Mackinac Island is a nearly secret place in Michigan that hardly anyone outside of the state knows about or visits. It’s hidden in northern Michigan in between the top of the mitten and the upper peninsula.
On the island, there are no motorized vehicles and life moves at a much slower pace. There are few places to stay and none of them are chain hotels.
Once there, you can hike, bike, or horseback ride. Non-motorized watersports, like kayaking, are popular too. At night, you might go for dinner, or watch the stars. Post-dinner entertainment and dessert will likely be a fudge-making demonstration.
That’s it. That’s about all there is to do on this secluded, secret island. But a visit there will leave you feeling like you’ve gone back in time – because you have.
1. Ferry Ride Alongside a Great Bridge
You can only get to the island by boat. Most people take Shepler’s Ferry. It’s the only ferry you’ll take that passes underneath an architectural wonder – the “Mighty Mac.”
Fun fact: The massive Mackinac Bridge is nearly five miles long and is the world’s 26th-longest suspension bridge. It connects the lower and upper peninsula of Michigan.
At the end of the ferry ride, you are deposited on the docks, where horse-drawn carriage taxis will take you a short ride up the hill to the small downtown.
The downtown looks like something out of the 1800s with a dirt main street, wood sidewalks, independent shops, and restaurants. But it doesn’t look like it’s from the 1880s. It actually is.
2. Why there are no cars on Mackinac Island
To get around the island, you can ride a horse or in a carriage, or you can ride a bike … that’s about it. What you won’t ride in on Mackinac Island is a car. They’re not allowed. At. All.
Authorities have banned cars on Mackinac Island since they were invented because they scared horses. They made the ban law in 1960.
Fun fact: M-185 is the only state highway in the country where motor vehicles are not allowed.
But, never fear, if you’re not a big walker or a fan of horsepower, there are over 1,400 bicycles available for rent. I once rented a tandem with my daughter. We tried to bike all around the island. We didn’t make it and got a bit lost trying to cut through the woods halfway, but you might have better luck.
On another visit, I rented a horse instead of a bike. I don’t know which experience was worse. That darn horse would not listen to me and kept backing up into bushes to try and get me off its back. If I went again, I’d opt for my feet. They’re more reliable.
3. The World’s Largest Porch
The Grand Hotel’s front porch is so big it could be a “your momma” joke. No, really, it’s so big you can actually see it from the ferry on the ride to the island.
It has been around since the 1890s, and at 660 feet, it’s the most enormous porch in the world. The views from the patio are amazing, but you have to be a posh guest to sit among the rocking chairs that line the porch promenade. Or, you can pay a small fee to sit on the porch. What you can’t do is just walk up on it without paying one way or the other.
Fun fact: The movie, “Somewhere in Time,” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour was filmed on the island and the porch is featured.
I got a great deal and steep discount one year and stayed at the hotel; they turned down the bed covers and left chocolates on your pillow. It’s all very charming. But, if you’d instead visit the porch, it’ll cost you $10 per person or just $5 per child. It’s a relative bargain!
The hotel is a blast from the past and leaves you feeling like you’ve stepped back in time. Plus, the multi-course dinners are elegant and seem exactly like they’d have done it 200 years ago.
4. Mackinac Island Fudge
Mackinac Island Fudge is world-famous, and candy makers produce more than 10,000 pounds of fudge each day. Each day. During my visits, I’ve consumed a fair amount of tonnage myself.
Many shops downtown make the fudge in windows, putting on a show and giving away free samples. Nobody leaves without buying several boxes. Nobody. You’ve been warned. Even if you don’t eat it, you need to buy it to give as gifts to friends and family who might learn that you’ve been to the island. I’ve lost friends neglecting to do this.
5. Mackinac Island Lilac Festival
I once went to Mackinac during the week-long lilac festival that takes place in June. Growing conditions on the island are perfect for this tree and the entire island is covered in purple, pink and white flower clusters.
During Lilac Festival the entire island smells like lilac. It wafts through the air. Nearly every shop sells soaps and lotions and other items made from native lilac fragrances.
Fun fact: According to the Michigan Big Tree register, the largest lilac tree in Michigan is on Mackinac Island.
6. Arch Rock
The most famous rock formations on the island, this arch towers above the water, are more than fifty feet wide. Arch rock attracts many tourists and can be reached by foot, taxi, carriage or bike. You can also view the rock from below on the perimeter tour of the island.
There are many unique rock formations along the island’s perimeter, which you can see by bike, carriage or kayak as you go around the road that outlines the entire island. It’s only four square miles.
All along the way, you’ll see rocks stacked on top of each in the universal symbol hikers leave to indicate you’re going in the right direction. Since it’s a circle, you can’t really go the wrong way, but the rocks look nice.
Fun fact: Native Americans called Mackinac Island, Michilimackinac, meaning “place of the great turtle.” Not because there were turtles, but because the island is sort of shaped like one.
The island is always “open” but most businesses are closed during the winter. Everything reopens in May through October.
Read other stories about Michigan here.
2 Comments