Tour of Soo Locks

Ever since I toured the Panama Canal, I’ve been interested in canals and locks because of the engineering, design and construction of them.  Recently, I visited a set of locks only six hours from my home   The famous Soo Loocks of Michigan and Ontario.

For $30 per adult passenger, one can take a two hour tour through two sets of the locks.   Tours start on the St. Mary’s River, pass through the locks where the vessel is raised 21 feet with over 10 million gallons of water in less than 15 minutes, and emerge into Lake Superior.

On the Lake Superior Side of the locks, one will see iron ore and refined steel ready to be shipped out; much of it is sent to Detroit to make cars.

At this point, the boat returns to the St. Mary’s River where it enters another set of locks and is lowered 21 feet.

There are four locks on the American side (three are operational) and one set on the Canadian side.

Tours leave from Sault Ste. Marie, Mi according to the schedule below.

Addresses to the dock locations are:

~Bella