Lake Huron Circle Tour
Whether driving, boating, or sailing, vacationers will find Lake Huron circle tours the most intriguing of all the tours of the Great Lakes. To prepare for a Lake Huron circle tour, pack a passport because the tour includes driving Ontario or visiting Ontario ports. Vacationers traveling by car should also pack golf clubs, fishing gear, and camping supplies as well as tying a canoe or kayak to the roof of the car and bicycles to the back bumper. Boaters and sailors should prepare to spend a few days on shore hiking, camping, and learning about different cultures.
Port Huron in eastern Michigan is a good starting point for a circle tour of Lake Huron with a visit to the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse, Michigan's oldest lighthouse and predates Michigan's statehood. The Fort Gratiot Lighthouse marks the location where Lake Huron flows into the St. Clair River. The other point of interest in Port Huron is the Blue Water Bridge which connects the United States with Canada. While the sailors and boaters follow the Lake Huron shoreline north to the tip of the "Thumb," auto-tourists should drive north on Route 25 and visit Lakeport State Park, Lexington, Richmondville, or Harbor Beach before stopping at Port Austin where Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse is located on the northeaster tip of the Michigan "Thumb." This first leg of the circle tour also is a great cross-country route for bicyclists. Camping is available at Port Austin. After Port Austin, Route 25 winds along the Saginaw Bay to Saginaw and Bay City. Birch Run and Frankenmuth could be a side trip from the circle tour for outlet shopping, eating the famous chicken dinners, golfing, or learning about the early German settlers in Michigan. Highway 13 winds north of Bay City along the Saginaw Bay shoreline to Au Gres where it meets US 23 to rejoin the Lake Huron shoreline and the sunrise side of Michigan. Once on US 23, travelers have Lake Huron on the right and state forests on the right. Camping is available along the route, including Tawas State Park. This area also is excellent for bicycle touring. At Au Sable, paddlers can canoe or kayak glide along the Au Sable River into Lake Huron. Other cities to visit along the way are:
- Tawas
- Oscoda
- Harrisville
- Ossineke
- Alcona
- Black River
- Alpena
- Presque Isle
- Roger's City
- Cheboygan
- Mackinaw City
Sailors and boaters should visit Bois Blanc and Mackinac Island in the Straits of Mackinac before visiting the Les Cheneaux Islands and Drummond Island en route to the North Channel and the Georgian Bay.
In the meantime, drivers cross the Straits of Mackinac on the Mackinac Bridge and take I 75 to the International Bridge connecting Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Some travelers might prefer to venture into Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan before crossing the International Bridge to view the famous Sault Locks on the St. Mary's River or visit the Bay Mills or Kewadin Casinos. Golfing also is available at Bay Mills near Brimley. Sault Ste. Marie is the oldest community in Michigan and founded by French voyageurs and missionaries. After seeking crossing the International Bridge, travelers should follow Provincial Route 17 to Sudbury. Route 17 winds along the coast of the North Channel, Manitoulin Island, and Georgian Bay. Everyone must take some extra time to explore Manitoulin Island which is the largest freshwater island in the world and has a spiritual quality that is important to the First Canadians, native peoples. Manitoulin Island has a mysterious quality because of its isolation; yet, it is only a few hundred miles from Detroit and Toronto. All travelers to this region marvel at the crystal clear waters and blue sky. Paddlers, picnickers, hikers, photographers, bird watchers, fishermen, and campers enjoy this area. Surprisingly, golfers also can find some challenging links in this leg of the journey. There are also museums and native cultural centers to visit along this route. After following Provincial Route 17 to Sudbury, the travelers have to make a serious decision whether to leave the shoreline and go to Toronto, stopping at Strafford for a Shakespearian play before returning to Sarnia and Port Huron or continue along the eastern side of Lake Huron.
To return to the Lake Huron, auto-tourist should drive southwest from Sudbury along the Georgian Bay by Parry Sound to Owen Sound, the "cultural capital of Canada." Owen Sound is a perfect setting for boaters and sailors-and a great vacation destination. Towns and villages to visit in this region are:
- Bayfield Beach
- Goderich
- Hanover
- Collingwood
- Tobermory
- Walkerton
- Wharton
Drivers should take their time to meander from Owen Sound to Sarnia and explore the interesting villages along the way. Bicyclists also find this region an interesting place to tour. Goderich is on the shoreline; however, here the auto-tourist can drive a few miles east and visit little villages like Dublin and learn about the Irish settlers of the mid-Nineteenth Century.
At Sarnia, drivers can cross the Bluewater Bridge to return to the starting point of Port Huron or explore southern Ontario, which is Canada's most southern point, and return to Michigan by the Ambassador Bridge or the Detroit/Windsor Tunnel. In addition to Point Pelee, other points of interest in southern Ontario are:
- Amherstburg
- Leemington
- Chatham
- Grand Bend
- Windsor
Lake Huron Lighthouses in Michigan
- Fort Gratiot Lighthouse
- Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse
- Port Austin Reef Lighthouse
- Tawas Point Lighthouse
- Sturgeon Point Lighthouse
- Old Presque Isle Lighthouse
- New Presque Isle Lighthouse
- Forty Mile Lighthouse
- Round Island Lighthouse
- Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse
Lake Huron Lighthouses in Canada
- Beausoleil Island
- Big Tub
- Brebeuf Island
- Bying Inlet Range
- Cabot Head
- Cape Croker
- Chantry Island
- Christian Island
- Cove Island
- Flowerpot Island
- Gereaux Island
- Goderik
- Gore Bay (Janet Head)
- Great Duck Island
- Griffith Island
- Hope Island
- Jones Island
- Kagawong
- Killarney East
- Kincardine
- Lion's Head
- Lonely Island
- Manitowaning
- McKay Island
- Mississage Strait
- Nottawasaga Island
- Point Clark
- Point au Baril
- Red Rock
- Saugeen River Front Range
- Shoal Island
- Snug Harbor
- South Baymouth Front Range
- South Baymouth Rear Range
- Strawberry Island
- West Sister Rock
- Western Island
- Wilson Channel Front Range
- Wilson Channel Rear Range
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Circle Tours
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