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Mackinac Island, Mackinac Island, MI

Photo: August Schwerdfeger, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingIconicFamily FavoriteFree

Mackinac Island

Lake Huron, by ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace · Mackinac Island, MI

Why you should go…

Mackinac Island has restricted motor vehicles since the end of the nineteenth century, so you get around by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or on foot. Ferries cross from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. More than 80 percent of the island is state park, with Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch, and Fort Mackinac, built by the British in 1780. M-185 circles the shore for eight miles as a state highway without cars, and downtown you will find fudge shops and the 1887 Grand Hotel.

  • #car-free island
  • #horse-drawn carriages
  • #fudge
  • #bike rides
  • #state park

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Mackinac Island, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Stay
    Iconic

    Grand Hotel

    Under $25

    Stroll the 660-foot front porch of this 1887 island resort, tour its gardens, or stay over and arrive by horse-drawn carriage.

    0.7 mi awaySwitch it up: Stay

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Fort Mackinac

    Under $25

    Explore a hilltop military outpost built during the American Revolution, with costumed interpreters, cannon and rifle firings.

    0.9 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Arch Rock

    Free

    You climb 207 steps or bike Arch Rock Road to see a limestone arch framing Lake Huron far below.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    Mackinac Bridge

    Under $25

    Drive five miles across the Straits of Mackinac on the suspension bridge that links Michigan's two peninsulas.

    5.6 mi awayMore like this

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Colonial Michilimackinac

    Under $25

    A reconstructed 18th-century fort at the Straits of Mackinac where costumed interpreters give live demonstrations.

    7.2 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    Tahquamenon Falls State Park

    Under $25

    Walk a boardwalk to the amber Upper Falls, then rent a rowboat to reach the island at the Lower Falls.

    58 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor