The Ultimate Guide to Mackinac Island
The Ultimate Guide to Mackinac Island has been updated for the 2024 season!
About Mackinac Island - An Island of Immense History and Importance
Mackinac Island’s history dates back to the pre-Columbus days as Indigenous Americans used the Island as a burial ground for their tribal chiefs. Mackinac was considered sacred by the Anishinaabe people as they believed Mackinac Island’s Sugar Loaf to be the home of the Great Spirit. The Anishinaabe remained in control of the land they called “Mitchimakinak” (The Great Turtle) until the 1600s when French explorers visited.
By the late 1600s, Mackinac Island had become a home to the French Fur Trading Company and had been visited by Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit Priest, who tried to convert the Indigenous Americans.
Following the French and Indian War, the British took control of the Straits of Mackinac (the area where Lake Huron and Lake Michigan meet) and built Fort Mackinac high in the bluffs in 1780. Fort Mackinac was never actually attacked during the Revolutionary War, and the Treaty of Paris gave Mackinac Island and the entire Straits area to the US in 1783.
The US controlled Fort Mackinac until the War of 1812 when the British captured the Fort during the Siege of Fort Mackinac. To capture the Fort, the British landed on the opposite side of the Island in a place today named British Landing. By sneaking their way up to the rear of the Fort, they were able to successfully capture Fort Mackinac without firing a shot.
In an effort to provide additional fortification, the British constructed Fort George on the highest ground on Mackinac Island. The US attempted to retake the Fort in 1814, and Major Andrew Holmes, the second-ranking American was killed in battle.
In 1815, the Treaty of Ghent returned the Island to the US, and they reoccupied Fort Mackinac. To honor Andrew Holmes, the US changed the name of Fort George to Fort Holmes. Fort Mackinac remained under active US control until 1895.
Mackinac Island’s non-military history includes serving as a headquarters for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company and a commercial fishing hub for whitefish and lake trout. By the end of the Civil War, Mackinac Island had become a popular tourist destination. During this era, hotels, restaurants, and summer cottages were built.
The Grand Hotel opened in 1887 and in 1895 the Island became Michigan’s first state park. Banned in 1898, Mackinac Island does not allow any motor vehicles except for emergency vehicles. Any additional development or building must maintain the Island’s Victorian Era Architecture.
Why Mackinac is Special to Me
Mackinac Island has always been a special place for my family and me. Growing up, some of my happiest times came from my visits to Mackinac Island. My family owns a summer home near Johannesburg, Michigan, and we would always take a yearly trip to Mackinac Island.
My first experiences visiting Mackinac Island came during the mid-1980s. As time went by, my family enjoyed Mackinac Island so much that we began spending the night. We traditionally stayed at the Lilac Tree Hotel, although, we did have some earlier stays at the Chippewa and Murray.
By 1989, at age seven, I had already completed the Island Circle following M-185 all eight miles around the Island. According to my parents, I rode over 20 miles throughout that trip with training wheels still on my bicycle.
A few years later, I began riding my bike through the interior of the Island making stops at Arch Rock, Fort Holmes, the Sugar Loaf, Mackinac Island Airport, and even the Mackinac Island Garbage Dump.
Throughout the years, I have taken every type of ferry possible to Mackinac Island from both Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Initially, my family used to take Star Line or Shepler’s, but when Arnold Line purchased their first Catamaran, we switched over to taking the Arnold Line. My father liked to take the faster Catamaran to Mackinac and then the slow traditional ferry (we called it the slow boat) back. Going from St. Ignace allowed us to both cross the Mackinac Bridge and provided a better view of the Island.
Arnold Line no longer exists, and the Catamarans were sold with Star Line purchasing one of them. The other two are no longer used to ferry passengers to Mackinac Island.
Despite going to Mackinac Island over 40 times, it is still a special place for me. Even as an adult, I always try to visit Mackinac Island at least once a year. In the winter of 2016, I made a special trip to Northern Michigan to see Mackinac Island in the snow.
This photo is available for purchase by clicking HERE.
One day I was browsing the Internet and had some difficulty finding an overview of everything Mackinac Island has to offer. I decided to make the Ultimate Guide to Mackinac Island to provide others with information that may not be available online or may be difficult to find.
This page will include stories from my childhood as well as my adult experiences. It will also include information from my parents and brothers. My youngest brother teaches in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and takes his students on an annual overnight trip to Mackinac Island. Many of the sections will have contributions from his unique experiences on Mackinac Island.
The Ultimate Guide to Mackinac Island - Table of Contents
Updated: August 16, 2024
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August 2024 Update – Star Line has suspended service for the remainder of the 2024 season. Shepler’s is currently the only ferry operating to and from Mackinac Island.
Mackinac Island can be reached from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace via Shepler’s and Star Line’s ferry service. The ferries start running as soon as the Straits of Mackinac is ice-free. Early on, there are only between 10-15 departures per day. By peak season, the boats run between the Mainland and Mackinac Island up to 50 times per day. When on either ferry line, be sure to take in the view of the Mackinac Bridge, Grand Hotel, and the West Bluff of the Island.
Mackinac Island can also be reached by one of the daily flights of Great Lakes Air from St. Ignace Airport to Mackinac Island Airport. During the winter, once the ferries stop running, this is the only method of reaching the Island until an ice bridge forms connecting Mackinac to St. Ignace. Then, it is possible to travel via snowmobile. Some years, the ice bridge doesn’t form, leaving residents of Mackinac Island totally dependent on Great Lakes Air.
Other methods of reaching Mackinac Island include arriving on a Great Lakes Cruise or traveling via private yacht or boat.
For detailed information on how to get to Mackinac Island, please click on the photo or THIS LINK.
There are many methods for getting around Mackinac Island. Tourists typically choose to walk, bike, or take a horse-drawn carriage to their destinations.
There is one method of transportation that is never used for getting around Mackinac Island. That method is by car or anything with a motor, as Motorized vehicles were banned on Mackinac Island in 1898. Today, Mackinac Island has plenty of places to rent a bike, and visitors can even take a taxi pulled by horses. Part of the fun of visiting Mackinac Island is the unique forms of transportation that are not seen anywhere else in Michigan.
For detailed information on how to get around Mackinac Island, please click on the photo or THIS LINK.
Mackinac Island has many attractions that will pique the interest of people of all ages. Begin walking Mackinac Island’s historic Main Street and then find a nice place to relax at Marquette Park.
For those who love nature, there are famous attractions such as the Sugar Loaf and Arch Rock and plenty of hiking paths that show Mackinac Island’s natural beauty.
If you prefer to learn about history, be sure to visit Fort Mackinac and Fort Holmes, as well as the Post Cemetery.
To fully experience Mackinac Island, one must either bike, hike, or take a carriage tour to the interior of the Island. The interior has many unique sights, such as the Sugar Loaf and Skull Cave.
Finally, if you are looking to relax, find a great view of the Mackinac Bridge and read a book or take in a round of golf on one of the Island’s beautiful golf courses.
For detailed information on all of the top attractions on Mackinac Island, please click on the photo or THIS LINK.
For visitors wanting to spend the night on Mackinac Island, there are many different options for lodging from the “all-inclusive” Grand Hotel to single bedrooms without a view.
When I set out to create this page, I decided not to review any of the hotels on Mackinac Island. Many other websites offer reviews that are easy to find. What I wanted to do is provide all of the information about visiting Mackinac Island in one place where potential visitors could quickly find it.
For detailed information on every hotel on Mackinac Island, please click on the photo or THIS LINK.
Mackinac Island has many different restaurants ranging from bar food to gourmet steaks and seafood. Whether you are hungry for pizza, a burger and fries, or a premium steak, I am sure one of the restaurants listed on this page will have something for you.
As I did with my hotels, I am not going to review any of these restaurants. This page is for information purposes only, as there are plenty of reviews posted online that you can easily find.
For a detailed list of all the restaurants on Mackinac Island, please click on the photo or THIS LINK.
Around 500-600 people live year-round on Mackinac Island. Most of the Islanders live in the center of the Island in a community called Harrisonville. There is even a school on Mackinac Island that serves students grades kindergarten through high school.
For a detailed summary of what it is like to live on Mackinac Island, please click on the photo or THIS LINK.
The Lilac Festival on Mackinac Island
Famous for its beautiful purple lilacs, Mackinac Island has hosted the annual Lilac Festival since 1949. The 10-day festival is held from the second Friday in June until June’s third Sunday.
The festival begins with the annual Lilac Parade which features floats pulled by horse-drawn carriages. Other notable events during the Lilac Festival include crowning the Lilac Festival Queen and her court, the 10K/Run/Walk, and the Mackinac Island Dog and Pony Show.
I always prefer to visit the Island in early June as you can smell the beautiful fragrance of the lilacs throughout all of Mackinac Island. The lilacs also make photos of the Island even more stunningly beautiful.
For more information on the Lilac Festival, click HERE.
Visiting Mackinac Island in the winter is a unique experience that I highly recommend to every Mackinac Island fan. For anyone used to the crowds that frequent Mackinac Island during the summer, it will be a shocking experience to feel like you are on the island by yourself.
I visited Mackinac Island in December 2016 and January 2022. During both visits, there were many times when I felt like I was the only one on Mackinac Island.
When you visit Mackinac Island in the winter, don’t expect the same experience as a summer visit. Almost all of the hotels, restaurants, and shops will be closed. Also, snowmobiles will replace bicycles, and you may even see a few vehicles on the island assisting with construction.
To learn more about what is open during the 2023-24 Winter Season on Mackinac Island click HERE.
Still, even without the typical amenities that Mackinac Island offers, a winter visit gives tourists a chance to see a side of Mackinac Island that typically only the locals see. There is nothing more beautiful than a fresh snowfall on Mackinac Island.
For detailed information on visiting Mackinac Island during the winter, click on the photo or THIS LINK.