Florida is an important part of the Great Loop, and the Okeechobee Waterway provides an inland connection between the Gulf of Mexico and Florida's Atlantic coast. Instead of continuing around the Florida Keys, Loopers can cross southern Florida, traveling from the Fort Myers area through the Caloosahatchee River, Lake Okeechobee, and the St. Lucie Canal toward Stuart. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) describes the Okeechobee Waterway as a 155-mile-long channel extending from Fort Myers to Stuart, with a maintained depth ranging from approximately 8 to 10 feet. The waterway combines natural waterways and engineered navigation channels and supports both recreational and commercial navigation. What Is the Okeechobee Waterway? The Okeechobee Waterway, commonly called the "Big O," connects the Gulf of Mexico with Florida's Atlantic coast. For Great Loop cruisers, it provides an inland alternative to continuing south along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway toward the F...

One of the most significant waterways for boaters making America's Great Loop voyage is the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Rather than being one continuous canal, it is a network of various water bodies such as rivers, bays, sounds, canals, etc. The mileage of the Intracoastal Waterway, according to NOAA, begins from Mile 0.0 in Norfolk, Virginia, and ends at Mile 1243.8 in Key West, Florida. The maintenance of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway from Norfolk to Miami lies under the Norfolk District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. What Is the Intracoastal Waterway? ICW is not a single canal; rather, it consists of various canals. ICW miles have been used by the NOAA to mark location points in the ICW with Mile 0.0 in Norfolk and Mile 1243.8 at Key West. The design depth along sections of the federal project is different, but the dimensions of the federal project are not always real-time controlling depths. According to NOAA, the federal project is providing 12 feet from Norfolk t...

The Atlantic Coast is among the most diverse navigation segments on the Great Loop. Unlike other navigational routes that are open waters only, the Atlantic Coast has the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), sounds, bays, rivers, canals, and tidal waterways. The normal route for northbound traffic is the ICW route through Florida up to Norfolk, Virginia, and onward through the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay area, New Jersey, New York, and onto the Hudson River. Atlantic Coast Route Description The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway has a protected passage behind the Atlantic Coast. According to NOAA's 2026 U.S. Coast Pilot, the ICW is a toll-free waterway running over 1,243 statute miles from Norfolk, Virginia, to Key West, Florida. ICW mileage starts at Mile 0 from Norfolk to about Mile 1,243.8 at Key West. There are different segments and options in the ICW that boaters cannot take for granted. i-Boating's GPS Nautical Charts Great Loop  allows for interactive planning of the route...