Great Lakes Circle Tour

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Great Lakes Circle Tour marker

Great Lakes Circle Tour

Route information
Existed1988–present
Location
CountryUnited States
Highway system
  • Indiana State Highway System
  • Minnesota Trunk Highway System
  • Ohio State Highway System

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

St. Lawrence River.[1] It consists of routes for circumnavigating the lakes, either individually or collectively. It was designated by the Great Lakes Commission
in 1988.

Tours

Great Lakes Circle Tour in northern Michigan

Lake Superior Circle Tour

Lake Superior Circle Tour marker

Lake Superior Circle Tour

LocationAround Lake Superior
Length1,280.56 mi (2,060.86 km)
Existed1988–present

The Lake Superior Circle Tour (LSCT) follows state and provincial highways that are nearby the lake to loop around the entirety of Lake Superior. The LSCT follows state highways in the US states of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, and provincial highways in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Michigan

In Michigan, the tour runs from the state line at Ironwood to Sault Ste. Marie. 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. There is a loop route along M-203 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. 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.[2]

Ontario

Once in Ontario, the tour follows city streets through

Pigeon River into Minnesota.[3]

Minnesota

The LSCT follows Minnesota State Highway 61 (MN 61) between the Canada–United States border (near Thunder Bay) and the city of Duluth. In Duluth, the tour route follows I-35 southbound to the US 2 exit to Wisconsin.[4]

See also: North Shore (Lake Superior)

Wisconsin

The Lake Superior Circle Tour in northern Wisconsin on Highway 13

The circle tour crosses into Wisconsin on the

US 53 to Wisconsin Highway 13 (WIS 13). Near Ashland, the tour route returns to US 2 across Northern Wisconsin to Hurley and the border with Michigan at Ironwood.[4]

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

Lake Michigan Circle Tour marker

Lake Michigan Circle Tour

LocationLake Michigan
Existed1988–present

The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (LMCT) loops around

SS Badger ferry 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.[5] 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

Combined Statistical Area (CMSA)[6] which includes all of Lake and Porter Counties. The third county along the shore, LaPorte County is in the South Bend CMSA. The only "rural" area is the ten miles (16 km) across northern Porter County, where route passes through Indiana Dunes National Park
.

Starting from Chicago, US 12 enters

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 Gary.[7]

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

Borman Expressway. Entering Hammond the first stop could be the South Shore Welcome Center located on Kennedy Boulevard off the interstate.[8] 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.[9]

Gary 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 Lake Michigan, the city offered direct access to the iron fields of northern Michigan and Minnesota and the coal fields of Ohio and West Virginia.[9]

Following Industrial Drive, US 12 heads southeast, crossing under the

Dunes Highway, 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.[8]

Crossing County Line Road on US 12 you enter Portage, 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

Dunes Highway 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

Dunes Highway continues east into the town of Chesterton
, which lies mostly south of US 12, US 20 and I-94.

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 are still present in this diverse architectural community.[7]

Mount Baldy. The road continues as northeast toward Michigan leaving Indiana
at Michiana Shores.

Michigan

Grandview Parkway in Traverse City, Michigan

The LMCT enters Michigan in

BL I-75 while the LMCT takes Exit 344B to follow US 2.[10]

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 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.[10] There is a "spur route" designated along M-183 and Delta County Road 483 on the Garden Peninsula.[5]

Wisconsin

LMCT in southern Wisconsin concurrent with WIS 32

In Wisconsin, the LMCT follows

WIS 32 to the state border.[5]

Lake Huron Circle Tour

Lake Huron Circle Tour marker

Lake Huron Circle Tour

LocationLake Huron
Existed1988–present
The Lake Huron Circle Tour near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

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

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

Michigan

A Michigan spur route utilizes a segment of M-134 to DeTour Village.[11]

Ontario

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.[11]

Lake Erie Circle Tour

Lake Erie Circle Tour marker

Lake Erie Circle Tour

LocationLake Erie
Length680 mi (1,090 km)
Existed1988–present

The Lake Erie Circle Tour (LECT) loops around

Canadian province 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 to Trenton. At exit 28, the LECT rejoins I-75 and runs south through Monroe to the state line, crossing into Toledo, Ohio.[12]

Ohio

Crossing into the state of Ohio, the LECT leaves

Cleveland. West of Cleveland, US 6 merges with US 20 and SR 2 in a three-way concurrency. 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

Seaway Trail
.

New York

Entering New York, the road becomes New York State Route 5 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

Main article:
Seaway Trail

Seaway Trail

LocationOhio–Pennsylvania state line to Canada–United States border
Length518 mi[13] (834 km)
Existed1978[14]–present

Unlike the other four Great Lakes,

Seaway Trail. The trail begins in Erie County, Pennsylvania and travels through Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Rochester, 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 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.[15] The Great Lakes Commission approved the formation of a Great Lakes Circle Tour in November 1988.[16]

Gallery

  • The Lake Superior Circle Tour in northern Wisconsin on WIS 13
    The Lake Superior Circle Tour in northern Wisconsin on WIS 13
  • US 41 near the junction with US 141/M-28
    US 41 near the junction with US 141/M-28
  • Lake Michigan Circle Tour near US 10's crossing in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
    Lake Michigan Circle Tour near US 10's crossing in Manitowoc, Wisconsin
  • Lake Erie Circle Tour along PA 5 in Erie County, Pennsylvania, which is also part of the Seaway Trail and BicyclePA Route Z
    Lake Erie Circle Tour along PA 5 in Erie County, Pennsylvania, which is also part of the
    BicyclePA Route Z
  • Lake Superior and Lake Huron Circle Tours cross the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge
    Lake Superior and Lake Huron Circle Tours cross the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge

See also

  •  Roads portal
  • logo 
    U.S. Roads portal
    •  
      Michigan Highways portal

References

  1. ^ a b c Great Lakes Commission. "Great Lakes Circle Tour". Great Lakes Commission. Archived from the original on July 25, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  2. OCLC 42778335. Archived from the original
    on August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019 – via Archives of Michigan.
  3. ^ Geomatics Office (1990). Ontario Official Road Map (Map). Government of Ontario.
  4. ^ a b Great Lakes Commission. "Great Lakes Circle Tour: Lake Superior". Great Lakes Commission. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d Great Lakes Commission. "Great Lakes Circle Tour: Lake Michigan". Great Lakes Commission. Retrieved April 20, 2008.
  6. ^ Office of Management and Budget. List II Consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Areas and Primary Metropolitan Statistical Areas (PDF) (Report). Executive Office of the President. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 13, 2001. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  7. ^ a b c d Indiana 2009 Travel Guide. Indianapolis: State of Indiana. 2009.
  8. ^ a b Northwest Indiana Bike Map (Map) (Spring ed.). Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. 2008.
  9. ^ a b Moore, Powell A. (1959). The Calumet Region, Indiana's Last Frontier. Indiana Historical Bureau.
  10. ^ a b c Michigan Department of Transportation (2023). Michigan: Official 2023 Michigan Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:975,000. Lansing: Michigan Department of Transportation.
  11. ^ a b Bessert, Christopher J. (January 1, 2009). "Lake Huron Circle Tour". Michigan Highways. Retrieved July 18, 2009.[self-published source]
  12. OCLC 42778335
    .
  13. ^ Fling, Jake (October 10, 2010). "Travel the Great Lakes Seaway Trail". Erie Times-News. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  14. ^ Mitchell, Teresa (June 18, 2010). "June 22–24 Great Lakes Seaway Trail Reveal & Economic Impact Road Show Visits Six Communities on America's Byway" (Press release). Seaway Trail, Inc. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2010.
  15. ^ Davis, R. Matt (May 1, 1986). "Signs to Mark Lake Circle Tour". Daily Mining Gazette. Houghton, MI. p. 16.
  16. ^ Great Lakes Commission. "Tourism: The Great Lakes Circle Tour on GLIN!". Great Lakes Commission. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved March 8, 2008.

Works cited

  • Indiana 2009 Travel Guide. Indianapolis: State of Indiana. 2009.
  • Northwest Indiana Bike Map (Map) (Spring ed.). Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission. 2008.
  • Indiana (Map). Delormes Maps.

External links

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