Marie, and hugs the northern shore of the lake to Nipigon. It meets Highway 11, which is concurrent with Highway 17 thereafter. The tour follows the Thunder Bay Expressway through Thunder Bay. At the intersection of the Harbour Expressway, Highway 11/Highway 17 turns west; the tour continues south, now on Highway 61. south of Thunder Bay, the tour crosses the Pigeon River into Minnesota. The LSCT follows Minnesota State Highway 61 (MN 61) between the

Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...

(near Thunder Bay) and the city of Duluth. In Duluth, the tour route follows

I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...

southbound to the US 2 exit to Wisconsin. Lake Superior Circle Tour Bayfield County Wisconsin

The circle tour crosses into Wisconsin on the Bong Memorial Bridge carrying US 2 between Duluth, Minnesota and

Superior, Wisconsin , native_name_lang = oj , nickname = , total_type = , motto = , image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Downtown Superior , ima ...

. In Superior, the tour route follows US 2/ US 53 to Wisconsin Highway 13 (WIS 13). Near Ashland, the tour route returns to US 2 across Northern Wisconsin to

Hurley Hurley may refer to: Places ;In the United Kingdom: * Hurley, Berkshire * Hurley, Warwickshire * Hurley Common, Warwickshire ;In the United States: * Hurley, Alabama * Hurley, Mississippi * Hurley, Missouri * Hurley, New Mexico * Hurley, New Y ...

and the border with Michigan at Ironwood.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (LMCT) loops around

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

following state highways. These highways are usually the closest to the lake. The LMCT follows state highways in the US states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin. A special "spur route" follows the SS ''Badger''

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

across the lake between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Illinois

The LMCT follows Illinois Route 137 from the Wisconsin state line south on Sheridan Road and joins Lake Shore Drive (U.S. 41). The route then follows U.S. 41 as U.S. Routes 12 and 20 run concurrent but split quickly. The tour then follows U.S. Route 12 into Indiana.

Indiana

The LMCT follows I-94 and US 12 in Indiana. The Indiana portion of the Lake Michigan Circle Tour is the urban stretch of the lake. It begins on the Illinois line in the City of

Hammond Hammond may refer to: People * Hammond Innes (1913–1998), English novelist * Hammond (surname) * Justice Hammond (disambiguation) Places Antarctica * Hammond Glacier, Antarctica Australia *Hammond, South Australia, a small settlement in South ...

. US 12 continues eastward through the 2nd most populous portion of the State of Indiana. The

Gary Gary may refer to: *Gary (given name), a common masculine given name, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name *Gary, Indiana, the largest city named Gary Places ;Iran *Gary, Iran, Sistan and Baluchestan Province ;Unit ...

PMSA, a portion of the Chicago-Gary-Kenosha, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area (CMSA) which includes all of Lake and Porter Counties. The third county along the shore,

LaPorte County LaPorte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 111,467. The county seat is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City. This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana ...

is in the South Bend CMSA. The only "rural" area is the across northern Porter County, where route passes through Indiana Dunes National Park. Starting from Chicago, US 12 enters

Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...

, before Whiting. Here, US 12, US 20 and US 41 all share Indianapolis Boulevard. Along the lakefront, is Lakefront Park and Wihala Beach County Park. Located here is the Horseshoe Casino. Whiting also provides easy access to Wolf Lake, which is a remnant of the wetlands and lakes that formed along the shores of Lake Michigan creating a massive wetlands on the Illinois and Indiana border. US 12 turns more southerly as it passes west and south of Indiana Harbor, an industrial complex of mills, refineries, and docks. Entering East Chicago, US 12 turns east onto Columbus Drive, heading through the Indiana Harbor neighborhood of East Chicago. From East Chicago US 12 becomes Industrial Drive in

. The alternate route for the Circle Tour is along I-94, which is joined with I-80 as the

Borman Expressway Interstate 94 (I-94) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to Port Huron, Michigan. I-94 enters Indiana from Illinois in the west, in Munster, and runs generally eastward through Hammond, Gary, and ...

. Entering

the first stop could be the South Shore Welcome Center located on Kennedy Boulevard off the interstate. Hammond developed because of the wetlands and numerous lakes. The area was not considered suitable for farming or development, until the meat packing industry began to thrive in Chicago. With the creation of refrigerated rail cars, a source of ice was needed. The lakes of northern Indiana were seen as a source of that ice and meat packing moved across the line, creating processing plants and ice house.

is on both routes of the Circle Tour. I-80/I-94 and US 12 both enter the city. US 12 is closer to the lake, entering from East Chicago on Industrial Drive. Named appropriately for the industries and the Gary Airport that developed along the lakefront. U.S. Steel's Gary Plant began in 1906, and brought major industries to this area. Located on the southern shore of

, the city offered direct access to the iron fields of northern Michigan and Minnesota and the coal fields of Ohio and West Virginia. Following Industrial Drive, US 12 heads southeast, crossing under the Indiana Toll Road. At 4th Street, it turns east into downtown Gary.

Downtown Gary Downtown Gary is split by Broadway into two separate neighborhoods in north-central Gary, Indiana. Emerson and Downtown West combine to form what is known as Downtown Gary. It was part of the original plat built by the United States Steel Cor ...

is the home of the Railcats Minor League Baseball. Continuing east into the Miller community of Gary, and this is the closest the circle tour comes to the

Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad The Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad , also known as the South Shore Line, is a Class III freight railroad operating between Chicago, Illinois, and South Bend, Indiana. The railroad serves as a link between Class I railroads and l ...

, the last interurban in the United States. Lake Street to the north will take motorists to

and over to Marquette Park, the first dune park along the Indiana Shore. Continuing on US 12, which is now called the

Dunes Highway A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...

, the buildings end and forest and wetlands dominate. At County Line Road are the signs to Indiana Dunes National Park's West Beach facility and the east end of the Miller community. This is also the location for parking for the Marquette Hike/Bike trail. Crossing County Line Road on US 12 you enter

Portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

, in Porter County. Portage owes its growth as a bedroom community to the creation of the Port of Indiana complex. US 12 continues eastward as the

passing quickly through the town of Burns Harbor Porter bills itself as the gateway to the Indiana Dunes. Its location with both Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Park support their claim. The

continues east into the town of Chesterton, which lies mostly south of US 12, US 20 and I-94. Beverly Shores was a dune development of the Bartlett Family. Today, it is a residential community with remnants of the various development ideas used to lure home buyers into the dunes. Spanish Eclectic train depot and town hall, and the Old North Church with the Century of Progress Architectural District homes from the

1933 Chicago World's Fair A Century of Progress International Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, from 1933 to 1934. The fair, registered under the Bureau International des Expositio ...

are still present in this diverse architectural community. Michigan City is just east of Beverly Shores after US 12/

has passed through the Town of the Pines, turned northward along County Line Road. As the

turns east into the

Laporte County LaPorte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 111,467. The county seat is the city of La Porte, and the largest city is Michigan City. This county is part of the Northwest Indiana and Michiana ...

and the Michigan City limits, you come to the east end of Indiana Dunes National Park at Mount Baldy. The road continues as northeast toward Michigan leaving Indiana at Michiana Shores.

Michigan

The LMCT enters Michigan in Berrien County along US 12. Near New Buffalo the tour switches to follow I-94 north to the

Benton Harbor Benton Harbor is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is 46 miles southwest of Kalamazoo and 71 miles southwest of Grand Rapids. According to the 2020 census, its population was 9,103. It is the smaller, by population, of ...

/ St. Joseph area. Here the LMCT follows BL I-94 and M-63 back to the freeway, this time the

I-196 Interstate 196 (I-196) is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that runs for in the US state of Michigan. It is a state trunkline highway that links Benton Harbor, South Haven, Holland, and Grand Rapids. In Kent, Ottawa, and Allegan counties, I-1 ...

/ US 31 freeway. At Holland, the LMCT turns onto BL I-196/US 31. Formerly it also followed BUS US 31 through Holland until that designation was removed. The Circle Tour continues to follow US 31 northward deviating at Muskegon, Montague/ Whitehall and Pentwater for the various

business loops A business route (or business loop, business spur, or city route) in the United States is a short special route connected to a ''parent'' numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city o ...

. At Ludington, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour meets a '"connecting route" over the ''

S.S. Badger SS ''Badger'' is a passenger and vehicle ferry in the United States that has been in service on Lake Michigan since 1953. Currently, the ship shuttles between Ludington, Michigan, and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, a distance of , connecting U.S. Highway ...

'' carferry. The tour continues to follow US 31 to Manistee where it joins M-22 up and around the Leelanau Peninsula, with a special spur loop following M-109. It rejoins US 31 at Traverse City and follows US 31 to the northern terminus of US 31 south of Mackinaw City. There it runs along I-75 north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Lake Huron Circle Tour joins I-75 at the northern terminus of US 23 and both run together on I-75 over the Mackinac Bridge. North of the toll plaza in St. Ignace, The LHCT takes Exit 344A to follow BL I-75 while the LMCT takes Exit 344B to follow US 2. In the Upper Peninsula, the circle tour follows US 2 westward to Rapid River. Here US 41 joins US 2. At Gladstone M-35 joins to form a three-way

concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...

south to Escanaba. South of Escanaba, the circle tour follows M-35 to Menominee. Here M-35 ends and US 41 carries the circle tour south into Wisconsin. There is a "spur route" designated along M-183 and Delta County Road 483 on the

Garden Peninsula The Garden Peninsula is a peninsula of in length that extends southwestward into Lake Michigan from the mainland of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The peninsula is bordered by Lake Michigan on the east, and by Big Bay de Noc on the west. The base ...

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the LMCT follows US 41 south to I-43 in the Green Bay area. From I-43, it runs up into the Door Peninsula along WIS 57 and WIS 42 and back south to I-43. It continues along I-43 to Port Washington where it briefly follows WIS 32 for a few miles through Port Washington then back onto I-43 to Milwaukee where it re-joins WIS 32 to the state border.

Lake Huron Circle Tour

The Lake Huron Circle Tour (LHCT) progresses clockwise from a starting point at the Blue Water Bridge in

Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

Sarnia, Ontario Sarnia is a city in Lambton County, Ontario, Canada. It had a 2021 population of 72,047, and is the largest city on Lake Huron. Sarnia is located on the eastern bank of the junction between the Upper and Lower Great Lakes where Lake Huron flo ...

. The LHCT continues around Lake Huron, touching on locations including the following:

Michigan

* Bay City, Michigan * Au Gres, Michigan * Alpena, Michigan and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary * The Mackinac Bridge * The International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario A Michigan spur route utilizes a segment of M-134 to DeTour Village.

Ontario

* Sudbury, Ontario * Ontario's Bruce Peninsula and the Bruce Peninsula National Park An Ontario spur route uses the MS ''Chi-Cheemaun'' ferry to cross the mouth of Lake Huron's Georgian Bay from the Bruce Peninsula to Manitoulin Island and return.

Lake Erie Circle Tour

The Lake Erie Circle Tour (LECT) loops around Lake Erie following state and provincial highways. These highways are usually the closest to the lake. The LECT follows state highways in the US states of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan and provincial highways in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

of Ontario.

Michigan

Starting in Detroit, the LECT follows Interstate 75 (I-75) south from the Ambassador Bridge to exit 43. There it follows M-85 through

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US President Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for seven miles (11 km) from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, ...

to Trenton. At exit 28, the LECT rejoins I-75 and runs south through Monroe to the state line, crossing into Toledo, Ohio.

Ohio

Crossing into the state of Ohio, the LECT leaves I-75 to follow I-280 around the east side of Toledo. The tour then exits I-280 and runs along SR 2 to the city of Sandusky, home of

Cedar Point Cedar Point is a amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Opened in 1870, it is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the U.S. behind Lake Compounce. Cedar Point is owned and op ...

. There it joins U.S. Route 6 (US 6) to Cleveland. West of Cleveland, US 6 merges with US 20 and SR 2 in a three-way

. The LECT will continue to follow SR 2 through downtown Cleveland. On the east side of the city, the tour continues on SR 283 through Euclid to Painesville. There it merges onto US 20 until Geneva. The tour follows SR 531 east along the lake between Geneva and Conneaut, where it returns along US 20 east to the state line.

Pennsylvania

The LECT follows Pennsylvania Route 5 through Erie County. This is also the routing of the Seaway Trail.

New York

Entering New York, the road becomes

New York State Route 5 New York State Route 5 (NY 5) is a state highway that extends for across the state of New York in the United States. It begins at the Pennsylvania state line in the Chautauqua County town of Ripley and passes through Buffalo, Syr ...

to Buffalo. There it follows the Peace Bridge to Ontario.

Ontario

The LECT follows Ontario Highway 3 through the province, running the entire length from the Peace Bridge to the Ambassador Bridge.

Lake Ontario and Seaway Trail

Unlike the other four Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is posted not as a circle tour but as part of the US-only Seaway Trail. The trail begins in

Erie County, Pennsylvania Erie County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is the northernmost county in Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 270,876. Its county seat is Erie. The county was created in 1800 and later organized in 1803. ...

and travels through Buffalo, Niagara Falls,

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

, Oswego, and Ogdensburg before ending at the Seaway International Bridge near Massena.

History

Plans for the Great Lakes Circle Tours were started in 1985. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) was in consultation with its counterparts in Wisconsin ( WisDOT), Minnesota ( MnDOT) and Ontario ( Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, MTO) in May 1986 to establish a tour route around Lake Superior. The project was started by Paula Blanchard, the First Lady of Michigan at the time. She was an adviser to the Michigan Department of Commerce and called for the formation of the tour in the fall of 1985 at a tourism conference. Representatives from the three states and province agreed to the plan. Michigan drafted the first design for the signs in early 1986, sending the design to the other governments for approval. The

approved the formation of a Great Lakes Circle Tour in November 1988.

Gallery

File:Lake Superior Circle Tour Bayfield County Wisconsin.jpg, The Lake Superior Circle Tour in northern Wisconsin on WIS 13 File:US 41 Baraga County.jpg, US 41 near the junction with US 141/M-28 File:USRoute151NorthTerminus2.jpg, Lake Michigan Circle Tour near US 10's crossing in Manitowoc, Wisconsin File:PA 5 - Seaway Trl westbound.jpg, Lake Erie Circle Tour along PA 5 in Erie County, Pennsylvania, which is also part of the Seaway Trail and

BicyclePA Route Z In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, BicyclePA bicycle routes are a series of bicycle routes created in the 2000s to cross the state on highways and rail trails. Routes BicyclePA Route A BicyclePA Route A runs from the West Virginia border so ...

File:Lake Superior Tour over International Bridge at Sault Ste Marie.jpg, Lake Superior and Lake Huron Circle Tours cross the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge

References

Works cited

* * *

External links

*
Great Lakes Circle Tour
- General information site on the GLCT and its component routes {{Greatlakes Scenic highways in the United States Scenic travelways in Canada Great Lakes State highways in Illinois State highways in Indiana State highways in Michigan Scenic highways in Michigan State highways in Minnesota State highways in New York (state) State highways in Ohio Ontario provincial highways Ontario tourist routes State highways in Pennsylvania State highways in Wisconsin

Tours

Lake Superior Circle Tour

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Illinois

Indiana

Michigan

Wisconsin

Lake Huron Circle Tour

Michigan

Ontario

Lake Erie Circle Tour

Michigan

Ohio

Pennsylvania

New York

Ontario

Lake Ontario and Seaway Trail

History

Gallery

See also

References

Works cited

External links