Great Loop Waterways

While there isn’t one "official" rigid list (because there are so many side trips and shortcuts), the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA) and most "Loopers" break the journey down into roughly 8 to 10 major segments.

Traveling anti-clockwise (counter-clockwise) is the gold standard because it allows you to ride the downstream currents of the major river systems.

Here is the route in order, starting from the traditional springtime jumping-off point in Florida:

1. Florida’s East Coast & The Keys

Starting in South Florida or the Keys, you head north along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). This stretch is known for its drawbridges, manatee zones, and beautiful stopovers like St. Augustine.

2. Georgia through the Carolinas

Continuing north on the ICW, you pass through the low country of Georgia and the historic ports of Charleston, SC, and Beaufort, NC. You eventually reach the Dismal Swamp Canal or the Albemarle & Chesapeake Canal to enter Virginia.

3. Chesapeake Bay through New Jersey

You cruise the length of the Chesapeake Bay, then cut through the C&D Canal into the Delaware Bay. From there, you typically hop into the Atlantic Ocean at Cape May for a "shoreline" run up to Atlantic City and finally into New York Harbor.

4. The Hudson River & New York State Canals

Passing the Statue of Liberty, you head north up the majestic Hudson River to Troy, NY. Here you enter the canal system. Most take the Erie Canal west to the Oswego Canal, which leads to Lake Ontario.

5. Canada (The Heritage Canals)

After crossing Lake Ontario, you enter the Canadian portion. The highlight here is the Trent-Severn Waterway, a series of 44 locks (including the famous "Big Chute" marine railway) that takes you through the heart of Ontario to Georgian Bay.

6. Lake Huron & Lake Michigan

You travel through the stunning "30,000 Islands" of Georgian Bay and the North Channel, eventually crossing into the U.S. at Mackinac Island. From there, you head south down the coast of Lake Michigan toward Chicago.

7. The Inland Rivers

This is where the "anti-clockwise" strategy pays off. Leaving Chicago, you enter the Illinois River, which connects to the Mississippi River. To avoid the heavy barge traffic of the lower Mississippi, most Loopers hang a left at Cairo, IL, to go up the Ohio River briefly before turning south onto the Cumberland or Tennessee Rivers.

8. The Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (The "Tenn-Tom")

This man-made waterway connects the Tennessee River to the Black Warrior-Tombigbee River system. It provides a scenic and relatively calm path through Mississippi and Alabama, ending at Mobile Bay.

9. The Gulf Coast (Crossing the "Big Bend")

From Mobile, AL, you head east along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway through the Florida Panhandle to Carrabelle. Then comes the most nerve-wracking part for many: the open-water crossing of the Gulf of Mexico (the "Big Bend") to Clearwater or Tarpon Springs.

10. The Okeechobee Waterway (Optional)

Once back on Florida's west coast, you can go all the way south around the Keys or take the "shortcut" through the center of the state via the Okeechobee Waterway (the "O") to Stuart, FL, completing your loop.

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