Lake Michigan

Gazing across the shimmering expanse of Lake Michigan, it’s hard to believe you’re in the heart of Chicago. This isn’t just any lake. It’s a vast inland sea, so big you can see past the horizon. Lake Michigan’s name comes from the Ojibwa word “mishigami,” meaning “great water,” and it truly lives up to its name. The French explorers were some of the first Europeans to encounter Lake Michigan in the 1600s. They initially called it “Grand Lac,” among other names. Eventually, interactions with Native American tribes led to its current name. Lake Michigan holds the distinction of being the only one of the five Great Lakes entirely within the United States. It’s the largest lake entirely within one country by surface area. Twelve million people live along Lake Michigan’s shores. The bustling cities of Chicago and Milwaukee dominate the landscape, but smaller towns in Northern Michigan and Wisconsin rely on tourism drawn to the lake’s beauty. Did you know that Chicago boasts a stunning 28 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, dotted with 33 beaches? Feel the soft sand between your toes as you gaze out at the seemingly endless expanse of water. It’s like having a beach vacation right here in the city. And the fun doesn’t stop there. Lake Michigan is a vital part of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway. This means that, despite being so far inland, it plays a role in international commerce. Imagine huge ships carrying goods from around the world, right here on this lake. While Lake Michigan is usually ice-free and open for shipping, the harbors do freeze over from mid-December to mid-April, making navigation challenging. Interestingly, the Chicago River originally flowed into Lake Michigan. But in 1900, engineers reversed its flow to improve sanitation and navigation. Now, it flows away from the lake, through a canal system. Lake Michigan’s ecology is a fascinating mix of native and introduced species. Overfishing led to a decline in lake trout, which in turn caused an explosion in the alewife population. To combat this, coho and chinook salmon were introduced, and they did their job so well that salmon fishing became a major sport.