You’ll often see its acronym ICW on signs—and sadly you’ll probably hear the locals mispronounce it “Intercoastal Waterway”—but the casual visitor might actually find the Intracoastal Waterway difficult to spot. Relying on a natural network of interconnected estuaries and channels, combined with man-made cuts, the ICW often blends in rather subtly with the already extensive network of creeks and rivers in the area.
Mandated by Congress in 1919 and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Atlantic portion of the ICW runs from Key West to Boston and carries recreational and barge traffic away from the perils of offshore currents and weather. Even if they don’t use it specifically, kayakers and boaters often find themselves on it at some point during their nautical adventures.