Lake Michigan Circle Tour

The Lake Michigan Circle Tour (LMCT) is part of a highway program established by the Great Lakes Commission to promote tourism and travel along the shores of the Great Lakes. The LMCT follows state highways in the U.S. states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan and Wisconsin. A special "spur route" follows the S.S. Badger carferry across the lake between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Routing

The LMCT loops around Lake Michigan following state highways. These highways are usually the closest to the lake.cite web |work=Great Lakes Commission |url=http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/circletour/ |title=Great Lakes Circle Tour |accessdate=2008-03-08]

Illinois

The LMCT follows Illinois Route 137 from the state line south to I-94.

Indiana

The LMCT follows I-94 and US 12 in Indiana.

Michigan

The LMCT enters Michigan in Berrien County along US 12. Near New Buffalo the tour switches to follow I-94 north to the Benton Harbor/St. Joseph area. Here the LMCT follows BL I-94 and M-63 back to the freeway, this time the I-196/US 31 freeway. At Holland, the LMCT turns onto BL I-196/US 31. Formerly it also followed BUS US 31 through Holland until that designation was removed. The Circle Tour continues to follow US 31 northward deviating at Muskegon, Montague/Whitehall and Pentwater for the various business loops.cite map |publisher= Michigan Department of Transportation |title=Official 2008 Department of Transportation Map |url=http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9622_11033_11151---,00.html |year=2008|scale=1 in:15 mi/1 cm:9 km] At Ludington, the Lake Michigan Circle Tour meets a '"connecting route" over the "S.S. Badger" carferry.cite web| url=http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/circletour/michigan/ |title=Great Lakes Circle Tour: Lake Michigan |accessdate=2008-04-20] The tour continues to follow US 31 to Manistee where it joins M-22 (Michigan highway) up and around the Leelanau Peninsula. It rejoins US 31 at Traverse City and follows US 31 to the northern terminus of US 31 south of Mackinaw City. There it runs along I-75 north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The Lake Huron Circle Tour joins I-75 at the northern terminus of US 23 and both run together on I-75 over the Mackinac Bridge. North of the toll plaza in St. Ignace, The LHCT takes Exit 344A to follow BL I-75 while the LMCT takes Exit 344B to follow US 2.

In the Upper Peninsula, the circle tour follows US 2 westward to Rapid River. Here US 41 joins US 2. At Gladstone M-35 joins to form a three-way concurrency south to Escanaba. South of Escanaba, the circle tour follows M-35 to Menominee. Here M-35 ends and US 41 carries the circle tour south into Wisconsin. There is a "spur route" designated along M-183 and Delta County Road 483 on the Garden Peninsula.

Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the LMCT follows US 41 south to I-43 in the Green Bay area. From I-43, it runs up into the Door Peninsula along WIS 57 and WIS 42 and back south to I-43. It continues along I-43 to Milwaukee where it joins WIS 32 to the state border.

History

The Great Lakes Commission approved the formation of a Great Lakes Circle Tour in November 1988.cite web| title=Tourism: The Great Lakes Circle Tour on GLIN! |url=http://www.glc.org/tourism/background.html|accessdate=2008-03-08]

References