Do the Gulf & Atlantic Intracoastal Waterways Connect? Not Directly—But There Are Routes

The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW) and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (AICW) run parallel to their respective coasts but don't directly connect.

Three crossover routes:

1. Okeechobee Waterway (154 mi) – Kissimmee River → Lake Okeechobee → St. Lucie Canal → Atlantic. Part of GIWW.
2. Caloosahatchee River – Lake Okeechobee → Gulf via Charlotte Harbor.
3. Alligator Alley (I-75) – 75-mi toll road (Naples → Ft. Lauderdale) across Everglades; trailer boats between waterways.

Boaters plan "the Loop" (Great Loop) using these links to circle the eastern U.S. by water.