Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of North America's five Great Lakes. The second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. Lake Michigan is the only one among the five Great Lakes that is entirely within the United States, as the other four lakes are shared between the United States and Canada. One of the best-studied early human inhabitants of the Lake Michigan region were the Hopewell Native Americans. After 800 AD, their culture declined, and during the next few hundred years the region was home to the Late Woodland Native Americans. At the beginning of the 17th century, when Western European explorers first visited the region, they met descendants of the Late Woodland Indians: the historic Chippewa, Menominee, Sauk, Fox, Winnebago, Miami, Ottawa and Potawatomi peoples. With European exploration in the late 17th century, Lake Michigan became part of the waterway from the St. Lawrence River to the Mississippi River and from there to the Gulf of Mexico. Today, tourism and recreation are important industries across the Great Lakes. There are a few small cruise ships on Lake Michigan, including some sailing boats. The lakes are also home to many other water sports, such as sailing, sea kayaking, diving and kitesurfing. Currently, there are several ferry boats that ply the Great Lakes, taking passengers to various islands, including Beaver Island and Bois Blanc Island. The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a network of designated scenic routes connecting all the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Lake Michigan is a great place to see ice volcanoes, which usually occur at the beginning of the winter season.