Mackinac Island Information

Where Is This Wonderful Magical Island?

Are you looking for Mackinac Island information to help you plan your next vacation? This unique destination is located off of the eastern shores
of northern Michigan.

There are terrific
historic Hotels and quaint Bed & Breakfasts
located on the Island. Many people go to the Island for a day and others
stay for a week or even longer.

You travel from the Mainland by
choosing one of the three
ferry lines
either from
Mackinaw City
or
St. Ignace which is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

View Larger Map

---

It’s in Northern Michigan in the USA

It’s a small island located in Lake Huron in the eastern
Straits of Mackinac
which are located in northern Michigan in the United States.

It is an island but also a town named Mackinac Island, Michigan. It
is between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas and is east of the
famous
Mackinac Bridge
that connects these two peninsulas together.

View Larger Map

It is only about four square miles in land area and approximately 8 miles in circumference.

You can reach the Island by ferry from
Mackinaw City, Michigan
or
St. Ignace,
which is in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is about 3 miles from either
town and the ferries make it a quick trip in about 15-20 minutes.

The
first inhabitants of Mackinac Island were Native Americans of the
Ojibwa tribes around AD 900. Mackinac Island information reflects that
in the past it was a place for local Native American tribes to convene
to make offerings to Gitche Manitou and to bury their tribal chiefs.
Mackinac Island information shows a history
rich with Native American tribes plus French-Canadians, British and
Americans who built forts, fought battles and created entrepreneurial
businesses such as fur-trading which created an industry that brought
pioneers and missionaries to the area.

Mackinac Island State Park
covers approximately 80% of the land on Mackinac Island and is
considered one of the nicest National State Parks in the U.S. due to the
natural beauty of the island but also the quality of the historic
preservation that has taken place through the diligent hard work by its
year-round community, summer residents and the State Park commissioners
and staff.

In the late 19th century the residents created a ban on motorized
vehicles allowing only transportation by foot, bike or horse to be
allowed. That was a smart decision for tourists and residents love the
fact that there is no noise of automobiles just the clip-clopping of
horse-drawn buggies on the island. Snowmobiles are allowed for residents
to use in the winter.

More Mackinac Island Information

The town of Mackinac
Island is as small as the island itself. There are only 520 full-time
residents according to the United States 2000 census. The community has a
school that has around 90 students with grades kindergarten to 12th
grade attending.

At the
the end of October there is only one ferry
that transports people and supplies to the Island with a limited
schedule which can be interrupted due to severe weather. In February, if
the Straits of Mackinac are frozen, the only transportation to it is by
small airplane or snowmobile.

The residents create a
snowmobile
trail by using Christmas trees to mark the trail when the Straits
freeze over. An unfortunate Mackinac Island information fact is there
have been lives lost on the frozen ice during the winter months due to
freezing, running out of gas or making a wrong turn.

In early
spring,
business owners come back to begin opening up the numerous retail,
hotel, bed and breakfast, bars, restaurants and other shops to prepare
for the up-coming spring, summer and fall seasons. Summer-time residents
live around the town in beautiful historic cottages on the high bluffs,
in-town and in the inner woods of the Island. New homes and condos have
been built all favoring the Victorian style architecture seen
throughout the historic town in recent years.

During the tourist
season Mackinac Island information shows that there can be around 15,000
visitors per day to the Island with the majority coming on the three
ferry lines to the Island. Mackinac Island is a special place that many
people come back to year after year.

Both Marcia and Kathy with
their families have come back for over forty years with the intent to
create more wonderful memories of this unique and charming little
Island. They hope to see you this coming summer!

Insider Tip: One important Mackinac Island
information fact is the correct pronunciation of Mackinac. It is
pronounced MACK-in-AW and not Mack-a-knack! Locals will know you are a
tourist if you pronounce it with a knack at the end.