Surrounded in the north by the province of Ontario in Canada and the US states of Minnesota and Michigan and Wisconsin on the other sides, Lake Superior was officially discovered in the 17th century by French Explorers. Henry Wordsworth Longfellow wrote about it in his poetry and Gordon Lightfoot sang about it in his song.
This unusual lake has over 200 rivers which empty their waters into it, and it is also the coldest lake among the Great lakes. The storms of this lake can give rise to wave’s over20m in height, and many of them are responsible for the innumerable shipwrecks which have taken place here. The southern shore of this great lake has been known as the “Graveyard of the Great Lakes “. Many of these shipwrecks are now preserved and have become something of a tourist attraction.
Most of the towns which border this lake are old mining and shipping centres. Tourism is now one of their major money spinners, but earlier their main commerce sectors were fur trading and fishing and mining.
The rugged countryside of Lake Superior, specially on the Canadian side and around Wisconsin, has become very popular with adventure seeking tourists. There are many parks and trails and there are regions where walks and camping sites abound.
The best way to see and travel around Lake Superior and the other great lakes is by taking the Great Lakes Circle Tour. This is a scenic road transport system and covers over 15,000 kilometres. It traverses around the shores of all the lakes and it is the closest highway to the water.
Lake Superior is also a fisherman’s paradise. There are over 80 species of fish available here, but overfishing has led to a decline in the fish population. Efforts are being made to increase the number of fish and also to renew the nutrients in the Lake.
