The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

and the

St. Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (french: Fleuve Saint-Laurent, ) is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. Its headwaters begin flowing from Lake Ontario in a (roughly) northeasterly direction, into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, connecting ...

. 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 Ironwood is a common name for many woods or plants that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is heavier than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in E ...

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 Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

, 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 between Hancock and

Calumet Calumet may refer to: Places United States *Calumet Region, in northern Illinois and Indiana **Calumet River **Calumet Trail, Indiana ** Calumet (East Chicago) * Calumet, Colorado *Calumet, Iowa * Calumet, Michigan *Calumet, Minnesota * Calumet ...

. Travelers following the tour need to backtrack down US 41 to Houghton and then follow US 41 back to M-28 in Covington. US 41/M-28 carries the tour to

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

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 In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in paradis ...

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 The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The bridge is operated by the International Bridge ...

crossing into Ontario. Once in Ontario, the tour follows city streets through

to Highway 17, the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway ( French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean o ...

. 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 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 ...

with Highway 17 thereafter. The tour follows the Thunder Bay Expressway through

Thunder Bay Thunder Bay is a city in and the seat of Thunder Bay District, Ontario, Canada. It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario and the second most populous (after Greater Sudbury) municipality in Northern Ontario; its population ...

. At the intersection of the

Harbour Expressway The Harbour Expressway is a four-lane highway with signalized intersections running the Intercity business district of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Thunder Bay City Council looked at renaming the road since it doesn not fit the general definit ...

, 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 Minnesota State Highway 61 (MN 61) is a highway in northeast Minnesota, which runs from a junction with Interstate 35 (I-35) in Duluth at 26th Avenue East, and continues northeast to its northern terminus at the Canadian border near Grand Portag ...

(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 Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

and

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

. 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 Manitowoc () is a city in and the county seat of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The city is located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Manitowoc River. According to the 2020 census, Manitowoc had a population of 34,626, with over ...

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

. 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 A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

and Porter Counties. The third county along the shore, LaPorte County is in the South Bend CMSA. The only "rural" area is the across northern Porter County, where route passes through

Indiana Dunes National Park Indiana Dunes National Park is a United States national park located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and was redesignated as the nation ...

. 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 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

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

and

border. US 12 turns more southerly as it passes west and south of

Indiana Harbor Indiana Harbor may refer to: * Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, a harbor and artificial waterway in East Chicago, Indiana connecting Lake Michigan to the Grand Calumet River * Indiana Harbor (East Chicago), the section of East Chicago located east of ...

, 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 Corpor ...

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 last interurban in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. 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

'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 Indiana Dunes State Park is an Indiana State Park located in Porter County, Indiana, United States, east of Chicago. The park is bounded by Lake Michigan to the northwest and is surrounded by as well as within the authorized boundaries of Indi ...

and

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 The Century of Progress Architectural District is a historic district in Beverly Shores, Indiana. The district is on Lake Shore Drive within the Indiana Dunes National Park. The district comprises five buildings, all from the Homes of Tomorro ...

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 and the Michigan City limits, you come to the east end of

at Mount Baldy. The road continues as northeast toward

leaving

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 Joseph (; el, Ἰωσήφ, translit=Ioséph) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who, according to the canonical Gospels, was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. The Gospels also name some brothers ...

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 Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

, 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 Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It is the main ...

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 The Leelanau Peninsula ( ) is a peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan that extends about from the western side of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Michigan. Leelanau County encompasses the entire peninsula. It is often referred to as ...

, 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 Mackinaw City ( ) is a village in Emmet and Cheboygan counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 846 at the 2010 census, the population increases during summertime, including an influx of tourists and seasonal workers who serve ...

. There it runs along I-75 north to the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...

. The

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

joins I-75 at the northern terminus of

US 23 } U.S. Route 23 or U.S. Highway 23 (US 23) is a major north–south U.S. Highway between Jacksonville, Florida, and Mackinaw City, Michigan. It is an original 1926 route which originally reached only as far south as Portsmouth, Ohio, and has since ...

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 William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...

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 Interstate 43 (I-43) is a Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Wisconsin, connecting I-39/ I-90 in Beloit with Milwaukee and I-41, U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and US 141 in Green Bay. State Trunk Highwa ...

in the Green Bay area. From I-43, it runs up into the Door Peninsula along WIS 57 and

WIS 42 State Trunk Highway 42 (often called Highway 42, STH-42 or WIS 42) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It runs for north–south in northeast Wisconsin from Sheboygan to the ferry dock in Northport. Much of the highway is ...

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 Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

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 Bay City is a city and county seat of Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 34,932, and it is the principal city of the Bay City Metropol ...

Au Gres, Michigan Au Gres ( ) is a city in Arenac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 945 at the 2020 census. History French explorers named the location Point Au Gres, which stuck on map as late as 1828. Au Gres means "gritty stone" in the a ...

* Alpena, Michigan and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary * The Mackinac Bridge * The International Bridge at

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Sault Ste. Marie ( ') is the only city in, and county seat of, Chippewa County, Michigan, Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. With a population of 13,337 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the second-most populated ...

- 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 Bruce Peninsula National Park is a national park on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. Located on a part of the Niagara Escarpment, the park comprises 156 square kilometres and is one of the largest protected areas in southern Ontario, form ...

An Ontario spur route uses the MS ''Chi-Cheemaun'' ferry to cross the mouth of Lake Huron's

Georgian Bay Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...

from the Bruce Peninsula to Manitoulin Island and return.

Lake Erie Circle Tour

The Lake Erie Circle Tour (LECT) loops around

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...

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 Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, and

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 ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

Michigan

Starting in Detroit, the LECT follows Interstate 75 in Michigan, Interstate 75 (I-75) south from the Ambassador Bridge to exit 43. There it follows M-85 (Michigan highway), M-85 through Lincoln Park, Michigan, Lincoln Park to Trenton, Michigan, Trenton. At exit 28, the LECT rejoins I-75 and runs south through Monroe, Michigan, Monroe to the state line, crossing into Toledo, Ohio.

Ohio

Crossing into the state of Ohio, the LECT leaves Interstate 75 in Ohio, I-75 to follow Interstate 280 (Ohio), I-280 around the east side of Toledo. The tour then exits I-280 and runs along Ohio State Route 2, SR 2 to the city of Sandusky, Ohio, Sandusky, home of Cedar Point. There it joins U.S. Route 6 in Ohio, U.S. Route 6 (US 6) to Cleveland, Ohio, Cleveland. West of Cleveland, US 6 merges with U.S. Route 20 in Ohio, US 20 and SR 2 in a three-way concurrency (road), concurrency. The LECT will continue to follow SR 2 through downtown Cleveland. On the east side of the city, the tour continues on Ohio State Route 283, SR 283 through Euclid, Ohio, Euclid to Painesville, Ohio, Painesville. There it merges onto US 20 until Geneva, Ohio, Geneva. The tour follows Ohio State Route 531, SR 531 east along the lake between Geneva and Conneaut, Ohio, Conneaut, where it returns along US 20 east to the state line.

Pennsylvania

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

New York

Entering New York, the road becomes New York State Route 5 to Buffalo, New York, 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 and travels through Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, Niagara Falls, New York, Niagara Falls, Rochester, New York, Rochester, Oswego, New York, Oswego, and Ogdensburg, New York, Ogdensburg before ending at the Seaway International Bridge near Massena (village), New York, 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 (Wisconsin Department of Transportation, WisDOT), Minnesota (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 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 File:Lake Superior Tour over International Bridge at Sault Ste Marie.jpg, Lake Superior and Lake Huron Circle Tours cross the

References

Works cited

* * *

External links

*
Great Lakes Circle Tour
- General information site on the GLCT and its component routes {{Greatlakes Great Lakes Circle Tours, 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