You don’t have to be Magellan, Vespucci, Champlain or John Smith to have a yearning for exploration of the water. The Great Loop allows boaters to channel their spirit of adventure with much more modern gear and comfort factors than those days-of-yore explorers had. Private boat slips for rent along the way add convenience and accessibility to Great Loop attractions and activities.

What is the Great Loop?

Photo: AGLCA Facebook 

The Great Loop is a series of waterways that loop around the eastern half of the United States and parts of Canada. From inland rivers and bays to oceans, canals and even locks, the entire route can be traveled by water. It’s considered a bucket list trip by many boaters and can be as plush and comfortable or as off-the-grid as you choose.

It’s a unique and exciting way to explore America, meet new friends, meet up with boating buddies and see all the sights along the way. Not to mention all the bragging rights after you’ve completed the trip.

Photo: AGLCA Facebook 

America’s Great Loop Cruiser’s Association (AGLCA), which officially sanctions “Loopers,” as they’re called, gives official burgees (a sailing club flag) to members who complete the Loop. Three flag background colors signify your status on the Loop. A white background means you’re in the process of doing the Loop, yellow means you’ve completed it and platinum stands for multiple completions. Flying this flag high and proud provides recognition from the boating community and other AGLCA members. Plus, it’s just cool.

The total length of the trip, depending upon the various routes and stopovers that can be taken, is between 5,000 and 7,000 miles. Typically, boaters take between nine months to a year to complete it. This can be done as a continuous trip, or you can leave your boat in a marina or private boat dock and go home for a while before returning to complete the trip.

For live-ability and sanity reasons, you’ll probably want a liveaboard boat with some comfort features like a kitchen, bathroom and seating space. The Great Loop has been done aboard a 44’ Hatteras, a 38’ Endeavour Trawler Cat, a 59’ Nordhavn, a 44’ Carver, a 47’ Bayliner and a 35’ President Cruiser, as well as pontoon boats, kayaks and jet skis (kudos to those intrepid kayakers and jet-skiers).

Many “Loopers” take the counter-clockwise route (New York to Chicago and then south around Florida). This direction allows you to “go with the flow” in the inland waterways. It’s perfectly acceptable to go clockwise and head south down the East Coast from New York (or wherever you’re starting). You just want to be sure to be in Florida for winter. You do not want to be traveling on a boat in Chicago in January. This would be a good time to check out a private dock for rent.

What to See Along the Great Loop

Along with all the scenic and historic waterways, the Great Loop provides a variety of highlights and attractions such as lighthouses and monuments, marine wildlife, urban piers and popular cities.

Depending upon the route, you’ll encounter:

• Lake Michigan
• Lake Erie
• Lake Ontario
• Mississippi River
• Gulf of Mexico
• Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GICW)
• Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW)
• Atlantic Ocean
• Chesapeake Bay
• 15 U.S. states
• Two Canadian provinces (Ontario and Quebec)

Sites and Cities along the Great Loop

Illinois

• Lake Michigan
• Chicago Riverwalk
• Navy Pier
• Skydeck Chicago

Missouri

• Mississippi River
• Gateway Arch at St. Louis
• National Blues Museum

Tennessee

• Tennessee-Tombigbee (Tenn-Tom) Waterway
• The Ohio River to the Cumberland River and Nashville (optional routes)
• Grand Ole Opry
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
• Chattanooga, Knoxville, Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains (optional side trip, usually taken by car with your boat in a boat slip)

Mississippi

• Elvis Presley’s birthplace in Tupelo
• Historic houses and Tennessee Williams home in Columbus
• Tombigbee Lake State Park

Alabama

• Mobile Bay
• Orange Beach
• USS Alabama WWII battleship
• Bellingrath Gardens and Home

Florida

• Gulf Islands National Seashore
• Greek restaurants, shops and sponge docks at Tarpon Springs
• Sanibel and Captiva Islands
• Key West and the Dry Tortugas
• Bahia Honda State Park
• Seven Mile Bridge
• Dolphin Research Center in Marathon
• The mansions and canals of Miami and Fort Lauderdale
• Everglades National Park
• Castillo de San Marcos at St. Augustine
• Manatees, dolphins and other marine creatures

Georgia

• Cumberland Island National Seashore
• Savannah Historic District
• Tybee Island Light Station and Museum

South Carolina

• John Mark Verdier House Museum in Beaufort
• South Carolina Aquarium in Charleston
• Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge on Hilton Head
• Myrtle Beach  

 
North Carolina

• North Carolina Aquarium in Cape Fear area
• Bald Head Island Conservancy
• Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington
• Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
• Outer Banks barrier islands

 
Virginia

• Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel
• Norfolk Botanical Garden
• Nauticus maritime museum
• Cobham Bay on the James River near Williamsburg and Jamestown
• Washington, D.C. and the Potomac River

Maryland

• Sharp’s Island Lighthouse on Tilghman Island
• Tilghman Waterman’s Museum
• Annapolis Maritime Museum

New Jersey

• Atlantic City
• Barnegat Lighthouse State Park
• Asbury Park Beach
• Sandy Hook Bay

New York

• Statue of Liberty
• New York City and Long Island
• Hudson River
• Rockefeller and Vanderbilt estates
• Stony Point and Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse

Canada

• Richelieu River
• Lake Ontario
• Trent-Severn Waterway
• Promenade Samuel de Champlain on the St. Lawrence River
• Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal
• Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa

Ohio

• Lake Erie
• Cedar Point theme park in Sandusky
• Presque Isle State Park
• Put-In-Bay on South Bass Island

Michigan

• Lake Michigan
• Arch Rock and Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island
• Saugatuck Dunes State Park and Mount Baldhead in Saugatuck

 
Wisconsin

• Milwaukee Art Museum
• Milwaukee Riverwalk
• North Point Lighthouse

Preparing for the Great Loop

Undertaking the Great Loop requires a lot of planning and scheduling. You’ll want to decide whether you’re going to stay in marinas, anchor out, utilize private boat slips or do a combination of the previous mentioned. You may want to stay in a particular location for a while. This is the perfect scenario to enlist the use of a private boat dock.

Additionally, you’ll want to research your route ahead of time for any changes that may be happening. For example, the Illinois Waterway is going to be closed from July 1 – October 29, 2020. This is a good example of when you might want to book a private boat slip for a few months and head home. Some private boat dock rentals allow liveaboards, so that’s another option.

AGLCA offers lots of news and advice (as well as seminars on marine maintenance and the Looper Lifestyle) on their website. Happy Looping!