A Coast Guard follows a cruise ship through the locks in late August. The locks are closed between January and March each year due to ice. Photo: Carol Terracina Hartman
With more than 10,000 vessels traversing the Locks each year, the Soo Locks allow a variety of ships to pass from Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes efficiently and safely. The Soo Locks are located on the St. Marys River between Lake Superior and Lake Huron, between Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and Ontario, Canada. They bypass the rapids of the river, where the water drops 21 feet. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge between the United States and Canada permits vehicular traffic to pass over the locks.