What Makes Mackinac Island Special

By Gerry Barker

Photos by Gerry Barker

At first glance, Mackinac Island may seem unremarkable.

Located between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Penisulas on Lake Huron, it’s less than four square miles in size, and eight miles in circumference. It has a total year-round population of about 500.

But don’t let its size fool you — its natural beauty, rich history and attractions draw over 1.2 million visitors a year. Before we get to why, you should know “Mackinac” is actually pronounced “MACK-in-awe,” from the Native Ojibwe language.

So what is it about this place that bring people here in droves? Let’s take a closer look, starting with how to get here.

Most people arrive via ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, or come by private boat, although there is an airport serving charter and private flights. If you’re thinking about driving, forget it. Even if you could, motorized vehicles have been prohibited on the island since 1898. In our case, we made our visit as one of the stops on a Victory Cruise Lines’ cruise of the Great Lakes.

Upon departing the ship, we were in line for a horse and carriage tour of the island. Since it was early May, the tourist traffic was lighter than normal. Weather-wise, winter was still hanging around, with temps in the mid-Forties and a brisk wind chill that assured us we weren’t in Florida anymore.

Sans cars, horses are the main way to get around, and during the peak season (May-October) there are some 600 horses ready and waiting to serve. And while there are no “Uber horses,” radio-dispatched, horse-drawn taxis are available 24 hours a day. Most use majestic Percheron and Belgian draft horses, and our guide explained they get the royal treatment in terms of care. During the winter months, they are moved to farms in Michigan’s Upper Penisula, no doubt the closest thing to a “horse spa.”

As mentioned, Mackinac Island is renowned for its natural beauty. In fact, it was home to the nation’s second national park, after Yellowstone, in 1875, and 20 years later, became Michigan’s first state park. During our tour, we went into the state park and found ourselves in a forest of sugar maples, beech, red oak and white pine trees. Here we made a stop to see one of the island’s most famous attractions, Arch Rock. Nearby this natural limestone formation is a viewing platform, where you get sweeping vistas of Lake Huron.

On a hill overlooking the bay, history buffs will enjoy a stop at Fort Mackinac, established in 1780 and manned over the years by both British and American forces. Here you’ll find 14 of the original buiildings, restored with furnishings of the era, as well as the Officers’ Stone Quarters — the oldest building in Michigan.

You can learn more about daily life at the fort by joining one of the tours led by guides dressed in the military regalia of the day. Don’t be startled if you hear a cannon go off — cannon firing demonstrations are scheduled several times a day. Given the weather, we did a quick tour and headed for the Tea Room, where we found an ideal spot to enjoy coffee and snacks by a roaring fireplace.

Back aboard our horse and carriage, the next stop was at another Mackinac Island landmark: Grand Hotel. And grand it is, indeed. Opened on July 10, 1887, the Queen Anne-styled hotel originally catered to guests arriving by train in Mackinac City, and in 1989, was designated a National Historic Landmark. Its ornate rooms are like a step back in time, which is maybe why it was chosen as the setting for the 1980 movie, “Somewhere in Time.” The hotel notes that wasn’t the first movie to be filmed there. In 1947, it was the setting for “This Time for Keeps,” starring Ester Williams.

Grand Hotel also lays claim to having the world’s longest front porch, spanning 660 feet, with no doubt the largest single collection of rocking chairs as well. Aside from hosting six U.S. Presidents, it’s also famous for its gardens, populated by over 125,000 bedding plants and flowers. Not surprisingly, it’s also popular as a wedding venue.

While Mackinac Island also features a number of quaint shops and boutiques, it is most famous for its fudge. They’ve been making and selling this sweet treat here for over 100 years, and today, during peak season, over a dozen shops produce a reported five tons of fudge a day. Just watching candy craftsmen pour, shape and create the fudge from 10 tons of imported sugar a week is the island’s leading spectator sport. It also has its own celebration — the Fall Fudge Festival, set for Oct. 2-4, 2025.

Speaking of festivals, one of the island’s biggest events is the annual Lilac Festival, honoring the sweet-scented flower that grows in abundance there. Held over 10 days in June, it includes a number of family-friendly events and a Grand Parade.

Before we knew it, it was time to take our horse and carriage back to downtown and the dock where Victory I was anchored. There’s much more to discover about this small, Great Lakes island, certainly more than we could do or see on our one day here. If we had our way, we would still be on the Grand Hotel’s front porch, rocking back and forth, eating fudge and watching the ferries come and go in the bay.