Mackinac Island Michigan Travel Information
Arriving on Mackinac Island is like stepping back in time. A
preserved Victorian era setting, where horse and buggy is still the
norm, the island is home to only 500-600 year round residents.
Roughly 80 percent of the island is a state park, and noted by
National Geographic as one of the top ten state parks in the
country. The downtown district consists of four blocks of
shopping and restaurants, including the fudge shops legendary to the
island. Mackinac Island prohibits cars, so visitors must travel
either by foot or bicycle or by horse and buggy. There are carriage
tours available for tourists offering glimpses of both the notable
sights on the island like the Grand Hotel, and Fort
Mackinac. Mackinac Island State Park consists of 1,800 acres of
land, covering most of the island. Victorian cottages line the outer
bluffs, and Fort Mackinac-- the former military outpost, including
officers’ quarters, the hospital and barracks is the most notable
attraction at the park. There are around 70 miles of trails to
explore via foot or bicycle within the park, and rock formations like
Arch Rock and Sugarloaf are popular sites as well. Mackinac
Island is located just east of St. Ignace on Lake Huron. It is
northeast of Mackinaw City, between the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of
Michigan.
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