GreatLakesCruises.com is a sales agent for every cruise line that operates on the Great Lakes.
GreatLakesCruises.com is a sales agent for every cruise line that operates on the Great Lakes.
Inviting you onto the waters of one of the most beautiful lakes in North America, Lake Superior cruises are an immersive, sought-after experience that can only leave you wanting more. The largest and most northern of the five Great Lakes, Lake Superior is a massive body of water, measuring nearly 32,000 square miles in its surface area, and surrounded by nearly 3,000 miles of shoreline.
Lake Superior has been used for all kinds of trade for as long as the historical record goes. It was originally settled by Archaic peoples around 8,000 BCE, and then the Laurel and Ojibwe (also known as the Chippewa in the US) tribes, where metals and other goods were commonly traded. Later on, the Hudson Bay Company began trading furs during the 1600s. Then, the very first Soo Locks were made by 1793, allowing travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. And eventually in 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened, creating a clear path for trade across North America, directly through The Great Lakes.
| Elevation | 601 ft | Avg Depth | 483 ft | Length of Shoreline | 2,726 mi |
| Surface Area | 31,700 mi² | Max Depth | 1,332 ft | Avg Surface Temp | 43º F |
| Drainage Area | 49,300 mi² | Length (N-S) | 160 mi | Retention Time | 191 years |
| Volume of Water | 2,900 mi³ | Length (E-W) | 350 mi | Avg Outflow | 76,000 f³/s |
| Elevation | 183 m | Avg Depth | 147 m | Length of Shoreline | 4,385 km |
| Surface Area | 82,100 km² | Max Depth | 406 m | Avg Surface Temp | 6º C |
| Drainage Area | 127,700 km² | Length (N-S) | 257 km | Retention Time | 191 years |
| Volume of Water | 12,100 km³ | Length (E-W) | 563 km | Avg Outflow | 2,152 m³/s |
Read more on the “Physical Features of the Great Lakes” from the EPA
With our selection of Lake Superior cruises, you’ll have the chance to see all these, passing the Keweenaw Peninsula and the towering cliffs of the Sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay.
The large lake also happens to feature many of the best Great Lakes destinations, including Thunder Bay, the Apostle Islands, and Duluth. More often than not, you’ll have the chance to get out and explore the cities and natural areas your ship stops in, due to the smaller, more navigable nature of cruise ships traveling the lakes. Many of our cruise lines, like Viking Expeditions and Ponant Explorers, also offer Lake Superior boat tours aboard small Zodiac boats. These exciting tours get you up close to nature, unique birdwatching opportunities, and wild rock formations you wouldn’t see otherwise — unless you went for a not-so-fun swim.
Thornapple River Rail Series presents Michigan’s Iron Ore Trail: The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Ore Dock.
The Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad’s Ore Dock has stood above the waters of Lake Superior for over a hundred years, serving as the gateway to the steel mills for ore from the Marquette Iron Range. With 200 pockets, this classic gravity-drop pocket dock has served its function continuously since it opened, except for the brief winter shutdown when the lakes freeze over.
On your Lake Superior cruise, you’ll have the opportunity to see key parts of the Iron Ore Trail firsthand, a representation of one of the area’s biggest resources.
