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Chicago River Bridge Lifts Start Again Saturday Morning As Boating Season Begins. Here’s The Full Schedule

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CHICAGO — The bridges over the Chicago River will be raised twice a week starting Saturday as warm weather comes to the city.

The 27 bridges along the river from Ashland Avenue to DuSable Lake Shore Drive will begin raising 8 a.m. Saturday as recreational sailboats move from storage to Lake Michigan harbors, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.

The bridges will be raised and lowered sequentially as the boats move through. Each bridge lift takes eight to 12 minutes, according to CDOT.

Bridges will be raised twice weekly: about 9 a.m. Wednesdays and and 8 a.m. Saturdays.

The spring schedule:

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Block Club Chicago Staff

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A sure sign of fall (or spring) in Chicago is the biannual boat run, during which 27 lift bridges are sequentially opened from S. Ashland Ave. to Lake Shore Dr. in downtown Chicago. The purpose of the run is to allow the passage of recreational sailboats and large cruising vessels from boat storage yards to Lake Michigan.

The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) operates and maintains the bridges and sets the biannual boat run lift schedules. Spring boat runs are conducted from mid-April through June for the outbound trip to Lake Michigan, while fall boat runs are conducted mid-September to early November for the inbound trip back to a storage yard. The bridges open approximately 40 times a year from April to November. (Vessels that do not require an opening can set their own schedule.)

Each bridge lift takes an average of 8 to 12 minutes. The trip through downtown can take a total of 2 to 4 hours. Spring boat runs begin at one of two yacht yards–Chicago Yacht Works at Mile 321.7 (Ashland Ave.) or Canal Street Marina & Yacht Yard at Mile 323.

Starting times at the yacht yards are usually 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. The largest number of boats make the trip to Lake Michigan in May, and historically no boat run is scheduled on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Fall boat runs start at the N. Lake Shore Drive Bridge at Diversey Harbor at 9:00 a.m. on Saturdays and 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. This tradition started back in the 1800s, when Chicago was a busy crossway on the water route from Buffalo, NY to the Mississippi River.

The very first bridges that were built in 1840 started out as floating swing bridges. Next was a timber drawbridge constructed at Dearborn St. that resembled those traversing moats at medieval castles, complete with large lifting chains. In the years that followed, Chicago's bridge history included five types of movable bridges–floating, swing, vertical lift, rolling lift bascule and fixed trunnion bascule.

Ultimately, it was the trunnion bascule bridge–inspired by London Bridge–that became a Chicago staple. The first trunnion bascule bridge opened in 1902 over the north branch of the Chicago River at Cortland Street. Known as a "Chicago Style" bridge, the leaves are suspended on axles (trunnions) with massive concrete counterweights located in a riverbank pit below the bridge.

There are single-leaf bascule bridges, often used for trains, and double-leaf bascule bridges, which can best be described as two seesaws located across from each other. Today there are18 trunnion bascule bridges in a mere 2 miles in downtown Chicago.

The biannual boat runs are an interesting and, at times, chaotic experience. Expect a mix of tour boats, pleasure boats, kayakers and other paddlers in the downtown area. Be forewarned that horns will be blasting and boat engines idling during bridge lifts. If that's not nerve-wracking enough, the River Walk will likely be crowded with folks watching the parade of boats.

Another great vantage point is the top of the five-story McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum, which offers magnificent 360-degree views of the city. At the lowest level of the bridgehouse, visitors can view the moving gears as they lift the massive Michigan Avenue Bridge leaf.

You can find bridge schedules, a tour map and a historical overview at www.chicagoloopbridges.com or call 312-745-3115.

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News | Chicago River bridge lifts

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Chicago’s Downtown Bridges Span The River And The Decades

• Curious City

Chicago has the most movable bridges of any city in the world. Here are stories of the iconic bridges and the (shrinking) pool of workers who tend them.

If you’re admiring great architecture in the Loop, chances are you’re looking at skyscrapers. But if you crane your neck a bit less, you might notice an often overlooked catalogue of Chicago’s architectural movements. It’s the parade of bridgehouses along the Chicago River. Art Deco, Beaux-Arts, Modernism — all the major architectural styles that typify the city are on display in the bridgehouses that line the river.

It can be enough to drive one to distraction, as it once did for Jim Brady.

“I almost had an accident one time when I tho ught I saw a light in one of them,” Brady says. “I had to put my eyes back on Wacker Drive. So I never answered my question of if there’s any life up there.”

Brady, a journalist turned telecommunications specialist who lives in River Forest, tried to rectify this when he asked Curious City:

“Who stays in guard houses along Chicago bridges, and what do they do all day?”

As we found out, the quick answer to Jim Brady’s question is: Most of the time, nobody! But these beautiful structures still serve a function. Stories about the downtown river bridges and the workers who once tended them solidify the claim that Chicago’s relationship with its river is every bit as notable as the one it has with Lake Michigan.

Bridges to innovation

Chicago has the most movable bridges of any city in the world . There are 37 in total, including 18 along the river’s main branch downtown. Most are of a style called Bascule, from the French word for teeter-totter — drawbridges that lift up instead of swinging to the side.

Like a lot of its most impressive feats of architecture and engineering, the city’s record-setting collection of drawbridges has its origin in a very practical concern.

“We had all these big boats coming through and a pretty narrow river, so you couldn’t really build those big bridge spans that would clear those large boats,” says Ozana Balan-King, a Friends of the Chicago River employee who helps run the  McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum .

She adds that since our bridges needed to move out of the way quickly, “A lot of the movable bridge innovation in the world has really taken place here in Chicago.”

Now, a bridge for two seasons

In 1920, the modern Michigan Avenue bridge’s first year of operation, it opened 3,377 times. Back then bridgehouses were staffed around the clock and opened on demand. But the law began to favor landlubbers over boat traffic on the Chicago River, especially as commercial shipping shifted south to the Calumet Harbor.

Now bridges open only two times per week during a few months of the year: Between April and June , bridges open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to let sailboats into Lake Michigan. On the same days from late September until mid-November , they open again so sailboats can return to the Chicago River system before winter.

That system has been in place since 1994. Since they’re no longer staffed 24 hours a day, bridgehouses are usually unoccupied, though the 18th Street bridge is still staffed around the clock.

During bridge lifts, seven crews from the Chicago Department of Transportation work to open and close 27 city-owned bridges. Crews leapfrog one another to keep the process moving, but it can take up to five hours. They start between 9 and 10 a.m. to avoid the worst of the morning and afternoon rush hours.

Boat owners can talk to their boatyards about signing up for a bridge lift. To find out when lifts are scheduled, CDOT spokesman Peter Scales says to look out for press releases . James Phillips, who runs the website ChicagoLoopBridges.com , also tweets the dates of confirmed bridge lifts .

The grinding gears of bridge duty

Back when bridgehouses were staffed, bridge tending often meant more than just making sure boat traffic ran smoothly.

“There was always something burning in this area here,” said Bruce Lampson, 67, a former bridgetender. “I had two telephones: one directly to City Hall, and one to — in those days — the Illinois Bell Telephone Company.”

From 1961 until he was drafted by the Army in 1965, Lampson ran the Z-1 bridge that used to carry railroad tracks northeast across the river just north of Kinzie Street. He grew up in the area and had learned to operate the bridge by watching people work the control panel when he was a child. Instead of going to high school, Lampson lied about his age and got the job when he was just 14 years old.

“I was very tall for my age,” he says. “They never asked any questions. They just asked, ‘Can you operate a bridge?’ ”

He worked from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for six days at a time, earning two days off and $65 — not much less than his mother made working as a secretary in City Hall. In addition to opening the bridge, he sometimes had to direct street traffic with red flags when extreme heat or cold would jam the gates that kept motorists from driving into the river at the neighboring Kinzie Street bridge. But, he says, sometimes they did so anyway. He says he was once at his post on the east bank of the river when a man committed suicide.

“I watched a man jump off the [Kinzie Street] bridge, go down, pop back up almost back up to the bridge, go back into the water and that’s it. I never saw him. He just floated away under the water,” Lampson says. “I’ve seen cows, horses, livestock floating down. I’ve seen pieces of boats floating down. Anything that floated would float past you like that.”

Z-1 was a bob-tail swing bridge that spun sideways instead of lifting up like a bascule bridge. It no longer exists, but the Z-2 bridge on North Avenue has a similar design.

In the summer of 2013, Chicago Tribune reporters Hal Dardick and John Byrne interviewed departing Alderman Richard Mell , who says he “put four kids through college as bridge tenders”:

“I would get them on the second shift, from 3 to 11, where they could do their homework. Or 11 to 7, where they’d sleep, and they were getting electrician’s pay, and it was great. I helped.”

Boat traffic on the Chicago River has dried up a bit since then, and the crew that operates the city’s movable bridges has followed suit. Darryl Rouse, CDOT’s Assistant Commissioner and Superintendent of Bridges, said his staff is down from hundreds of employees during the 1970s to just 51 today. The days of sleeping or doing homework on the job, he says, are long gone — the crew is too small, Rouse says, to give bridge tenders any time to slack off.

If our question asker, Jim Brady, wants a glimpse of the way things used to be, he can drop by five bridges in the Calumet system that are staffed 24 hours a day. Milwaukee also still has several staffed bridgehouses , although many of that city’s bridges are operated automatically or by remote.

But maybe the bridgehouses themselves are enough, as Jim Brady and I learn when we tour the Bridgehouse Museum.

Brady leans out the window over Michigan Avenue. “It’s a part of Chicago that Chicago can just walk right by if you’re late for your 10 a.m. appointment,” he says. “There’s a lot going on that we just don’t see.”

Chris Bentley is a reporter for Curious City. Follow him at @Cementley .

Witness The Magic Of The First 2023 Spring Bridge Lift This Weekend In Downtown Chicago

The annual tradition raises the bridges on the Chicago River and often signals the beginning of warmer weather, calling for a celebration as we’ve made it through the winter season.

As spring makes its mark on the city, there’s plenty to do around town. From witnessing the blooming tulips on Michigan Avenue to the cherry blossom trees at Jackson Park , tulip festivals, galore , and plenty of other warm-weather activities.

This week, one of the most beloved traditions is also returning. Set your calendars for April 15th as the official first bridge lift of the season is set to occur this Saturday starting at 8 a.m. All bridge lifts are subject to boat traffic, with the departure time set for early Saturday morning.

Bridges from Lake Shore Drive to Ashland Avenue will be raised starting this weekend. Subsequently, all Chicago bridges will be raised sequentially by the CDOT, which oversees every seasonal bridge lift.

This year’s event begins at Yacht Yards and travels to Van Buren Street bridge approximately in approximately 1.5 hours. This weekend, see a parade of summertime boats float down the Chicago River as the massive bridges open thanks to two or more small but mighty 125 horsepower motors.

To accommodate sailboats and other tall vessels traveling the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, Chicago raises its bridges approximately 40 times a year , starting in April and going to November. These spectacular bridges range in age from West Randolph Street’s 28 years to West Washington Avenue’s 99 years in operation.

The Du Sable Bridge at N. Michigan Ave. is often the most famous bridge lift, with photographers lining up to capture the big moment.

Chicagoans often line the streets to witness the magic of a bridge opening, and for good reason: there’s nothing else like it in the city. As for why the bridges are movable, to begin with, well, that has to do with the number of bridges needed for traffic back in the day, and making movable bridges the most practical solution as the city became a major transportation hub.

Start times from Yacht Yards begin at 8 a.m. on weekends and 9 a.m. on weekdays. Check out the full schedule here. and make spring-tastic weekend plans with any number of exciting events happening this month.

[Featured photo via: The Chicago Architecture Center]

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Chicago bridges lift as sailboats begin journey to harbors

April 16, 2014 (WLS) -- If you were driving through the loop Wednesday and got stuck in traffic, there's a good reason for it.

Sailboat season is underway, and the bridges are being lifted so that boats can get back out on Lake Michigan.

When you hear the horn, it means the bridge is going up so that the sailboats can start heading down the Chicago River to the lake. It's been a long winter for all of us, and for boaters this archway view is a welcome sight after six cold months.

"Today is the first bridge lift run. The sailboats are coming up the river and going to their designated harbors," said Marty Seitzinger, owner of Chicago Sailboat Charters . "And for many boaters, this marks the beginning of summer."

Seitzinger is taking his three 36-foot sailboats to Belmont Harbor, where he will spend the season taking customers on charter cruises. But first he has to get there - the river may look like total pleasure, but he said it's not.

"We're going to go through 22 bridges," Seitzinger said. "It can take anywhere from five hours to 12, depending on snags."

"Snags" can include huge barges, tour boats that have the right-of-way, and sometimes a backup of too many other sailboats.

"It can be anywhere up to 30 boats and it's pretty wild," said Matt Dages, captain at Chicago Sailboat Charters.

So, it's official. The boating season is on, and for the next couple of months every Wednesday and Saturday this will be the scene. And I know what all of you drivers are thinking - why don't they wait until they get to the lake to raise the masts?

"Well, most boats are stored with their masts up all winter, so that really isn't an option for most boat owners," Seitzinger said. "And also the better equipment to step the masts is usually at the yacht yards."

It's natural to get a bit angry when sailboats jam up traffic. But then again, maybe we're not angry. Maybe we're just jealous.

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• Great Loop Information

Great Loop FAQs

The majority of the questions we receive are answered here. There are FAQs about the Great Loop route and about what the requirements are for a Great Loop-capable boat.

Questions about the Great Loop Route

What exactly is the great loop, what waterways comprise the great loop route.

Because there are several points on the route where there are choices that may send you to different waterways, we recommend you examine our Public Interactive Map.  However, the primary waterways on the basic route include:  

• The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway
• The Chesapeake Bay
• The C&D Canal
• The Atlantic Ocean from Cape May to New York Harbor (or sometimes inland waterways through part of New Jersey)
• The Hudson River
• The Erie Canal (or a popular route option on the "Triangle Loop")
• The Oswego Canal (or continue on the Erie Canal to Lake Erie)
• Lake Ontario
• The Trent-Severn Canal
• Georgian Bay
• Lake Michigan
• The Illinois River
• The Mississippi River
• The Ohio River
• The Tennessee River
• The Tenn-Tom Waterway
• The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
• The Okeechobee Waterway (or continue on the Gulf Intracoastal to the Keys)

How Many Miles Is the Great Loop?

How long does it take to do the great loop, how many states/provinces/countries are along the great loop.

The US. and Canada are usually part of the Great Loop, although one route option keeps you within the U.S. borders.  Some Loopers do a side trip to the Bahamas as well. Depending on route choices, you will go through at least 15 U.S. states and Canadian provinces, which may include:  

•     Florida
•     Georgia
•     South Carolina
•     North Carolina
•     Virginia
•     Maryland
•     Delaware
•     New Jersey
•     New York
•     Vermont
•     Quebec
•     Ontario
•     Michigan
•     Wisconsin
•     Illinois
•     Missouri
•     Kentucky
•     Tennessee
•     Mississippi
•     Alabama

Where on the Loop Is the Starting Point?

Why is the loop usually done counter-clockwise, why do aglca members fly burgees and what do the various colors mean.

The double swallow tail AGLCA burgee is the flag that binds America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association™ members. It's been called the welcome mat for Loopers and is proudly flown by our members whenever they are cruising. Members who fly an AGLCA Burgee receive instant recognition from the boating community and their fellow members.

The White Burgee is an indicator of AGLCA membership and can be flown by any of our members on any type of boat, even if it’s not your Loop boat. 

The Gold Burgee is the "Gold Standard" and is reserved for members who have completed the Great Loop Cruise.

The Platinum Burgee has been specially designed to identify our most experienced Loopers, those who have accomplished multiple Loop completions!

And, our veteran Loopers who display the Gold and Platinum Burgees as their credential of completion(s) are accorded the respect that goes with being someone who has done extensive cruising on America's Waterways.

In addition to members, AGLCA sponsors can also be seen flying burgees.

The Red Burgee represents the highest level of AGLCA sponsorship and is flown by our Admiral sponsors.

The Green Burgee represents the second highest level of AGLCA sponsorship and those sponsors are known as Commanders.

The Blue Burgee represents sponsors at the Lieutenant and Lieutenant Plus sponsorship levels.

Wherever you see one of these colors flying you can be assured that these sponsors will do whatever they can to assist you with your Great Loop journey.

Questions about Great Loop-Capable Boats

What's the best boat for the great loop, what air draft (height) restrictions are there on the great loop route.

The lowest unavoidable fixed bridge on the Great Loop is currently charted at 19.6’ and is located at mile 300.6 on the Illinois River.  The boat you intend to use for the Loop must be able to clear that bridge.  Some members with taller boats are able to get under 19.6’ by lowering antenna, radar arches, etc.  About 8% of our members have sailboats.  Most sailboats will need to unstep the mast to clear the bridges outside of Chicago and upstate New York.   Your choice of waterways through New York State and into Canada will also be dependent on your air draft.  If you can clear a 15' bridge, you have the option to take the Erie Canal to its western terminus into Lake Erie.  If you can clear a 17' bridge, you can do the "triangle loop" that takes you into Lake Champlain and through the St. Lawrence Seaway into Lake Ontario. (As an additional option on the triangle loop, if you can clear many eight foot bridges, you can take the historic, charming and free Lachine Canal through Montreal rather than the Seaway locks.) The final option is to take the Erie Canal to the Oswego canal to Lake Ontario. That route requires you to clear 21' bridges. Your air draft will also dictate which route you take off Lake Michigan.  To cruise the Chicago River through downtown, you must be able to clear 17' bridges.  If you can't clear that, you will take the Cal-Sag Canal which is south of Chicago to the Illinois River.

What Is the Maximum Water Draft (Depth) for a Boat Doing the Great Loop?

What is the maximum length for a boat to do the great loop, what is the maximum beam (width) for a great loop boat, what fuel range does my boat need to have.

Most of these were swing bridges, which turned on a center pier to swing out of the way of ships. The narrow channel saw frequent collisions between sailing ships and bridges, spurring the search for other solutions.

Dennis McClendon

Cruising the Great Loop: Chicago, Illinois to Mobile, Alabama

This segment of the Great Loop is a trip through America's heartland of more than 1,000 miles on the inland rivers. Chicago is the last big city you see until you reach the Gulf of Mexico. Many areas are rather remote, and all but very fast boats will likely have to spend a few nights at anchor on this segment because of the lack of marinas. This segment includes the westernmost point on the Great Loop as well as the longest distance between fuel stops. There are several locks along the way operated by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

Starting Point on The Great Loop

Hammond marina * (hammond, indiana) or dusable harbor (chicago, illinois).

Hammond Marina is just 12 nautical miles from downtown Chicago and is adjacent to the Horseshoe Casino. Visitors enjoy activities that appeal to every age, all of which are linked together by a two-mile pedestrian trail.In the heart of downtown Chicago at Navy Pier, DuSable Harbor offers more than 400 slips for vessels up to 60 feet and complimentary pump-out.

LEG 1. Harborside Marina

Wilmington, illinois.

Estimated Mileage: 55 nmWhen departing Chicago, two routes continue your Great Loop cruise. Route one via the Chicago River is a scenic cruise through downtown to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. There are more than 40 bridges within five miles. The lowest bridge has a fixed vertical clearance at 18.5 feet.Route two via the Calumet River to the Calumet-Saganashkee Channel is the only option if vessels cannot clear the lowest bridge.

Regardless of which route is taken from Lake Michigan, boaters eventually arrive at the lowest fixed bridge on the Great Loop. At Mile 300.5 on the Illinois River is a fixed railroad bridge that is charted at 19.6 feet. Reaching Mile 288, many cruisers on the Great Loop opt to tie up overnight at Joliet City Dock which offers complimentary power and dockage.Brandon Road Lock and Dam is located at Mile 286.

Reaching Mile 273.33 near the mouth of the Kankakee River southwest of Joliet, dockage is available at Harborside Marina, which offers a full-service facility for any type of vessel.

LEG 2. Starved Rock Marina

Ottawa, illinois.

Estimated Mileage: 48 nmShortly after departing Wilmington, boaters reach the Dresden Island Lock and Dam at Mile 271.5.At Mile 240, directly adjacent to Starved Rock State Park in Ottawa, is Starved Rock Marina, a full-service port with on-site bar and grill, boutique and water-sport rentals.

If the cruise from Ottawa to Peoria Heights is too lengthy to complete in one leg, consider docking at Henry Harbor Marina in Henry, Ill. at Mile 196.

LEG 3. Illinois Valley Yacht Club

Peoria heights, illinois.

Estimated Mileage: 76 nmDirectly off the Illinois River boaters can find dockage at Illinois Valley Yacht Club, complete with a fuel dock, laundry and restroom facilties, and a recently renovated clubhouse. Peoria, Ill. is on the Illinois River at Mile 168.

LEG 4. Tall Timbers Marina

Havana, illinois.

Estimated Mileage: 48 nmAbove the confluence of the Illinois River and Mississippi River, four miles downstream of Peoria at Mile 157.6, is Peoria Lock and Dam. On the Illinois River at Mile 120, vessels up to 50 feet in length can tie up at Tall Timbers Marina in Havana, Ill.

LEG 5. Port Charles Harbor*

St. charles, missouri.

Estimated Mileage: 121 nmContinuing downstream, you will find several small towns but few facilities for docking. Since this is a long leg, consider taking two days to cruise with overnight at an anchor.

Full-service Port Charles Harbor in St. Charles hosts a large fuel dock with ValvTect fuel, pump-out station, a ship's store and newly upgraded restroom and shower facilities.

LEG 6. Hoppies Marina

Kimmswick, missouri.

Estimated Mileage: 63 nmWhen departing for Kimmswick, plan to get an early start as commercial traffic has priority through the two busy locks on this leg.The Mississippi and Missouri rivers converge at Mile 195.3 on the Upper Mississippi.

At Mile 158.5, stop over at Hoppies Marina, as this facility is the last option for fuel for about 200 miles and is also a short walk from downtown.

LEG 7. Paducah, Kentucky

Estimated Mileage: 205 nmPlan to anchor on this long stretch of the Upper Mississippi. Facilities for pleasure craft are few and far between, but fuel can be purchased at Kidd River City Fuel, located at Mile 51.9.

At Mile 0 on the Upper Mississippi, the Great Loop route for most Loopers takes a turn onto the Ohio River. The junction of the Ohio and Upper Mississippi rivers is at the Ohio River Mile 981.Paducah is located on the Ohio River at Mile 934.5, which is also the junction of the Tennessee River.

LEG 8. Green Turtle Bay Resort *

Grand rivers, kentucky.

Estimated Mileage: 93 nmThis leg of the Great Loop includes another route choice. Route one turns onto the Tennessee River at Paducah. The Tennessee River runs from the south to the north, keep in mind that red buoys are now on your right and green will be on your left and the right descending bank is now on your left as this leg is on an upbound river.

Many Loopers opt for Route two, traveling 12 miles farther on the Ohio to the Cumberland River to bypass a long wait on the Tennessee River at the Kentucky Lake Lock and Dam. On this route, the Cumberland River intersects the Ohio River at Kentucky Chute.The Barkley Lock & Dam is at Mile 30.6. Loopers take the Barkley Canal at Mile 33 to cross into Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River.

Green Turtle Bay Marina is a must-stop destination for cruisers. This full-service marina features more than 450 slips for vessels up to 100 feet and offers ValvTect fuel, on-site Dockers Bayside Grille, provisioning and spa services.

LEG 9. Cuba Landing Marina

Waverly, tennessee.

Estimated Mileage: 55 nmCruise up the Tennessee River to the full-service Cuba Landing Marina at Mile 115.5 for access to ethanol-free fuel, provisioning, upgraded bath and laundry facilities.

LEG 10. Clifton Marina

Clifton, tennessee.

Estimated Mileage: 43 nmFarther up the banks of the Tennessee River in Clifton sits recently renovated Clifton Marina at Mile 158.8. The full-service facility has recently undergone over $1 million in improvements.

LEG 11. Grand Harbor Marina *

Iuka, mississippi.

Estimated Mileage: 57 nmLocated at Mile 449.7, about nine miles upstream of Pickwick Dam, boaters can tie up at Grand Harbor Marina. The marina offers dockage for vessels up to 70 feet and has all of the top-notch facilities you expect to find at the ultimate marina resort.

Grand Harbor is at the entrance to the Divide Cut, which marks the beginning of the man-made canal that connects the Tennessee River with the Tombigbee River. Turn into Yellow Creek at the Mississippi/ Tennessee state border.

LEG 12. Fulton, Mississippi

Estimated Mileage: 56 nmOn the way to Fulton there are three locks: Jamie Whitten Lock at Mile 411.9, G.V.; Montgomery Lock at Mile 406.7; and John Rankin Lock at Mile 398.4. After crossing through the three locks, cruise to Fulton located at Mile 392.

LEG 13. Columbus Marina

Columbus, mississippi.

Estimated Mileage: 59 nmContinuing on to Columbus, boaters cruise through several locks: Fulton Lock at Mile 391.0; Glover Wilkins Lock at Mile 376.3; Amory Lock and Dam at Mile 371.1; Aberdeen Lock and Dam at Mile 357.5; and John C. Stennis Lock and Dam at Mile 334.7.

Conclude this leg at Mile 335 at Columbus Marina, located four miles from Columbus' city center that's full of shopping and restaurants.

LEG 14. Demopolis Yacht Basin

Demopolis, alabama.

Estimated Mileage: 119 nmDeparting Columbus, boaters approach two locks: Tom Bevill Lock at Mile 306.8 and Howell Heflin Lock and Dam at Mile 266.Most Loopers include an overnight stop and anchor at the Cochran Cutoff at Mile 287.3.

Your next destination is Demopolis Yacht Basin at Mile 216.7, which is near scenic walking trails and downtown Demopolis.

LEG 15. Coffeeville, Alabama

Estimated Mileage: 98 nmShortly after leaving Demopolis, you reach the Demopolis Lock & Dam at Mile 213.3. This leg requires an overnight anchorage at Bashi Creek at Mile 145.

Coffeeville at Mile 118.9 is the location of Bobby's Fish Camp, where boaters can dock for the night and fuel up.

LEG 16. Dog River Marina

Mobile bay, alabama.

Estimated Mileage: 119 nmIf the trip from Coffeeville to Mobile Bay is too extensive for one day, an anchorage can be found at Three Rivers Lake at Mile 63.0.

This final leg of the inland rivers on the Great Loop includes the Coffeeville Lock & Dam at Mile 116.6.

Arriving in Mobile Bay marks a milestone completing the inland rivers portion of the trip. You will find plenty of opportunities to get provisions and prepare for your Gulf crossing.

For dockage, Dog River Marina offers a convenient facility where hospitality, service and facilities are at their finest. Explore one of the oldest and most charming cities in the country filled with art, museums, historical sites and fresh seafood.

*Denotes AGLCA Sponsor Marinas

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Chicago Boat Show, a McCormick Place staple, will move to Rosemont

Organizers said the relocation decision came after multiple conversations with exhibitors and market research..

A man walks by some of the vessels on display from dealer The Boat House at January’s Chicago Boat Show at McCormick Place.

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

The annual Chicago Boat Show will be moving next year out of its longtime home at McCormick Place, organizers announced Thursday.

After 92 years, Chicago’s largest boat show will debut at Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on Jan. 8-12, 2025.

The decision came after multiple conversations with exhibitors, said Darren Envall, vice president at National Marine Manufacturers Association, organizer of the event. Market analysis and boater feedback were also factors for the shift to Rosemont, which is closer to suburban boaters.

“The more centralized Rosemont ... location positions the show for growth, accommodating the expanding boating population across a broader Chicagoland region,” Envall said in a news release.

Next year’s show is expected to feature more fishing boats, which cater to suburban and recreational boaters, a large customer base. The average boater’s income is $100,000 or less, Envall told the Sun-Times, so the convention will display more entry-level boats. However, the event will still showcase million-dollar yachts, he added.

Outdoor industries, including boating, became more popular during the pandemic when people could enjoy being outside while remaining socially distant from others, Envall said.

In 2022, the number of outdoor recreation participants grew 2.3% to a record high of more than 168 million people, or 55% of the U.S. population ages 6 and older, according to a 2023 report from the Outdoor Industry Association.

January’s Chicago Boat Show was expected to attract about 40,000 visitors from Illinois, Michigan, Indiana and southern Wisconsin. Exhibitors displayed some 400 fishing boats, deck boats, ski boats, wake boats, pontoons and yachts ranging in price from less than $10,000 to more than $1 million. But only 18,169 visitors turned out, said Envall, citing bad weather.

He expects next year's show to have 40,000 attendees, along with exhibitors from multiple states in the region.

In the last decade, the show has evolved from boats, recreational vehicles and sailing vessels to strictly a boat exhibition, which Envall said was also a deciding factor for moving to Rosemont.

Other outdoor industry events staging shows at the DES Convention Center include the Chicago RV & Camping Show, the Chicago Golf Show and the Travel & Adventure Show.

The DES Convention Center has 840,000 square feet of exhibition space, compared to 2.6 million square feet of exhibit halls at McCormick Place.

Watch CBS News

Chicago Boat Show leaving McCormick Place for Rosemont

By Adam Harrington, Jason Cooper

Updated on: March 14, 2024 / 8:45 PM CDT / CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- The Chicago Boat Show will retain its name, but beginning next year, it won't be in Chicago anymore.

The Discover Boating Chicago Boat Show, as it is now known, dates back more than 90 years. Published reports indicate the event was originally at Navy Pier, but archive video shows the event at McCormick Place as far back as 1961 – the first full year the convention center was in operation.

McCormick Place first opened in the fall of 1960, and had to be rebuilt from the ground up after a fire in 1967. The convention center now comprises four buildings with 2.6 million square feet of operation.

The Chicago Boat Show occupied some of those 2.6 million square feet this past January, it will be home to the Boat Show no more.

In 2025, the Boat Show will instead be held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Organizers said they decided to move after "thorough market analysis, exhibitor demand, and boater feedback."

"After consulting with stakeholders and in-depth analysis, the best path forward is producing the Discover Boating Chicago Boat Show at the DES Convention Center," said Darren Envall, Vice President of Midwest Boat & Sportshows for the National Marine Manufacturers Association . "The more centralized Rosemont, Illinois, location positions the show for growth, accommodating the expanding boating population across a broader Chicagoland region, from the city and surrounding neighborhoods to the suburbs and exurbs of Chicago, and surrounding states."

The organization said the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center will host large and small boat exhibitors from an area spanning Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Next year's Chicago Boat Show will be held at the Stephens Convention Center from Jan. 8-12, 2025.

• McCormick Place

Adam Harrington is a web producer at CBS News Chicago.

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