The Great Lakes

Don't be fooled by all the corn. Behind it lurks surfing beaches and Tibetan temples, car-free islands and the green-draped night lights of the aurora borealis. The Great Lakes takes its knocks for being middle-of-nowhere boring, so consider the moose-filled national parks and Hemingway, Dylan and Vonnegut sites to be its little secret.
Latest Stories
Book
App
Lonely Planet App on a phone
Brand New!

Get the Lonely Planet App

World Nomads travel insurance
Trusted Partner

Dreaming of The Great Lakes? Protect your trip

Travel with confidence. Protect your trip and your wallet.

We don’t represent World Nomads, we receive a fee from quotes using this link. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.

Book your United States (USA) trip with Lonely Planet Journeys

See United States (USA) how it's meant to be seen

Planned by local experts and tailored to you, Lonely Planet Journeys handles the logistics so you can just enjoy the trip. Tell us what you want and we'll build your United States (USA) itinerary from scratch, or browse our bookable trips to get inspired.

Start planning Browse itineraries

Top places to visit in The Great Lakes

Discover the best attractions in The Great Lakes from must-see sights to unexpected hidden gems.

Explore all

Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.

Explore all books

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in The Great Lakes

Lonely Planet may earn a commission from affiliate links on our site. All recommendations and reviews reflect our own independent opinions.

The Great Lakes and beyond

View all