Boat Access from Lake Michigan to Lake Ontario

Direct boat travel is impossible because the Niagara Escarpment creates a natural barrier (Niagara Falls) between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Welland Canal bypasses the falls but connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, not Lake Michigan. To reach Lake Ontario from Lake Michigan, vessels must transit the Great Lakes system via the Straits of Mackinac, Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Detroit River, Lake Erie, and then the Welland Canal.