The Great Lakes tour is a circle road trip route through the United States and Canada to scenic destinations along Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Ontario, and Erie. This guide will help you map the perfect itinerary with suggested food, lodging, hikes, waterfalls, cruises, lighthouses, and more outdoor activities.
Guest Post by Kristi Schultz
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Table of Contents
- 1 The Great Lakes Tour
- 2 Day 1 | Duluth, Minnesota, and Lake Superior
- 3 Day 2 | Apostle Islands
- 4 Day 3 | Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
- 5 Day 4 | Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
- 6 Day 5 | Port Huron, Michigan
- 7 Day 6 | Niagara Falls
- 8 Day 7 | Cuyahoga Valley National Park
- 9 Day 8 | Home
- 10 Map It!
- 11 Viking Great Lakes Explorer Travelogue
- 12 We Would Love to Hear From You
- 13 Pin this Post!
The Great Lakes Tour
UPDATE: After reading this Great Lakes road trip itinerary, be sure to read our new Great Lakes Explorer cruise with Viking Expeditions.
What are the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes are a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes located on the border of the United States and Canada. They are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by area and have sea-like characteristics such as rolling waves, strong currents, miles of sandy and rocky beaches, and distant horizons.
There are many ways to navigate around the shorelines of these great bodies of water. But could we traverse all of them within 10 days?
On a cool June day, my kids (ages 23, 19, and 15 at the time) and I set out on a Great Lakes road trip to do just that, with the intent to step into the water and take a photo at each lake.
The map illustrates our itinerary and key spots where we stopped while on our journey. The route begins in Stoughton, Wisconsin, just south of Madison, heads up to Duluth, Minnesota, and then makes a loop, hitting key sites while visiting every Great Lake along the way.
We had an incredible time on our Great Lakes tour and returned with some great experiences and recommendations to share!
Day 1 | Duluth, Minnesota, and Lake Superior
My oldest daughter was attending the University of Minnesota in Duluth, so in the early morning hours, my two youngest, our Boston Terrier, Izzy, and I headed that way.
Duluth serves as a major port on Lake Superior for ocean vessels that have made their way through the Great Lakes Waterway and the St. Lawrence Seaway. A revitalized downtown and surrounding areas provide a wealth of activities, history, and tourist destinations.
While in Duluth, we visited the must-see Lake Superior Railroad Museum, one of the best collections of railroad equipment in the country! The displays told the story of the railroads in Duluth and the role they played connecting its ocean port to the rest of the country. A very well-thought-out exhibit with a great gift shop!
Lake Superior was our first Great Lake to visit. From the rocky shores of the Duluth Lakewalk, we dipped our toes into this cold lake (average summer temperature is 61°) and watched the huge ocean vessels go through the 1929 Aerial Lift Bridge to the harbor.
With enough water to flood both North and South America to a depth of one foot and waves more than 40 feet high, Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.
You cannot visit the Duluth area without venturing up the North Shore Scenic Drive, so that’s where we went next.
We stopped for lunch and homemade pie at Betty’s Pies, a staple to the area since 1956. If you drive Hwy. 61 and don’t stop here, you are not doing it right! With more than 38 different pies to choose from, and even pie shakes, you really can’t go wrong.
With our timetable in mind, our northern destination was the Split Rock Lighthouse, one of the most visited lighthouses in the nation, just 47 miles from Duluth on Hwy. 61 and about one-third of the way up the shoreline. The views from the lighthouse were spectacular and the short hiking trail down to the water was easy to navigate so we could get a great picture of the lighthouse itself.
Heading back south on Hwy. 61, we stopped at Gooseberry Falls State Park, another must-see on the North Shore Scenic Drive. We got a great view from the Hwy. 61 bridge before taking a short walk down to the river for a closer look.
The falls are the result of the Gooseberry River passing through a rocky gorge on its way to Lake Superior. In spring, the snowmelt runoff is spectacular, and in summer, the exposed rocks provide many opportunities for close encounters with the falls.
After exploring the falls, we hiked a 2-mile segment of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail through the woods to the overlook, and later a 2.4-mile loop trail to Fifth Falls before heading back to Duluth. These trails can be muddy, so be prepared.
Back in Duluth, we had dinner at Grandma’s Saloon & Grill in Canal Park, another icon of the area since 1976. The food and service were stellar, as always, and they had a great beer and cocktail menu, as well. We spent the night on the shores of Lake Superior and enjoyed the sunset from our balcony.
Click here for Duluth lodging options on TripAdvisor!
Day 2 | Apostle Islands
The next day, we drove 86 miles to Bayfield, Wisconsin, via Hwy. 13. Bayfield serves as the headquarters for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, consisting of 21 islands and 12 miles of mainland shoreline along Lake Superior.
We had booked the 10:00 AM Classic Grand Tour at Apostle Islands Cruises, the best way to get an overview of the area. It is a 55-mile, 3.25 hour scenic cruise, superbly narrated by folks knowledgeable about the history and natural wonders of the islands and shoreline. Highly recommended!
After the cruise, we grabbed lunch at colorful Maggie’s, a locally owned Bayfield original with a unique menu, great drinks, and eclectic décor. You can’t visit Bayfield without trying Maggie’s!
Next, we went to the Apostle Islands headquarters to find out the current conditions for getting to the Lakeshore Trail. The road to the official trailhead at the beach was still closed due to construction, so the worker there pointed out an intercept point off an unmaintained road, and we set off.
It is a good thing we had a 4-wheel drive Ford Expedition. The road down to the trail was deeply rutted and narrow. At the end was a wide area big enough to park in the grass. This winding trail through the woods was enjoyable, undulating over and through streambeds and littered with roots and rocks to navigate.
About a mile down the path, we reached great views of the sea caves and a top-down view into some of the bluest water we had ever seen.
The flora in this area was incredible, and we observed the strangest phenomenon involving ferns with a horizontal growth habit. I don’t know what variety they were, but we had never seen this type of fern before.
For dinner, we ate at the renovated and historic Bayfield Inn where we were also staying the night. This quaint accommodation in the heart of downtown was definitely a great place to eat and stay with its friendly staff making us feel right at home.
Click here to book your stay at Bayfield Inn on TripAdvisor!
Day 3 | Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
On Day 3 of our Great Lakes road trip route, we were still driving along Lake Superior! Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, Michigan’s largest state park, was our destination. Affectionately known as “The Porkies,” it is 60,000 acres along the Lake Superior shoreline with 35,000 acres of old-growth forest, countless rivers and streams, and more than 90 miles of hiking trails.
We entered the park from the south, so we started out hiking the river trails in the Presque Isle River Area. This was a great loop hike through the woods and along the river to view the waterfalls and turbulent rapids of the Presque Isle River. Along the path, we saw some unique mushrooms.
From there, we took a leisurely drive through the park on the scenic Boundary Road and headed to the Konteka Black Bear Resort for lunch, where supposedly black bears can be viewed through the dining room windows. But none were to be seen on our visit. The food was decent enough, but the place had kind of a rundown atmosphere about it. Might try another place next time.
After lunch, we drove to the Lake of the Clouds scenic area where we took in the spectacular views of the lake nestled among the rich greens of the Porcupine Mountains old-growth forest. We hiked along the Escarpment Trail before heading off to find dinner.
For that night, we had reserved a yurt on Union Bay. We found a convenience store and purchased fully-cooked brats, buns, chips, and s’more fixings (chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows). We also bought a skewer and firewood.
After we set up camp and cooked over our fire, we took a short hike down to the rocky beach and enjoyed an amazing sunset over Lake Superior. The only bad thing about this great idea was that we didn’t think to pack more than one sleeping bag. Our fleece blankets left a little to be desired in the cool night of the Porcupine Mountains . . . .
Day 4 | Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Day 4 was more of the Lake Superior experience, and we had only touched the surface of this amazing place. On this day, we drove 3.5 hours to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, more than 40 miles of multicolored sandstone cliffs and geological formations, reaching a height of 200 feet above the water.
Getting a view of the pictured rocks requires getting in a boat. We had booked the 2:00 PM Spray Falls Cruise, a 40-mile, 2.5-hour round trip boat ride along the shore, including Spray Falls, a 70-foot cascade down the cliffside into Lake Superior.
The day was cool and rainy, but the cruise was still great. Pictures do not do it justice, as the colors on the sandstone were stunning. One fun part of the cruise takes you down a narrow passageway between sandstone cliffs where you have to back up to get out.
When we returned to the dock, a pontoon was heading out where bagpipers were playing. I don’t know if they always do that, but it was amazingly beautiful. We definitely recommend this cruise if you’re in the area.
After the boat ride, we hiked the 1.2-mile round-trip trail to Miners Falls and went to the Miners Castle Overlook we had seen while on the cruise. We walked the trails along the shore until time for dinner at the iconic Dogpatch Restaurant, “home of the legendary vittles” with its unique atmosphere. For the night we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and enjoyed the grounds and the view.
Click here to book your stay at the Holiday Inn Express Munising-Lakeview on TripAdvisor!
Day 5 | Port Huron, Michigan
Finally on Day 5, we ventured away from Lake Superior. Driving toward the Mackinac Bridge, we dropped down to Hwy. 2 so we could drive along the shore of Lake Michigan. We stopped at a wayside beach to test out the waters and take a picture.
Before leaving Upper Peninsula Michigan, we needed to sample an authentic pastie. So when we spotted the sign at White Tail Resort, a hole-in-the-wall motel and restaurant featuring delicious, homemade pasties, we had to stop. I would highly recommend eating here if you are driving through.
As we came up on Mackinac Bridge, it was dreary and foggy, but it made for an interesting picture. The Mackinac Bridge connecting Upper and Lower Michigan is the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere at nearly 5 miles in length.
As we drove over the bridge going south, Lake Michigan was on our right and Lake Huron was on our left, the only place where you can see two of the Great Lakes at once. Driving the interstate, we went all the way to Port Huron on the St. Clair River and the US—Canadian border.
We stayed at the DoubleTree situated right on the river and walked the path to Lighthouse Park, featuring a large sand beach on Lake Huron. The 1829 Fort Gratiot Lighthouse was closed by the time we arrived, but we were able to take our picture and enjoy the walk back despite the rainy conditions.
Click here to book your stay at DoubleTree by Hilton Port Huron on TripAdvisor!
Day 6 | Niagara Falls
In the morning, we crossed the border into Canada and visited Lake Ontario by way of Skyway Park. It took a little navigating via service roads, but we were able to walk down to the beach to visit and take a photo of our fourth Great Lake.
You really can’t drive to Lake Ontario and not see Niagara Falls. Even if you’ve been there before, which we had. We prefer the Canadian side of the falls which offers the best views and better hotels and restaurants. Not to mention, my daughter appreciated the lower drinking age.
Since we had visited the falls before, we opted for two activities we had never done. The first was a helicopter tour. We booked a ride through Niagara Helicopters and loved it. Everything went smoothly, and we enjoyed the views of a lifetime. We highly recommend it!
Our second activity was the Hornblower Niagara Cruise that allows visitors to get up close and personal with the falls. You will get wet on this ride due to the mist, so ponchos are provided. The wind gets a little intense, which caused our ponchos to fill with air and threaten to go up over our heads. It generated quite the laughs as we did our Marilyn Monroe imitations. This ride is definitely a must-do!
While in Niagara Falls, we enjoyed an excellent Italian lunch on the patio at the Sandstone Grillhouse, explored the eclectic Clifton Hill Street of Fun, ate great burgers at Kelsey’s Original Roadhouse and enjoyed some local beer at the Niagara Brewing Company before turning in at the Country Inn and Suites.
Click here to book your stay at Country Inn and Suites by Radisson Niagara Falls on TripAdvisor!
Day 7 | Cuyahoga Valley National Park
With one more Great Lake to go, we set off early, crossing back into the US, headed for Pennsylvania. We had not really planned where to stop and visit Lake Erie because I figured we could find it randomly along the way. It took some doing, but finally we worked our way to a beach near Dunkirk.
Further research revealed a much better place to stop would have been Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania. It is a 3,200 acre peninsula that juts into Lake Erie, offering a wealth of recreational activities. Live and learn!
After visiting our fifth and final Great Lake, we stopped to hike Brandywine Gorge Trail and see the 65-foot Brandywine Falls, part of the gorgeous Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This park is not to be missed when visiting northern Ohio!
The bridge across Brandywine Creek was out, so rather than turn around and retrace our steps, we chose to ford the stream. After a couple of attempts to navigate the slippery rocks, we all decided to brave the cold water, took off our shoes, and waded in. Making memories!
We also decided to hike the 2.2-mile Ledges Trail despite the rain. It is an enjoyable hike and features a great overlook of the beautiful valley. On this night, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express near the park.
Click here to book your stay at Holiday Inn Express Cleveland-Richfield on TripAdvisor!
Click here for more hotel options on TripAdvisor!
Day 8 | Home
On the final leg of our journey (other than taking my oldest back to Duluth), we drove home to Stoughton, Wisconsin. We stopped to see Lake Michigan again at the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore featuring 15 miles of shoreline and 15,000 acres of sand dunes, wetlands, prairies, and forests.
After stretching our legs and negotiating a nasty traffic jam in Chicago, we arrived safely home.
I hope you enjoyed this Great Lakes circle tour itinerary and road trip adventure and get a chance to try it out for yourself. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy these beautiful lakes. I’d like to take road trips around each one in the future!
If you want to learn more about the Great Lakes tour or road trips like this one, navigate to my website Roadtrippers R Us!
Map It!
Viking Great Lakes Explorer Travelogue
Be sure to check out Howard’s Great Lakes Explorer travelogue with Viking Expeditions for another way to explore the Great Lakes!
We Would Love to Hear From You
We enjoy dialogue with our readers, especially when they share off-the-beaten-path destinations and useful travel tips. Have you ever taken a Great Lakes circle tour? If so, we would love to hear about your experience. We invite you to leave your comments and questions below, and we always respond!
Planning a motorcycle road trip around Lake Superior in late July 2023. If that works out well, will plan another trip around all the Great Lakes possibly in 2024. Hoping to stay away from the bigger cities and highways when possible.
Sounds like a plan! In case you are not already familiar, the “Avoid Highways” setting on Google Maps is great for routing through scenic areas.
We are planning on doing this trip in October 2022, and I was wondering about the accessibility of some of the trails. I am in a wheelchair and have hiked on some mild to medium rough terrain trails. I was wondering how rough each particular trail is? I love this information and am definitely going to be doing some of the things that you have suggested!
Thank you for your insight!
Doni Rolfson
Gooseberry Falls has a loop that is about a mile long that you can go on with a wheelchair and enjoy the views. You may be able to do part of the Gitchi-Gami Trail, but there are hills. The Lakeshore Trail at Apostle Islands will not be doable, but some of the trails on the islands might be doable, in particular Sand Island. Be sure to check out their website and ask questions! The Presque Isle River trails had many steps, but many trails have short boardwalks for waterfall views. Lake of the Clouds is the most accessible area of the park. At Pictured Rocks, the trails to all of the overlooks at Miners Castle as well as Munising Falls are paved. Miners Beach and Sand Point Marsh Trail have boardwalks. The Superior Overlook viewing platform (located along H-58 between Twelvemile and Hurricane Campgrounds) is also wheelchair-accessible. In Cuyahoga National Park, many of the park’s most popular attractions are fully accessible: the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail (including the Beaver Marsh near Ira Trailhead), Canal Exploration Center, the Everett Covered Bridge, Brandywine Falls (upper boardwalk), and the heronry along Bath Road. Indiana Dunes National Park has the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Trail that is a combination of paved and boardwalk.
I hope this helps! If you decide to go, I’d love to hear about your first-hand experience!
LOVED this article. Do you think this is a good RV/Motorhome route? Thinking FALL? Late October, early November. Would be leaving from Nashville, TN, so might do it backwards. Thoughts? Suggestions?
Hi Donna! Yes! This would be a great route for an RV/motorhome roadtrip! Fall would be beautiful! It could be cold, so make sure you’re winterized and have a full LP tank. Check the weather forecast closer to your trip to see if any freezes are predicted. I’d recommend scouting out camping/boondocking spots now and get them reserved. Seems everything fills up in these crazy times! As of right now, leisure travel into Canada from the US is not allowed. Stay on top of their policies at https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/foreign. If you’re not able to get into Canada for your trip, there are some great areas south of Lake Erie to explore. See if you can fit in Montour Falls in the Finger Lakes of NY, Kinzua Skywalk and Roadtrip in the Allegheny National Forest, and the Hocking Hills State Park are of Ohio. There is some beautiful scenery and quaint villages throughout the region that you are sure to enjoy!
Hi there! Thanks for sharing this! I was wondering if you think this trip would be ok for a 3 and 6 year old, hike-wise. They were mostly short hikes but were they really tough or generally easy to navigate? Thanks for your help!
Hi Laura!
These hikes are definitely within range of 3 and 6 year olds. Nothing very strenuous. Definitely hold hands near the cliffs tho!
Hi, can you tell us what the approximate mileage was on this 7-day route around the Great Lakes area as you have it mapped out? Thanks!
Hi Barbara! This route is about 2,140 miles long as mapped out.
Hi there! With Covid-19 an issue, this is just the kind of trip my wife and I are planning with our new travel trailer. The only issue that seems to be looming right now is not being able to get into Canada for that portion of the trip. Do you have any suggestions for travel stateside under Lake Erie?
Hi Barry! There are some great areas south of Lake Erie to explore. See if you can fit in Montour Falls in the Finger Lakes of NY, Kinzua Skywalk and Roadtrip in the Allegheny National Forest, and the Hocking Hills State Park are of Ohio. There is some beautiful scenery and quaint villages throughout the region that you are sure to enjoy!
What an awesome trip! Any advice for navigating from NYC? Fly to Duluth and start drive from there? How many miles did you drive from start to PA?
Hi Maureen, You have some options depending on how much time you have. If you have several additional days, you could drive from NYC and see more of all Lake Ontario has to offer – driving up on the Canada side (assuming travel is allowed) and visiting the Kingston area, Prince Edward Island, Bay of Quinte, Presqu’ile Provincial Park, Toronto and then pick up this route at Niagara Falls and go ’round from that point. Else, you could stay on the US side and hit Chimney Bluffs, Hamlin Beach, and Golden State State Parks and pick up the route at Niagara Falls. If you want to fly in, I would choose the cheapest flight that gets you to one of the points along the route – Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago, Madison, Duluth… Miles from our starting point to Niagara Falls was about 1,400 miles – another 115 miles to Erie, PA
Hope you enjoy your trip!!
I’m actually planning a Great Lakes road trip. Why not! I love mother nature and traveling. Thanks for the input and if you think of anything else keep me posted please.
I would have this on my bucket list, but my husband and I are in our 80s now. We would be able to do only minimal hiking. Would this be worthwhile if you were unable to hike?
Absolutely! Many of the trails we did were short, easy trails or you can even opt not to do those trails and spend more time at the visitor centers, overlooks, and guided tours. The lakes themselves can be viewed and accessed without a lot of walking and the towns and countryside you drive through provide their own charm and beauty. Let me know if you’d like some more info on any specific activities you enjoy.
Thanks so much for posting your trip. We used it as guide. We flew to Duluth and drove to Niagara Falls, ON, and flew home from Buffalo. Duluth was a neat town. Loved the aerial bridge and watching the ships go through from our South Pier Hotel room. One of the best overall hotels that I have ever stayed. Pictured Rocks were beautiful, and I definitely recommend the reasonably priced cruise. Absolutely amazing. Mackinac Island was beautiful as was the ferry ride over. We saw much more of God’s beautiful handiwork along the way. Niagara Falls at Embassy Suites Fallsview was the perfect ending to a Great Trip.
Sounds like you had a great time Irene! So glad that our post helped you out!
Cost for single…..dates, activity level, etc. for Great Lakes.
Thank you.
Hi Carol! Backroad Planet is a travel resource website. We are not a travel agency.
Just completed the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. I timed my tour to participate in the Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day along with 30,000 of my friends. As long as I was in the area I also ran up to the Sault Ste. Maries and crossed the border and then came back and went the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. The Museum was fascinating and the Memorial for the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald crew and ship was well done, introducing me to each and every member of the crew of 29 who lost there lives 44 years ago.
I learned an interesting tidbit at the Shipwreck Museum gift shop when I asked the two women employees if they were Yoopers. They said no, they were from the lower peninsula. I asked them what lower peninsula people are called, and another visitor in the store calls out “Trolls.” One of the employees quickly explained, because they live below the bridge.
By going to Sault Ste. Marie, MI and Sault Ste. Marie, ON and then over to Whitefish Point, I actually began my eventual Lake Huron and Lake Superior Circle Tours that I expect to complete in the next two years. I may time one of those tours to coincide with the International Bridge walk at the end of June, passports required.
The lakes are amazing and more impressive every time I get near them!
Thanks so much for sharing your experience, John! Our readers will appreciate your insight when planning Great Lakes tours of their own.
I’m getting ready to do my second trip. It has been over 25 years since my first time in a VW that started near Duluth and went the northern route. I saw the Northern Lights for the first time when I crossed at International Falls. That event has stayed with me for the rest of my life. I moved to Florida saying I would be back, and I am hoping to leave next week from New Orleans to Cleveland and go the other way.
Thanks for sharing, Tim! Hope your next adventure will be as memorable as your last.
How many miles total would you say this loop was?
I just happened on your site about your tour and notice in a lot of the photos that you have a dog. We are looking at this itinerary since you have it so well documented and were just wondering how feasible it would be to try and take ours along with us
Hi Cris!
You can totally take your dog on this trip! We had a kennel along and traveled when it was not hot or rainy so if we needed to leave her in the car, we could crack the windows and be fine. Hotels that allow dogs can be found. I believe the trails mentioned allow dogs, but you may want to double check. When crossing the border into Canada and back into the US, you may be asked for proof of vaccinations, so you’ll want to take that along. Bring along a collapsible water bottle, a 6-foot leash, doo-doo bags, and schedule regular breaks and you should do fine! Happy trails!
My comment has to do with how you get from one location to the next which takes a few hours, then you say that you did 2 activities and then had lunch! Do you leave the hotel in the middle of the night in order to fit all this before lunchtime???
I’m using the Day 5 to Day 6 as an example which has you leaving the Mackinac Bridge area and get to Port Huron on Day 5 and then drive to Niagara Falls in Ontario which is a good 3 hours drive, then do a helicopter ride, then go on a cruise on the Niagara River by the Falls and then have lunch? It just doesn’t seem realistic to be able to do all that in a timely manner and enjoy yourself.
One would have to get up really early in order to accomplish all of these activities!
Hi Sylvie!
Sorry, I guess the way I wrote the summary for Day 6 was a little confusing! We drove the 3 hours from Port Huron to Niagara, ON in the morning. We did get up early to try and avoid the morning rush over the bridge, but it wasn’t an ungodly hour! The helicopter tours run from 9am to sunset every 15 minutes. We did our ride in the afternoon. The Hornblower cruise was at 7pm, so that too was after lunch. We really didn’t have to rush around at all. I hope this helps!
This trip sounds amazing. My husband and I have been traveling the country in a 27 ft fifth wheeler and wonder if this trip could be done in our rig. And did you notice campgrounds/RV parks on most of the route you mapped out? Thanks!
You absolutely should be able to do this trip in your 27 ft rig. There are a lot of campgrounds, state parks, and the like along the great lakes. You should have no trouble at all finding a place – although you may want to reserve in advance depending on what time time of year you go. I haven’t camped near Niagara Falls, but there looks to be a lot of choices in that area too.