Recreation
BeachCast
Biking
Birding
Boating
Camping
Canoeing & Kayaking
Cruises
Fall Colors
Festivals
Golfing
Hiking
Hunting & Fishing
Islands
Parks
Scuba Diving
Sports
Tours
Winter Activities
Culture
The Arts
Historic Sites
Lighthouses
Museums
Shipwrecks
Circle Tour
Overview
Lake Superior
Lake Michigan
Lake Huron
Lake Erie
Lake Ontario
References
Agencies & Organizations
Beds & Breakfasts
Cities & Counties
Tourism Maps
Traffic and Construction
Weather and Climate
|
|
Tourism
in the Great Lakes Region
What's New |
Overview |
General Resources |
Agencies & Organizations
Laws |
Publications |
Research |
Discuss
What's New
Survey: Shoaling in Saugatuck channel, but water deep enough for cruise ship The Holland Sentinel (3/13) The latest survey of the channel from Lake Michigan to Kalamazoo Lake shows deep enough water for the arrival of a cruise ship in Saugatuck.
Lake Erie shoreline shapes up as test for birds and energy Great Lakes Echo (3/12) Western Lake Erie is a critical flyway for migratory birds as well as a prime area for offshore wind development-how can they co-exist?
Great Lakes Boat Building School (3/5) The Great Lakes Boat Building School, located in the beautiful Les Cheneaux Islands of the Eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan, offers a highly rated educational program designed to teach quality wooden boat building skills and preserve craftsmanship.
Water trails are fast becoming hot spots for tourism and outdoor adventure The News-Herald (3/4) Michigan’s water trails are quickly becoming one of the best places for tourism and outdoor adventure across the state. Water trails, much like more traditional walking or bike pathways, are pathways that lead to outdoor adventure and recreation.
COMMENTARY: Don’t abandon Great Lakes restoration Duluth News Tribune (3/1) In a commentary written for the News Tribune in 2008, then-presidential hopeful Barack Obama vowed $5 billion to jump-start a thorough cleanup and rejuvenation of the Great Lakes.
Saugatuck now on state list for emergency dredging funds The Holland Sentinel (2/25) The tide may have turned for some of Saugatuck's short-term dredging woes. The Allegan County port was recently put on a $21 million list to be eligible for emergency dredging funds after it was originally left off.
Overview
Outdoor recreation in the Great Lakes region is a way of life. The Great Lakes offer outstanding tourism and recreation opportunities, ranging from pristine wilderness activities in national parks such as Isle Royale and Pukaskwa to waterfront beaches in major cities. A well-defined four-seasons climate supports many types of recreation from ice fishing, skiing and snowmobiling in the winter to golf, fishing, boating and swimming in the summer. The eight Great Lakes states have about 3.7 million registered recreational boats, or about a third of the nation's total. Michigan and Minnesota lead the nation in the number of boat registrations, and six Great Lakes states rank in the nation's top ten in total number. The commercial and sport fishing industry is collectively valued at more than $4 billion annually. Diving on shipwrecks is a growing Great Lakes sport, thanks to many underwater preserves and parks throughout the lakes. Off Lake Superior's Whitefish Point, better known to sailors as the "graveyard of the Great Lakes," it is said that more than 300 ships have been lost to Superior storms. For people who don't dive, the shipwrecks can be studied at many of the maritime museums throughout the region.
General Resources
The Great Lakes Circle Tour Ride along on the 6,500-mile Great Lakes Circle Tour: a scenic, international road system connecting the five Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River! For new visitors to the region, this online travel guide offers informational maps, road routes and estimated mileages, and links to major cities, camping and recreation areas, and natural attractions.
GreatLakesLodging.com Find lodging, travel and vacation information on the various regions around the Great Lakes. Read about current weather conditions, events and helpful maps for planning your trip.
Midwest Weekends An insiders guide to travel in the upper Midwest. Midwest Weekends is an independent guide featuring stories about the Great Lakes region with comprehensive trip-planning tips.
The Great Lakes of North America This industry web site provides information on tourism in the Great Lakes region, industry news, a photo gallery, and information on each U.S. state and Canadian province in the region.
Laws
Travel Tips Government of Ontario Travel Tips, including custom and duty information, to make your Ontario visit more enjoyable.
Traveler Information U.S. Customs Service Official information for foreign nationals traveling to the United States including merchandise restrictions, visa requirements, and more.
Publications
Lake Superior Magazine The magazine about the world's largest freshwater lake and the people who live and visit there.
Midwest Living Featuring travel, dining, home & garden and shopping in the Midwest.
Outdoor Illinois Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) A subscription magazine about he Prairie State's great natural and cultural resources.
Outdoor Indiana Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Experiencing Indiana's valuable natural resources.
The Northern Michigan Journal Articles, reflections and news from and about northern Michigan.
Traverse Magazine Travel, events, dining and news from Up North.
Wild Ohio Ohio Department of Natural Resources Featuring Ohio's natural resources.
Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Articles and photographs featuring Wisconsin's natural resources.
Research
The Great Lakes, a Great Place! To live, to work, to visit Great Lakes Commission
Trends in Tourism Visitation - Duluth, Minnesota: 1980-1994 Minnesota Sea Grant
|