Lake Superior Circle Tour

The Lake Superior Circle Tour is part of a highway program established by the Great Lakes Commission to promote tourism and travel along the shores of the Great Lakes. The LSCT follows state highways in the U.S. states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin and provincial highways in the Canadian province of Ontario.

Routing

The LSCT loops around Lake Superior following state and provincial highways. These highways are usually the closest to the lake.cite web |work=Great Lakes Commission |url=http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/circletour/ |title=Great Lakes Circle Tour |accessdate=2008-03-08]

Michigan

In Michigan, it runs from the state line at Ironwood to Sault Ste. Marie. In between it follows US 2 to Wakefield, M-28 to Bergland and M-64 to Ontonagon. At Ontonagon, the Tour 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 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.cite map |publisher= Michigan Department of Transportation |title=Official 2007 Department of Transportation Map |url=http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9622_11033_11151---,00.html |year=2007 |cartography= MDOT |scale=1in.:15mi./1cm.:9km. |accessdate=2008-03-08]

Ontario

The Circle Tour follows Highway 17 and the Trans Canadian Highway between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

Minnesota

The Circle Tour follows Trunk Highway 61 between the border at Thunder Bay and Duluth.cite web| title=Great Lakes Circle Tour:Lake Superior |url=http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/circletour/superior/#road |accessdate=2008-03-08]

Wisconsin

The Circle Tour crosses into Wisconsin on the Blatnik Bridge carrying I-535/US 53. In Superior, the tour follows US 2/US 53 to WIS 13. Near Ashland, the tour returns to US 2 across Northern Wisconsin to Hurley and the border with Michigan at Ironwood.

History

The Great Lakes Commission approved the formation of a Great Lakes Circle Tour in November 1988.cite web| title=Tourism: The Great Lakes Circle Tour on GLIN! |url=http://www.glc.org/tourism/background.html|accessdate=2008-03-08]

References