Arch Rock Lots of…read morepeople here. All waiting for a photo. There is a restroom nearby also. You can walk/ride bike to this location or you can ride by horse carriage. Horse carriage is the easiest because you don't need to climb the 207 steps. Highly Recommended

Whatta sight! On an island full of beautiful geological formations, Arch Rock stands out from the…read moreothers because it overlooks the water and spans at least 50 feet. It's a beautiful rock! You'll want to make the effort to get up the hill to see it. You can walk up to Arch Rock, but keep in mind that it's all uphill! Or you can bike (again, uphill) or do what I did and take a horse-drawn carriage. Arch Rock, and the adjacent Milliken Nature Center are one of the stops on the horse carriage tours. You only get about 15 minutes to check it out, but how much time do you need to look at a rock formation, no matter how pretty it is? There's a deck that takes you out a little closer to Arch Rock, and from here, you can take lots of beautiful photos of the water peeking through Arch Rock.

This is Michigan's 1st state park. The landscape is characterized by high limestone bluffs,…read morebeautiful vistas of sparkling water, vibrant forests & mystical geological formations. Cars have been banned since 1898, this is a a quieter way of life away from interstate noise of cities. Over 80 percent of Mackinac Island is within this park. The island is sacred to the Ojibwa & Odawa Great Lakes Indian tribes.

It is definitely worth spending at least several hours if not half a day at Fort Mackinac. You can…read moretake your time to leisurely look about or you can take the period-dressed docent led tours and educational talks. There are rifle shooting displays as well as cannon loading & firing displays. You can stop in the restaurant for lunch and a beverage while enjoying fantastic views of the island.

Two close friends were married here, what a great little place…read more If there is not a service going on take a look inside this 100+ year old church on your way around the Island. Certainly worth the few minutes to poke your head in.

gorgeous old church very close to the Grand hotel. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and the…read morechurch was open so we stopped by and took a quick peak. It was such a cute church.

This is a historic fort located in the island. I would suggest this is your first attraction. Two…read morereasons to visit first - it has a back gate connect to the remaining attractions and the elevation different for easy climb to remain attractions in the island. The ticket can be purchased at bottom entrance. The elevation different is 150 feet from ticket booth to entrance. From sea level is 320 feet. The fort has 20 point of interest. That includes store house, bathhouse, reading room, block house, old hospital, gun platform and more. The experience includes dress up historic solder uniforms. There are several buildings that can be explored. That includes some film explaining the fort. This historic British military fort is important high point in the island. Now it is important tourists attraction and historic center.

Fort Mackinac is worth the visit. It is one of the best preserved 19th century military sites in…read morethe country. The fort is staffed by energetic college students and reenactors who are dedicated to educating the public about life at Fort Mackinac. It includes a wash house, a commissary, barracks, a hospital, and officers quarters. Inside the soldier's barrracks there is also a very well done museum dedicated to the early settlers and Anishnaabeck peoples. Its view over the harbor is impressive, and there is a restaurant where you can have lunch if you'd like. It is definitely worth a visit if you are anywhere near Mackinac Island.

Expect crowds! Everyone was helpful including sanitation employees. Lots of unique items and…read moreprices usually weren't too bad. Recommend renting something for travel outside of downtown area. The only negative was trying to find handicap restrooms. Some indicated handicap but were up 3-4 inches and scooter got stuck.

I absolutely love following the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau social media channels throughout the…read moreyear to get a taste of Mackinac! On the island, the Visitors Center is directly across from Marquette Park. The building is part museum/education on the history of the island and part gift shop. There are free public restrooms as well as a water bottle refill station. The staff at the welcome desk are happy to answer any questions you have about the island. On the day I stopped in, the staff member was a longtime year-round resident, and I enjoyed chatting with her about what it's like to winter on the island.

The city has a total area of 18.84 square miles, 4.35 square miles is land and 14.49 square miles…read moreis water. The island population is about 583. The island has a large craft industry devoted to making fudge in a traditional manner, creating portions on cold marble slabs. Mackinac Island is the destination of both the annual Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, and the annual Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race. A unique local ordinance passed in 1895 prohibits the use of any motor vehicles on the island. The only exceptions to this are city emergency vehicles (ambulance, police cars and fire trucks), city service vehicles & snowmobiles in the winter. Today the most common means of travel is by foot, bicycle, horse or horse-drawn carriage. Roller skates and roller blades are also allowed, except in the downtown area.

DO NOT GO!! What an absolute disappointment. First thing that smacked us in the face was stale…read morehorse urine! Watched a driver pull so hard on the team the poor horses mouth looked like it was going to split. $80 tor two ferry ticket! The hotels transport wagons im pretty positive are old hurst. Awesome!! unless you want to haul more than one person. The taxi system is a joke! We were literally told "no you can not just get on. you have to call!" Ok! Ill save my money. Couple of the stores literally ignored us! Blatantly! More people than not, were rude! They except you to spend all this money. But only if they decide they want to make money from you. Amazing business mode! And don't you dare express ANY experiences other than "its amazing" because you will be attacked! I have been side to side & top to bottom of our country! This is definitely one of the most disappointing location! Such a beautiful island! With soo much nastiness. NEVER recommend!!

In all my years visiting Mackinac Island, I never ventured up to Fort Holmes--until now!…read more Fort Holmes is the highest point on Mackinac Island at 325 feet above sea level. Unlike Fort Mackinac, it is unmanned and free to visit. Once you get to Fort Holmes, you are rewarded with amazing views of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge in the distance! Of note, there is a public restroom, bike rack, and picnic table at Fort Holmes, as well as historical signage with more information on the fort. If you're in that area of the island, it's worth including a stop at Point Lookout and Sugarloaf, too. We did Sugarloaf to the stairs to Point Lookout to Fort Holmes Rd to get there, but you could also do Garrison Rd to Fort Holmes Rd for a more gradual incline or Garrison Rd to Rifle Range Rd to Watch-Your-Step Trail (which is a staircase that true to its name was slippery after a misty/rainy day).

This fort is at the highest elevation. It has a good view to warn the fort below if under attack…read more It is final retreat if the fort below was occupied by the enemy. This fort is simple. It is just the wooden fence with 12 feet height. If the enemy surrounded it, it will be invaded probably less than a day. But it does serve the detection system for the island.

Tons of beautiful artwork. Everything is inspired by the island…read more Most of the items in the shop are pictures. You can buy them as the prints, get them in a frame, or they even have a few of the original drawings available. Some of these pictures are photographs and some are drawn/painted. They have a variety of different artists displayed here.

This super cute art gallery features Michigan artists that seem to specialize in landscape. There…read morewere a lot of gorgeous floral pieces, and many northern Michigan lighthouses and landmarks. They had some stones and jewelry in cases as well. Worth a stop, especially if you are in the market to furnish a lake house or cottage.