There are few places in the United States where you can step off a ferry and find yourself in a world without cars, where the clip-clop of horses on asphalt replaces the hum of engines, and where Victorian-era hotels and fudge shops line a waterfront that looks almost exactly as it did a century ago. Mackinac Island, sitting in the Straits of Mackinac between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, is exactly that place. Motor vehicles are banned on the island with a handful of exceptions, and the result is a destination that manages to be both genuinely historic and enormously enjoyable to visit. It is one of Michigan’s most beloved destinations and one of the most distinctive places in the entire Midwest.
Getting to the Island
Mackinac Island is accessible only by ferry or small plane. Three ferry companies, Arnold Line, Shepler’s, and Star Line, operate from two mainland ports: Mackinaw City on the Lower Peninsula and St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula. The ferry ride takes about 15 to 20 minutes from either port, offering fine views of the Mackinac Bridge as you cross the straits. Ferries run frequently throughout the day during the tourist season, which runs roughly from May through October. The island’s year-round population is only a few hundred people, and most businesses close for the winter months.
Once you step off the ferry, the transition is immediate. The absence of cars is not just a quirk; it reshapes the entire experience of the place. The air smells of horses and fudge. The pace slows. The streets, lined with Victorian storefronts and flowering gardens, invite walking. Even the most hurried visitor tends to downshift within minutes of arriving.
Getting Around: Bikes, Carriages, and Feet
The most popular way to explore Mackinac Island is by bicycle. The perimeter road, M-185, is the only state highway in the country that bans motor vehicles, and cycling it is a genuine pleasure. The road hugs the island’s shoreline for 8.2 miles and provides constantly changing views of the straits, passing limestone formations, historic landmarks, and stretches of rocky beach. Bikes can be rented from several shops near the ferry docks, and the circuit typically takes one to two hours depending on how many stops you make.
Horse-drawn carriages are the island’s other signature transportation mode. Carriage tours offer narrated circuits of the island’s highlights and are an excellent option for visitors who prefer a more leisurely experience. Private horse-drawn taxis are available for hire as well. Saddle horses can be rented for trail riding in the island’s interior, where a network of trails winds through the forest and connects to spectacular limestone formations.
Historic Highlights
Fort Mackinac, perched high on the bluffs above the downtown, is the island’s premier historical attraction. Built by the British in 1780 during the American Revolution, the fort is one of the best-preserved military forts in the Great Lakes region. It remained an active military installation until 1895, when it was turned over to the State of Michigan and eventually became a state historic site. Today the fort is staffed by costumed interpreters who bring its history to life through demonstrations, re-enactments, and daily cannon firings that echo across the straits. The views from the fort’s ramparts over the island, the harbor, and the distant Mackinac Bridge are outstanding.
Mission Point Resort occupies the site of a 19th-century Protestant mission and is one of the island’s largest and most scenic resort properties, with sweeping lawns running down to the water’s edge. Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch rising 146 feet above the Lake Huron shoreline, is one of the island’s most photographed natural landmarks and is accessible by a short hike or by the perimeter road.
The Grand Hotel
The Grand Hotel is Mackinac Island’s most iconic institution and one of the most famous hotels in the country. Built in 1887, the hotel features the world’s longest porch at 660 feet, stretching the full width of the building and offering spectacular views of the straits and the Mackinac Bridge. The hotel is a National Historic Landmark and has hosted every U.S. president since Kennedy. A strict dress code requires gentlemen to wear jackets after 6 p.m., and the hotel maintains an atmosphere of formal elegance that harks back to the Victorian era. Non-guests can visit the porch for a fee, which is well worth paying for the view and the experience of sitting in a rocking chair with Lake Huron spread out before you.