The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes system is a truly unique feature of the North American Continent. Because they are connected via canals or rivers, one is able to navigate from the Atlantic Ocean a distance of 2300 miles into the interior of the continent.

The St. Marys River connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron.
The St. Clair River connects Lake Huron to Lake St. Clair.
The Detroit River connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. Through its middle is the border between Canada and the United States.
The Niagara River, including Niagara Falls, connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
The St. Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean.
Lakes Michigan and Huron are hydrologically a single lake, sometimes called Lake Michigan-Huron; they have the same surface elevation of 577 feet (176 m), and are connected not by a river but by the 295-foot (90 m) deep Straits of Mackinac.