Mackinac Island | Things to Do & Places to See

This is our third year in a row visiting Mackinac Island; needless to say, we LOVE it here 🫠 It’s truly such a beautiful and place!
One of the reasons the island is so magical is because it’s CAR-FREE! That’s right-no motorized vehicles are allowed (except for emergency vehicles and golf carts). Mackinac Island’s council banned “horseless carriages” in 1898 due to their disturbance of the town’s horses. Your only options are horse riding, biking, or walking! We chose to bike the loop around the island, a 7-mile ride. It was wonderful and we highly recommend it! 🚲
We took the ferry over from St. Ignace at 9am and returned around 4pm. You can purchase your ticket online or at the kiosk on the docks. There are a variety of ticket options. Once you get your ticket, you can go anytime during the season (April-October)! The rides are first come, first serve and are not date or time specific. We recommend taking the longer ferry ride that goes under the bridge for your first time visiting (you can find these times on their website).
Points of interest:
🪨 Arch rock: you can view the rock from the ground or climb up the stairs to the viewpoint! We recommend going early or later in the evening for less crowds
🌱 The Great Lawn: you can relax in the lawn chairs and watch boats pass by
🍔 Mighty Mac burgers for an affordable lunch option
🍫 You have to eat fudge! It’s tradition 😉 You can get free samples at every fudge shop or buy a slice! We recommend Murdick’s or Ryba’s
🍻 The Great Turtle brewery & distillery
🌸 The Grand Hotel: it costs ~$11/person to go inside and relax on the porch (the largest porch in the world!). We highly recommend it for your first time visiting. ⭐️ Hint for the secret garden: when you pass the tennis courts, you’re getting close!
Tips for visiting the island:
🚗 Parking is FREE at the ferry lots and some hotels even offer a free shuttle
💺 Try to get to the ferry early so you can sit on top! Definitely a must-do for your first time
🚲 You can bring your own bike on the ferry with a special ticket (~$17) OR rent them on the island for ~$15/hr. They have attachments for kiddos, pets, and even tandem bikes
🏠 There are many air BnBs and hotels to stay on the island overnight. We have yet to do this but hope to soon!
Let us know what questions you have in the comments below 👇
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ABOUT US 👋😄
We’re Gracen and Austin and we’re in our twenties living on the road full time. We share an RV with our dog, Bae, and our orange cat, Keke. This lifestyle definitely keeps you on your toes-and we’re excited to live it and share it with you as we roll along! With an RV, we’re able to see so many beautiful places while having our home and our pets with us.
We love crossing national parks off our list, hiking, kayaking, photography, and pretty much anything outdoors! Follow along if you like these things too and we can be friends!
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Mackinac Island top things to do, must see places, summer vacation, fulltime travel

[@Jfortruth]

Gorgeous😍 my husband and I are going in September next year, it will be our first time and we are super excited🙌 Thanks for the video and giving us a sneak peak of things to come❤️

[@Happy.NoMads]

@@Jfortruth Awesome, you are going to have a great time! We really appreciate you liking our video 😊 please subscribe if you like seeing RV lifestyle and travel videos!

[@ks8452]

My first job as a police officer was on the island way back in 1985. Loved working there. My wife and I try to get there once a year. Thanks for the video!

[@Happy.NoMads]

Wow, that’s amazing! Was there ever any crime?