America’s Intracoastal Waterway is a network of canals, inlets, bays, and rivers that run the length of the Eastern Seaboard from Portsmouth, Virginia, to the Florida Keys, and along the Gulf of Mexico from Apalachee Bay to Brownsville, Texas. The ribbon of water is divided into the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Together they provide navigable routes for commercial barges and light water-borne pleasure crafts, away from the hazards of the open sea. Traveling the entire length of the Intracoastal Waterway involves a journey of about 3,000 miles, with connections to the Great Loop offering access to an additional 4,500 miles of inland waterways.