There is a wealth of advice and planning available online about the Great Loop route, but this document has been prepared to help dreamers understand it. It also details all the fantastic side trips and Great Loop alternate routes you might have heard of, like the Triangle Loop or the Downeast Circle Loop.
Once you’ve settled on the Great Loop route and the adventure you want to have, it’s time to start dreaming about the perfect Great Loop boat.
The Traditional and Most Common Great Loop Route
Here’s an outline and a Great Loop map showing the basic route most boats follow.
It’s a loop, but we have to start somewhere. We will begin and end in Chesapeake Bay for the discussions on this page. There’s no reason; I just like the Bay. You can start and end (cross your wake) anywhere you’d like.
“Spring Up and Fall Down”
That’s the typical advice for those setting out on the Loop. You want to head north along the US East Coast in the Spring, spend the summer crossing the Great Lakes, and then come south through the rivers in the Fall. Hence, ‘Spring up’ and ‘Fall down.’
But you might not realize that many people take multiple years to complete their Loops, and it’s perfectly possible to do it seasonally. You might want to leave the boat in a boatyard over winter somewhere up north to spend a second season seeing more of Canada or the Great Lakes. Or, you might want to tackle one of the other Great Lake alternate trips (more on that below!)
So, what does the basic route look like? Here are the basic steps, but each one of these has tons of options and variations!
- 1. North through the Chesapeake Bay
- 2. East through the C&D Canal
- 3. East out Delaware Bay to Cape May, NJ
- 4. North along the New Jersey coast to New York Harbor (offshore leg, requires good weather)
- 5. North on the Hudson River to Troy, NY
- 6. West on the Erie Canal to Oswego River to Lake Ontario
- 7. North to Canada
- 8. West in Canadian canals and rivers (Trent-Severn Waterway) to Georgian Bay and Lake Huron
- 9. Around the lower Michigan peninsula to Chicago
- 10. South on the Illinois River to the Mississippi
- 11. East, then south on the Tombigbee River through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi
- 12. South to Mobile Bay to join the Gulf ICW
- 13. East on the Gulf ICW or offshore passage across the Gulf to Tampa
- 14. South on the Gulf ICW to Fort Myers, FL
- 15. South along the southwest Florida coast to the Florida Keys
- 16. East along the Florida Keys to Miami
- 17. Atlantic ICW (inland route) from Miami to Norfolk on Chesapeake Bay
Popular Options for Great Loop Alternate Routes
Here are some popular Great Loop Alternate Routes and variations you might hear about. Some are simply forks in the road that don’t change much, while others are big looping adventures that add thousands of miles to the journey.
1. Inside or Outside Chesapeake and Delaware Bays
Leave Norfolk, Virginia, one of the first choices will be to cruise the Chesapeake Bay or not. It’s one of the best cruising areas in the world, so it would be a shame to miss it. Check out the Boater’s Guide to Chesapeake Bay to see if it’s for you.
A canal at the top of the Bay connects it to Delaware Bay, the aptly named Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, or C&D Canal. Delaware Bay is pretty boring, and pretty much everyone makes it in one jump from the canal to Cape May. There is not much to see here, and the conditions can be rough with strong tides.
2. New Jersey ICW
There’s a portion of little-used ICW that runs inside the beaches of New Jersey. Unfortunately, it’s shoaled and has many low bridges. It’s doable if you draw less than 3′ and have an air draft less than 35′. Many would argue that it’s not worth it, though — just hang out in Cape May until there’s nice weather offshore, then make a one-day trip up to New York Harbor at Sandy Hook. Then, you’ll pass the Statue of Liberty and head north on the Hudson River.
3. Erie vs. Champlain Canals
In Troy, NY, you’ve got a choice to make.
Heading north takes you on the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain. You can then join the Richelieu River to Montreal, which joins the St. Lawrence.
Heading west takes you on the Erie Canal, the regular Great Loop route.
Great Loop Alternate Trip: Triangle Loop
The Champlain Canal gives boats another option for a mini-loop adventure. If you aren’t in a rush to make it south for the fall, you could take the Erie Canal west to Lake Ontario, head northeast, and join the St. Lawrence headed toward Montreal. You could head down the Champlain Canal in Montreal, back to Troy, New York. This completes the Triangle Loop.
Great Loop Alternate Trip: Downeast Circle Loop
If you were sad that your Great Loop route didn’t take you through the Canadian Maritimes and Maine, fear not! The St. Lawrence also gives you an option for a bigger adventure. But doing this loop adventure means you’ll need an extra summer exploring the north country.
The Downeast Circle Loop starts in New York Harbor, where you head north on the Hudson River and Champlain Canal. If your boat doesn’t fit on the Champlain, you could head west and take the Erie/Oswego route to Lake Huron.
Then you’re on the St. Lawrence Seaway, headed past Montreal and Quebec City. You can visit any of the Maritimes you like, including Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. Most people head for Nova Scotia and the Bra D’Or Lakes, which have beautiful cruising.
Then, you head coastwise westbound along Nova Scotia, hopping over to Maine and continuing your cruise south.
In the Gulf of Maine, you can head for Cape Cod, where the Cape Cod Canal will take you to Buzzards Bay and Long Island Sound. Don’t miss Martha Vineyard, Nantucket, and Block Island as you pass by.
You head westbound in Long Island Sound until you’re back in New York, thanks to the East River. It’s a big trip with much more open-water coastal cruising than the regular Great Loop Route.
4. Great Lakes Side Trips and Loops
The Great Lakes offer countless variations depending on where you want to visit.
Many people want to maximize their time in Canada and Georgian Bay, which is understandable. Some want to avoid Canada and big water crossings, so they stick to a coastwise circumnavigation of the lower Michigan peninsula.
You might also want to tour around Lake Superior and the Upper Michigan Peninsula.
The possibilities are endless as long as you wind up in Chicago and head south on the Illinois River.
5. Mississippi or Tombigbee Rivers
Once you pass St. Louis, the Mississippi is big, commercial, and lacks interesting stops. It does make up for that by ending in New Orleans, and who can say no to endless authentic Cajun meals and beignets? The boating is pretty good, too, as you come east out of New Orleans and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Still, most boaters opt for the more scenic Tombigbee River journey.
6. Florida Big Bend or Gulf Crossing
The Gulf ICW is broken in a few places, so you can’t stay on the inside the whole way like you can on the East Coast. The Florida Big Bend is shallow and rural, and most cruising boats draft too much to gunk hole here.
Most people leave the ICW around Apalachicola, Florida, and head toward Steinhatchee or Tampa. This route shaves miles off the trip and requires an overnight jump. With good weather, it’s no big deal.
7. Florida Gulf ICW or Offshore
Heading southbound along the Gulf coast of Florida, you can take segments of the ICW or just head offshore. The Gulf often has calm weather, so many boaters like taking at least some of these open water segments.
8. Okeechobee Waterway or Florida Keys
In Fort Myers, there’s another big choice to make: To the Florida Keys or not to the Florida Keys—that is the question!
The Okeechobee Waterway crosses the state from Fort Myers to Stuart on the East Coast. There are five locks along the route and a railway lift bridge with a clearance of around 47′, depending on water levels.
Of course, taking this scenic route through some fascinating rural towns and the outskirts of the Florida Everglades means skipping the Keys. But it’s an enjoyable trip that might make for a fun adventure!
The Keys require more time offshore and weather planning. From Marco Island, the only land available is a handful of anchorages in the wild Everglades backcountry. Then, you’ve got to make a crossing to land in the Middle Keys before you can rejoin the ICW. Even the ICW in this part of the Keys is pretty open.
Bahamas Loop Adventure
The Upper Keys is the perfect starting point for a loop of the Bahamas Islands if you’re inclined. Check out the Boater’s Guide to The Bahamas to see if this adventure suits you.
Leaving the Upper Keys, you can cross the Gulf Stream and head to the Bimini Islands. You can then cross the Great Bahama Bank to the Berry Islands. From there, head to Nassau and follow the Exuma Cays south to George Town. From there, cross Exuma Sound to see Long Island and Cat Island. From there, north to Eleuthera, where you can hop along the western shore to the town of Spanish Wells. Then, a day trip brings you to the Abaco Cays. You can follow the Abaco Cays northwest and leave them to cross the Gulf Stream for a landing in Fort Pierce or even Cape Canaveral.
Although summarizing it in one paragraph sounds quick, the trip described above could last three to five months. Is it worth it? Absolutely.
9. Offshore Atlantic Hops or ICW (or Both?)
The Atlantic ICW makes it easy to make offshore hops or take the inland waterway for its entire length. Just be sure to plan your passage through the East Coast inlets.
Some of our favorite offshore legs include:
- Miami to West Palm Beach (Too. Many. Bridges. And boats.)
- Skipping the Georgia ICW by going from Fernandina Beach, FL, to Charleston, SC. This shaves off a lot of miles, but it misses Georgia, which is gorgeous.
- Going out Wynah Bay, SC, and heading up the Cape Fear River, NC. This skips Myrtle Beach, which is (in my personal opinion) one of the worst parts of the ICW.
- Exiting at Wrightsville Beach, NC, and entering at Beaufort/Morehead City, NC.
While it’s convenient and fast to skip some sections of the ICW, it’s a favorite part of the Great Loop journey and most of it shouldn’t be missed. There’s a lot to love about the ICW, so don’t plan to rush this section.
10. North Carolina Outer Banks or ICW (Inner Banks)
The ICW through North Carolina skips the Outer Banks, which are generally too shallow for cruising boats to explore too much. So, the regular ICW tracks north through the Inner Banks and passes the little towns of Oriental and Belhaven. It passes through expansive open forests and wetlands and is very pretty.
If you want to see some of the Outer Banks, you go east on the Neuse River into Pamlico Sound. You can visit Ocracoke, a beautiful little island. Next, you can stay in Manteo on Roanoke Island. Then, you can rejoin the regular ICW route in Albemarle Sound.
11. Albemarle Loop
The Albemarle Loop is a neat little side trip made up of stops on the banks of this inner sound in North Carolina. It’s a small area, so you can crisscross the Sound as needed for weather or your plans. Most towns and marinas around the Sound participate by offering boaters one or two free nights of basic dockage (sometimes without power). The towns of Edenton, Elizabeth City, Manteo, Columbia, Hertford, and Plymouth participate.
12. Dismal Swamp Canal or Virginia Cut (ICW Alternate Route)
The ICW has two official routes through northern NC and Virginia. Should we take the Dismal Swamp Canal? It’s a much quieter path, and it can be wonderful. However, the choice must be based on conditions since the Dismal Swamp is sometimes closed due to flooding. It’s also a narrow canal with overhanging trees and stumps in the water that sometimes make you go “bump.” It requires slow travel, whereas the other route allows you to move quickly. Mileage-wise, they’re about equal.
The Definitive Great Loop Map
When you put the standard Great Loop route together with all the alternates, variations, and secondary loop adventures you might have, here’s what the final map might look like. The official, interactive Great Loop Map from the AGLCA is a good starting point and highlights points of interest along the way.
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