Split Rock Lighthouse above a snowy Lake Superior cliff at dawn.

Lake Superior · 10–14 days

Lake Superior Circle Tour

A cross-border road trip around the world's largest freshwater lake by surface area.

Photo: MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0

Split Rock Light Station.jpg by MichaelDPhotos · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Is this the right trip for you?

Why go

Make it your own.

The grand tour of the inland seas: about 1,300 miles of cliffs, harbor towns, waterfalls and shipwreck coast through Minnesota, Ontario, Michigan and Wisconsin. It rewards travelers who love long views, cool summer air and plenty of space between stops.

Plan a multi-day route through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ontario. Border-crossing requirements and road conditions vary; check current official guidance before travel.

Approx. routeAbout 1,300 miles
Suggested time10–14 days
Good seasonLate spring to early fall
When to go

Trace your itinerary

Follow the shoreline.

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

Suggested itinerary connections, NOT roads or directions. Gaps are not connected.

9 of 13 stops mapped. 4 remain in the list without a map pin. Unverified locations and precise shipwreck sites are not plotted. Pins are representative locations, not verified entrances.

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.

Day by day

The Lake Superior Circle Tour itinerary.

  1. Days 1–2

    Duluth and the start of the North Shore

    Watch a freighter pass beneath the Aerial Lift Bridge, then follow Highway 61 northeast to Two Harbors' ore docks and Split Rock Lighthouse on its cliff.

    Duluth Two Harbors Split Rock Lighthouse
  2. Day 3

    Waterfalls to Grand Marais

    Choose a riverside walk at Gooseberry Falls or Tettegouche, then settle into Grand Marais for the harbor, Artist's Point and an unhurried evening.

    Gooseberry Falls State Park Tettegouche State Park Grand Marais
  3. Days 4–5

    Across the border to Thunder Bay

    Cross at Pigeon River with accepted travel documents for everyone in the vehicle. Base in Thunder Bay and give a full day to the Sleeping Giant's trails and lookouts.

    Thunder Bay Sleeping Giant Provincial Park
  4. Days 6–7

    The wild Highway 17 shore

    The longest, emptiest stretch of the loop: Nipigon, Rossport and Terrace Bay give way to Wawa and Lake Superior Provincial Park, where the Agawa Rock pictographs sit at the water's edge.

    Lake Superior Provincial Park
  5. Day 8

    The Soo and Whitefish Point

    Cross the International Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, watch ships in the Soo Locks, then drive out to Whitefish Point and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

    Whitefish Point Light Station SS Edmund Fitzgerald
  6. Days 9–10

    Pictured Rocks country

    Enter the lakeshore at its Grand Sable Dunes end, then base in Munising for a cliffs cruise, waterfalls and the Miners Castle overlook.

    Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Munising
  7. Day 11

    Marquette

    A lively lakeside small city: walk Presque Isle Park at sunset, see the ore dock and wander the harbor below the lighthouse.

    Marquette
  8. Days 12–13

    Bayfield and the Apostle Islands

    Add a detour to the Keweenaw Peninsula if time allows, or continue west to Bayfield for the Madeline Island ferry, orchards and an island cruise.

    Bayfield Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
  9. Day 14

    Sea caves and home to Duluth

    In calm conditions, walk or paddle with a guide to the mainland sea caves near Meyers Beach, then close the loop in Duluth.

    Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Duluth
Short on time? With a week, choose one half: the North Shore to Thunder Bay, or Marquette to Whitefish Point by way of Pictured Rocks.

Where to stay

Good bases.

Great for Trails, cliffs & waterfalls Lighthouses Shipwrecks & maritime history Islands, boats & paddling Camping & dark skies Harbor towns & villages

Know before you go

Route tips.

  • Fill the tank before Ontario's Highway 17 — services can be an hour or more apart on the north shore.
  • You cross the border twice; carry a passport or other accepted document for everyone in the vehicle.
  • Book summer rooms in Grand Marais, Munising and Bayfield and Pictured Rocks cruises well ahead.
  • Pack layers and insect repellent: lakeshore evenings are cool and biting insects peak in early summer.

Stop by stop

The stops that make the journey.

Numbered highlights in route order. Allow your own time at each stop; connecting map lines are illustrative, not roads.

  1. 01
    Duluth

    Begin on Minnesota's North Shore.

    Minnesota · Lake Superior
  2. 02
    Two Harbors

    Ore docks, a working light station and the start of the North Shore's cliffs.

    Minnesota · Lake Superior
  3. 03
    Split Rock Lighthouse

    Visit Split Rock Lighthouse.

    Minnesota · Lake Superior
  4. 04
    Grand Marais

    Harbor town, art colony and gateway to the Gunflint Trail.

    Minnesota · Lake Superior
  5. 05
    Thunder Bay

    Cross into Ontario at Pigeon River with accepted travel documents.

    Ontario · Lake Superior
  6. 06
    Sleeping Giant Provincial Park

    A full day of trails and lookouts on the Sibley Peninsula.

    Ontario · Lake Superior
  7. 07
    Lake Superior Provincial Park

    Agawa Rock and the wild Highway 17 shore.

    Ontario · Lake Superior
  8. 08
    Whitefish Point Light Station

    Return to Michigan at Sault Ste. Marie for the shipwreck coast.

    Michigan · Lake Superior
  9. 09
    Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

    Dunes, waterfalls and sandstone cliffs.

    Michigan · Lake Superior
  10. 10
    Munising

    Boat tours to the cliffs when the lake allows.

    Michigan · Lake Superior
  11. 11
    Marquette

    Presque Isle Park at sunset.

    Michigan · Lake Superior
  12. 12
    Bayfield

    Explore the Apostle Islands area.

    Wisconsin · Lake Superior
  13. 13
    Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

    Mainland sea caves in calm conditions, then home to Duluth.

    Wisconsin · Lake Superior

Route distances and conditions are approximate. Check current road, border-crossing and attraction information before travel.

On the road

Make room for the coast.

Reserve the fixed parts.

Book essential ferry crossings, campsites and popular park parking first. Leave the spaces between them flexible.

Ferry connections

Let weather change the plan.

Keep an inland walk, museum or harbor-town stop in mind for rough-water days. No scenic stop is worth ignoring a closure or warning.

Check official forecasts

Build a personal shortlist.

Save the stops you care about most, then add nearby places. Your list stays in this browser and is easy to revisit.

Open your shortlist