The inland waterway is a series of interconnected lakes and rivers stretching more than 38 miles from Lake Huron to Crooked Lake. Before modern settlement, Native American tribes used it to communicate and trade, and European traders followed the same route to gather pelts and trade with the tribes. After settlement, the route was used primarily to move logs and supplies to local mills. During the early 1900s, tourism brought passenger boats carrying vacationers along the waterway, including trips to Mackinac Island and Bois Blanc Island. Today it is used mainly for recreation as it winds through wildlife-rich wetlands and several communities with amenities within walking distance of local dockage, making both overnight stays and day travel convenient and popular.