Which lakes are considered the Great Lakes, and where are they located?

The Great Lakes consist of five freshwater lakes—Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario—located in the northeastern region of North America, with the majority spanning the border between the United States and Canada. Lake Michigan is the only Great Lake located entirely within the United States. It borders four states—Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

What activities are available across the Great Lakes region in Canada and the US?

The Great Lakes region offers a wide variety of outdoor and cultural activities across both Canada and the United States. Here is an overview by lake, listed from largest to smallest:\n \n Lake Superior (Canada \u0026amp; US) \nThe largest of the five Great Lakes, Lake Superior is known for its dramatic landscapes and outdoor adventures. Popular activities include hiking along the Apostle Islands in northern Wisconsin and visiting waterfalls like Kakabeka Falls in Ontario, Canada.\n \n \n \n Lake Huron (Canada \u0026amp; US) \nThe second-largest lake is home to Ontario’s Georgian Bay and the vast wilderness of Killarney Provincial Park, known for its lakes and Eastern mixed forest. Visitors can also explore historic shipwrecks at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, Michigan.\n \n \n \n Lake Michigan (US only) \nThe only Great Lake located entirely within the United States, Lake Michigan features destinations like the Door Peninsula in Algoma, Wisconsin, where visitors can enjoy boreal forests and sandy beaches.\n \n \n \n Lake Erie (Canada \u0026amp; US) \nKnown for its warmer waters and rich biodiversity, Lake Erie is a hotspot for birdwatching, especially at Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, Canada.\n \n \n \n Lake Ontario (Canada \u0026amp; US) \nThe smallest of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is famous for the Welland Canal—one of Canada’s greatest engineering feats that connects it to Lake Erie. Lake Ontario is also a gateway to the world-famous Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River.\n \n \nAcross all five lakes, visitors can enjoy kayaking, boating and fishing. Common fish species include salmon, trout and bass.\nIn addition, the Great Lakes region is home to an estimated 115 lighthouses. These iconic structures symbolize strength and resilience, and many are open to the public. Visitors can enjoy guided tours, museum exhibits, and even overnight stays in some locations.

Why are the Great Lakes important, and why are they a popular travel destination?

The Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth, holding nearly 20% of the world’s surface freshwater. They support a rich ecosystem and help regulate climate across the region, making them vital to both the environment and the communities that surround them. Visitors to the region can commonly see wildlife such as white-tailed deer, black bears, beavers, bald eagles, loons and monarch butterflies. \n \nCulturally, the Great Lakes have shaped the identity of North America. They have long been home to Indigenous peoples whose traditions and stories are deeply tied to the lakes. Georgian Bay’s shores and waterways as an important trade route of the Anishinabek First Nations Peoples. Over time, the lakes became central to the growth of cities like Chicago, Toronto, and Detroit, serving as gateways for trade, immigration and innovation. Today, they continue to inspire art, music and storytelling across generations. For travelers, the Great Lakes offer more than just scenic beauty—they are a living museum of history and heritage. From historic lighthouses and shipwrecks to charming port towns and cultural landmarks, the region invites guests to explore its past and present in unforgettable ways.

How were the lakes, rivers and cities named in the Great Lakes region?

The Great Lakes region’s rich history and cultural heritage is reflected in the names of its lakes, rivers and cities, stretching from the St. Lawrence Seaway to Lake Superior. These names highlight the centuries-long presence of Indigenous peoples and the spread of European influence since the 15th century. \n \nThe Iroquois tribes, who lived around Lakes Ontario, Huron and Erie, contributed names like Niagara (“the strait”), Ohio (“great river”) and Cuyahoga (“crooked water”). Canada comes from kanata (“village”), Ontario from kanadario (“sparkling water”) and Toronto from tkaronto (“place where trees stand in the water”). \n \nThe Ojibwa, in Ontario and Minnesota, gave us Michigan (“large lake”), Mackinac (“giant turtle”) and Mississauga (“great river mouth”). The Algonquin peoples of the Ottawa River Valley contributed Ottawa (“to trade”), Quebec (“narrow passage”), Wisconsin (“stream of red stone”) and Milwaukee (“good land”). \n \nOther Indigenous names include Erie (“long tail”), Muskegon (“marshy river”) and Minnesota (“sky-tinted water”). European influence is seen in names like Montreal, Detroit and Lake Superior, preserving the legacy of early explorers and the establishment of New France in the Great Lakes region.

What European explorers can I learn about in the Great Lakes region?

In the Great Lakes region, you can learn about several influential European explorers whose journeys helped shape the area’s early history. Jacques Cartier was one of the first Europeans to explore the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the Saint Lawrence River in the 1530s, laying the foundation for French claims in North America. His voyages opened the gateway to the interior of the continent, eventually connecting to the Great Lakes through river systems.\nSamuel de Champlain, often called the “Father of New France,” expanded on Cartier’s routes in the early 1600s, mapping parts of the Great Lakes and establishing alliances with Indigenous nations. Étienne Brûlé, a young interpreter and explorer under Champlain’s guidance, was likely the first European to see Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior. Their expeditions not only advanced geographic knowledge but also set the stage for trade, settlement and cultural exchange in the region.

Explore the stunning Great Lakes

Experience the diverse landscapes and culture-rich cities of the Great Lakes. Read on to learn more about the unique geology of this remarkable region and discover the captivating excursions that await you on these picturesque bodies of water. Get acquainted with some of the area’s most popular dishes, uncover the inspiration behind Canada’s first national art movement and explore how this vast freshwater system developed more than 20,000 years ago.

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes comprise the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet. An iconic part of the geological and cultural heritage of North America, the five lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario—contain nearly 5,518 cubic miles of water. They account for a full 20 percent of the world’s surface freshwater.

The lakes absorb a great deal of heat during warmer months, resulting in cooler summers and warmer winters than would otherwise occur. During the winter, the lakes’ eastern shores receive substantially higher precipitation, and large areas of the surface waters freeze.

The first inhabitants of the Great Lakes region were the Indigenous peoples, also known as Native Americans, Native Nations or, in Canada, First Nations. Many Indigenous groups living in the Great Lakes region were tribes or bands who spoke the Algonquin languages. The Huron were one such group and were the first people the French explorer Jacques Cartier came across when he arrived in 1534.

This magnificent region boasts stunning national parks and remarkable wildlife, such as river otters, red foxes and, during the spring and fall, many species of migratory birds. The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) is one of the most notable birds in the region; during flight, it can reach diving speeds of more than 200 mph (321 kmh), making it the world’s fastest animal.

Cuisine—Popular dishes from the Great Lakes region
During the 19th century, cities around the Great Lakes became important manufacturing centers, making them attractive to immigrants and jobseekers. As a result, the culinary traditions of this region reflect its rich history and the diverse cultures of its inhabitants. Here are some of the area’s signature foods:
- Pasties
  A pasty (pronounced “pass-tea”) is an oven-baked, handheld pastry with a savory meat and vegetable filling. Fast, easy and portable, pasties were an ideal meal for workers. Despite their popularity in Michigan, pasties originated in medieval Europe and have a strong traditional link to the English county of Cornwall.
- Mackinac Island Fudge
  Located in the Straits of Mackinac where Lakes Huron and Michigan meet, this charming island preserves many of its Victorian-era treasures, including this favorite 19th-century confection. Collectively, the island’s 13 fudge shops produce an estimated 9,920 lb (4,500 kg) of fudge each day during the summer season.
- Deep-Fried Cheese Curds
  The Midwest—especially Wisconsin—became known for dairy farming in the 19th century, as German and Scandinavian families and settlers from New York brought their skills to the region. As their name suggests, cheese curds are made of curdled milk, a byproduct of the cheesemaking process. On their own, their texture is chewy, but when deep-fried in beer batter, they become gooey on the inside and crunchy on the outside.
- Great Lakes Perch
  During the summer months, many menus around Lakes Ontario and Erie feature yellow perch, which are plentiful in shallow, warmer waters. Lightly pan-fried, this lean fish has a mild, sweet flavor and a beautifully flaky texture.
Culture—The Group of Seven, Canada’s first national art movement

During the second decade of the 20th century, a desire to create an artistic identity that was distinctively Canadian led a group of Toronto, Ontario-based painters to start Canada’s first national art movement—the Group of Seven.

The group’s members—Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and Fredrick Varley—met while working as commercial artists at the influential Toronto advertising firm Grip Ltd. They bonded over a shared devotion to landscape painting and sought to be free from the constraints of the conservative, European-centric traditions that dominated painting at the time. The group formally adopted its name for its first exhibition, which was held in Toronto in 1920.

Drawing inspiration from the post-impressionists and contemporary Scandinavian landscape painters, these painters focused on the ruggedly beautiful and unique character of the expansive Canadian outdoors. They often depicted landscape scenes rendered in impasto and composed of bright colors and bold forms.

Their works created a vivid visual language to describe the vast scale of Canada’s landscape while invoking the burgeoning sense of the new country’s identity and independence. This can be seen in works such as Jackson’s energetic The Red Maple (1914), the looming clouds and impressionist hills of MacDonald’s October Shower Gleam (1922) or the simplified and idealized landscape of Harris’ Mount Robson (1922).

Influential for more than a decade, the group went from receiving mixed reviews of their first exhibition to worldwide recognition as Canadian art pioneers. Having achieved their goal of establishing a distinctive Canadian artistic identity, the group officially disbanded in 1933. Its members went on to form the Canadian Group of Painters movement with other like-minded artists.

Today, many of the masterpieces created by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries can be seen on display at Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario, one of the largest art museums in North America. Visitors can also take in some of the majestic Great Lakes scenery that inspired these artists, particularly in the stunning Muskoka region and near the historic town of Sault Sainte Marie.
Nature—The formation of the Great Lakes

Geologically, the Great Lakes are relatively young. They did not exist during preglacial times but were created after the Earth’s last period of large-scale glaciation during the Pleistocene Epoch, a time when the Laurentide Ice Sheet covered the northern United States and most of Canada in a mile-thick layer of ice.

Approximately 20,000 years ago, rising global temperatures caused the ice sheet to start receding. The extreme weight and power of the retreating Wisconsin Ice Sheet that covered the Great Lakes region slowly carved out vast basins, causing melting ice to become trapped by the newly uncovered banks of sand, loose rock and boulders. Over time, water continued to accumulate, eventually forming large inland seas.

The erosion of this massive ice sheet and the formation of the lakes was not a steady process. At one time, present-day Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron were part of two vast inland lakes called Duluth and Algonquin. As the glaciers continued their northern journey, these two lakes created one gigantic lake.

It was not until around 3,000 years ago that the Great Lakes reached their present-day size and form, an iconic feature that gives the state of Michigan its distinctive “mitten” shape.

Great Lakes Highlights

With more than 10,000 miles of coastline, the Great Lakes region offers much to discover. Captivating cities, charming islands and tranquil waterways await your exploration. Here are just some of the highlights you may experience on a Great Lakes voyage: