What is America's Great Loop?

 


OUR GREAT LOOP TRACK
(Click on the Link above for an interactive map of the Loop)

    The Great Loop is a circumnavigation of the eastern U.S., and part of Canada.  The route includes the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the New York State Canals, the Canadian Canals, the Great Lakes, the inland rivers, and the Gulf of Mexico. "Loopers" as they are referred to, travel in a (usually) counterclockwise direction.  Depending on where you start the loop, depends mostly on the time of year. This is done in an effort to have the best weather possible but also avoids hurricane season in the south & the northern canals are closed during the winter.  

    The entire trip is a minimum of 5,250 miles but depending on your route of choice & side trips can extend well beyond 6,000 miles.  It is mostly in protected waters and you go through about 18 states.  

We did a total of 5608 miles in about 9 1/2 months.
We traveled 164 Days & did 101 locks
Visited 18 states & 3 of the 5 Great Lakes

    We traveled these waterways:

The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
The Chesapeake Bay
The C&D Canal
The Atlantic Ocean from Cape May to New York Harbor (or sometimes inland waterways through New Jersey)
The Hudson River
The Erie Canal (or a popular route option on the "Triangle Loop")
The Oswego Canal (or continue on the Erie Canal to Lake Erie)
Lake Ontario
Lake Huron
The Trent-Severn Canal
Georgian Bay
Lake Michigan
The Illinois River
The Mississippi River
The Ohio River
The Tennessee River
The Tenn-Tom Waterway
Mobile Bay
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
The Okeechobee Waterway

    We started the Loop in February of 2023. What was convenient for us, is that our home in Crystal River, Florida is actually on part of the Great Loop! We became Harbor Hosts in order to meet folks when they came to Crystal River on their way around. We met so many wonderful people as we made this journey and know they have become lifelong friends.

    For more information, visit some of these websites:

 AGLCA - America's Great Loop Cruiser's Association http://greatloop.org

Who knows, maybe you will be inspired to earn your "BaccaLOOPerate"!

Pau Hana is a Veteran of the Loop - The previous owners did the loop and now she has completed it a second time. Not sure if there will be a third, but we are planning more adventures on her.

 
Locking on the Illinois River

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