Can You Swim Across Lake Michigan? Yes, But It’s Not Easy

I have quite a few friends who live on either the East or West Coast and constantly try to invalidate the splendor that is Lake Michigan, a lake so large you can't see the other side. The next question that tends to follow is,

Can you see Chicago from there?

Which, no, we don't see it, though that would be pretty cool. However, it does raise an interesting point: if one really wanted to, could they swim across the entirety of Lake Michigan from one shore to another, and if they did, how long would it take?

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Swimming Holland to Milwaukee

Committing to the audacious task of swimming across Lake Michigan is a bold undertaking for multiple reasons. Firstly, it's dangerous. You're crossing about 80 miles of open water. That's 80 miles of you needing to support yourself (thankfully, there are no sharks to worry about).

But I guess that's not entirely accurate, because one man known as "The Shark" has been in the news for his previous swimming records across all 5 Great Lakes. Jim Dreyer, who recently attempted to swim from Michigan to Wisconsin at the age of 60, successfully crossed Lake Michigan back in 1998.

READ MORE: Check Out These Other 'Great Lakes' Around Michigan |

However, it was a very time-consuming task. Dreyer's successful crossing saw him take a route that covered 65 miles and took 40 hours and 56 minutes to complete. His recent attempt to do the 80-mile swim discussed above saw him pulled from the water on his third day of swimming.

So based on someone who successfully did this swim, it is an incredibly draining and time-consuming task but it is technically possible if you have the proper assistance, time, and supplies.