Circle tour planner

Plan a Great Lakes circle tour, day by day.

Choose a lake, how many days you have and where you're starting. We'll split the loop into even days of driving, pick a town for every night and hand the plan to the trip builder for directions, a calendar and a GPS file.

Lake Huron Circle Tour

7 days from Port Huron, clockwise.

Total driving24 h 45 min
Distance1,178 mi (1,895 km)
Stops26
Longest dayDay 4, 4 h 10 min
Ferries40 min included

This loop crosses the U.S.–Canada border. Everyone needs a passport, passport card or NEXUS card, and border waits can add an hour on summer weekends.

Open in the trip builder Lake Huron Circle Tour

  1. Day 1

    Port Huron to Bay City

    3 h 5 min driving156 mi (250 km)

    1. 01

      6 min · 2.7 mi (4 km) from Port Huron

      Fort Gratiot Light Station MI · Lighthouse
    2. 02

      1 h 39 min · 86 mi (139 km) from Fort Gratiot Light Station

      Port Austin MI
    3. 03

      1 h 22 min · 66 mi (107 km) from Port Austin

      Bay City MI
    Directions in Google Maps Overnight in or near Bay City

  2. Day 2

    Bay City to Cheboygan

    3 h 50 min driving213 mi (343 km)

    1. 04

      1 h 14 min · 69 mi (111 km) from Bay City

      Tawas City MI
    2. 05

      1 h 15 min · 65 mi (104 km) from Tawas City

      Alpena MI
    3. 06

      40 min · 38 mi (62 km) from Alpena

      Rogers City MI
    4. 07

      42 min · 41 mi (66 km) from Rogers City

      Cheboygan MI
    Directions in Google Maps Overnight in or near Cheboygan

  3. Day 3

    Cheboygan to Blind River

    3 h 50 min driving168 mi (270 km)

    1. 08

      20 min · 16 mi (25 km) from Cheboygan

      Mackinaw City MI
    2. 09

      22 min · 0.4 mi (1 km) from Mackinaw City, including about 20 min of ferry

      Mackinac Island MI

      Mackinac Island is car-free: park in Mackinaw City or St. Ignace and allow about 20 minutes on the passenger ferry.

    3. 10

      31 min · 6.6 mi (11 km) from Mackinac Island, including about 20 min of ferry

      St. Ignace MI
    4. 11

      45 min · 52 mi (83 km) from St. Ignace

      Sault Ste. Marie MI
    5. 12

      8 min · 4.3 mi (7 km) from Sault Ste. Marie

      Sault Ste. Marie ON
    6. 13

      1 h 44 min · 89 mi (143 km) from Sault Ste. Marie

      Blind River ON
    Directions in Google Maps Overnight in or near Blind River

  4. Day 4

    Blind River to Parry Sound

    4 h 10 min driving209 mi (337 km)

    1. 14

      1 h 15 min · 62 mi (100 km) from Blind River

      Espanola ON
    2. 15

      55 min · 46 mi (74 km) from Espanola

      Sudbury ON
    3. 16

      2 h · 101 mi (163 km) from Sudbury

      Parry Sound ON
    Directions in Google Maps Overnight in or near Parry Sound

  5. Day 5

    Parry Sound to Owen Sound

    3 h driving139 mi (223 km)

    1. 17

      1 h 6 min · 63 mi (101 km) from Parry Sound

      Midland ON
    2. 18

      56 min · 36 mi (59 km) from Midland

      Collingwood ON
    3. 19

      57 min · 40 mi (64 km) from Collingwood

      Owen Sound ON
    Directions in Google Maps Overnight in or near Owen Sound

  6. Day 6

    Owen Sound to Southampton

    3 h 20 min driving140 mi (225 km)

    1. 20

      1 h 29 min · 63 mi (101 km) from Owen Sound

      Bruce Peninsula National Park ON · Park & beach
    2. 21

      20 min · 10 mi (16 km) from Bruce Peninsula National Park

      Tobermory ON
    3. 22

      1 h 29 min · 67 mi (107 km) from Tobermory

      Southampton ON
    Directions in Google Maps Overnight in or near Southampton

  7. Day 7

    Southampton to Port Huron

    3 h 30 min driving154 mi (247 km)

    1. 23

      41 min · 29 mi (46 km) from Southampton

      Kincardine ON
    2. 24

      43 min · 33 mi (53 km) from Kincardine

      Goderich ON
    3. 25

      57 min · 39 mi (63 km) from Goderich

      Pinery Provincial Park ON · Park & beach
    4. 26

      58 min · 47 mi (76 km) from Pinery Provincial Park

      Sarnia ON

    Back to Port Huron: 11 min · 5.9 mi (9 km)

    Directions in Google Maps

Your loop

The circle tour on the map.

Loading the map. The links and itinerary below are always available.

Lines join stops in visiting order; they are not roads. Use the Google Maps links for turn-by-turn directions.

Black-and-white basemap by OpenStreetMap. Great Lakes highlighted in color. Hold Ctrl (or Command) while scrolling to zoom. Use two fingers on touch screens.

Lake outlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Town centers: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation.

All five loops

The Great Lakes circle tours at a glance.

Distances and driving time for the full loop from each tour's usual starting city, stopping at every town, lighthouse and park on our route.

Circle tourStarts inDistanceDrivingRelaxedBrisk
Lake Superior Circle Tour Duluth, MN 1,296 mi (2,085 km) 25 h 50 min 10 days 6 days
Lake Michigan Circle Tour Chicago, IL 1,103 mi (1,776 km) 22 h 40 min 8 days 5 days
Lake Huron Circle Tour Port Huron, MI 1,178 mi (1,895 km) 24 h 45 min 8 days 5 days
Lake Erie Circle Tour Buffalo, NY 723 mi (1,163 km) 15 h 5 min 5 days 3 days
Lake Ontario Circle Tour Toronto, ON 617 mi (993 km) 12 h 35 min 5 days 3 days

Good to know

Circle tour questions.

What is a Great Lakes circle tour?
Each of the five Great Lakes has a signed scenic route that loops all the way around its shore, crossing state and provincial lines (Lake Ontario's is the Seaway Trail in New York and the Waterfront Trail in Ontario). Following one is a classic North American road trip, with lighthouses, beaches, harbor towns and big-water views the whole way.
How long does the Lake Superior Circle Tour take?
Our route around Lake Superior covers about 1,296 mi (2,085 km) and 25 h 50 min of driving, before any stops. At a relaxed pace of no more than 3½ hours a day it takes 10 days; with up to 6 hours a day you can do it in 6. Bring a passport: about half the loop is in Ontario.
How many days do you need for the Lake Michigan Circle Tour?
Allow 5 to 8 days. The loop through Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana is about 1,103 mi (1,776 km) with 22 h 40 min of driving. Cut a day or two by taking the S.S. Badger or Lake Express ferry across the lake.
Which way should I drive a circle tour?
Clockwise keeps the lake on your right, which in the U.S. and Canada puts you in the lane next to the water and makes it easier to pull off at viewpoints. Counterclockwise works just as well if it suits your starting point or the weather.
How does the planner choose overnight stops?
It walks the loop in order and splits it into the number of days you choose so the daily driving is as even as possible, always ending each day in a town with places to stay. Lighthouses, parks and waterfalls along the way are included as stops unless you choose towns only.

Drive times and distances: OSRM routing over OpenStreetMap data (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), calibrated to typical travel times. Times are estimates for planning, not navigation. Check road, border and ferry conditions before you travel.

More planning tools: trip builder, ferry or drive calculator, northern lights forecast, water temperatures and the ship watcher.