Free
Arch Rock
A natural limestone arch high above Lake Huron. View it from the top or the shore road below.
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Straits of Mackinac, Michigan
Mackinac Island
No cars, just bikes and horses: a Lake Huron island with a stone arch, an old fort, a famous hotel porch and an 8-mile road around the shore.
Photo: Arch Rock, Mackinac Island, Rupashibangla, CC0
Motor vehicles have been banned on Mackinac Island for more than a century. You arrive by ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, then get around by bike, horse-drawn carriage or on foot.
Most of the island is Mackinac Island State Park, Michigan's first state park, with forest trails, rock formations and Fort Mackinac above the harbour. Rent a bike and ride the 8-mile shore road around the island.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
M-185 shoreline loop
An 8-mile car-free state highway around the island's edge. Bike it, or walk a piece.
Free
Mackinac Island State Park trails
Forest trails cover most of the island, to Sugar Loaf rock, Fort Holmes and British Landing.
Free
Fort Holmes
The island's highest point, with a reconstructed blockhouse and views over the straits.
Paid
Bike rentals
Several shops near the ferry docks rent bikes, tandems and kid trailers by the hour.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Main Street and the fudge shops
The harbour street of fudge makers, shops and horse traffic, right off the ferry.
Paid
Fort Mackinac
A British-built fort from 1780 on the bluff above the harbour, with cannon and musket demonstrations in season.
Paid
Carriage tour
Horse-drawn tours loop through town, the state park and past Arch Rock.
Paid
Grand Hotel porch
The famous long front porch of the 1887 Grand Hotel. Non-guests pay an entry fee in season.
Paid
Ferry and the Mackinac Bridge
Some ferries detour under the five-mile Mackinac Bridge, part of the fun of arriving.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Paid
Colonial Michilimackinac
Across the water in Mackinaw City: a reconstructed 1700s fort and fur-trading village.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Shepler's Ferry
Ferries from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace to the island.
Season Runs roughly late April–end of Oct (check before you go).
Arnold Transit Company ferry
Another ferry line from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, including some trips under the Mackinac Bridge. Formerly Star Line.
Season Ferries run year-round from St. Ignace, with a reduced winter schedule (check before you go).
Mackinac Island Carriage Tours
Horse-drawn tours of town, the state park and Arch Rock.
Also bookable, listed above
These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.
- Fort Mackinac Tickets
Part of our Northern Michigan guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- The island is quiet and magical once the last day ferries leave.
- Biking the loop, hiking the interior and visiting the fort are too much for a few hours.
- The Mackinac Bridge and Mackinaw City's historic sites are right across the water.
Nearby and worth the drive
Mackinaw Cityabout 20 min
Traverse Cityabout 2 h 30 · Guide ↗By ferry: Colonial Michilimackinac and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse.
Dunes, cherries and bays.
Ready-made trips with Mackinac Island
3 days · Traverse City → Mackinac Island
Michigan's northern shores
Sleeping Bear Dunes and cherry country, then a car-free island.
4 days · Munising and Pictured Rocks → Mackinac Island
Upper Peninsula cliffs and island
Pictured Rocks by boat and on foot, then across the straits to Mackinac Island.
Good to know
- Tourism: mackinacisland.org.
- State park and fort: mackinacparks.com.
- Ferries: From Mackinaw City and St. Ignace; most run spring to fall.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: Arch Rock, Mackinac Island, Rupashibangla, CC0
Photo: Fort Mackinac above the harbour, Mackinac Island, Shonebrooks, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Grand Hotel and its long porch, Mackinac Island, Hdeon1, CC BY-SA 4.0