Mackinac Island Information

Where Is This Wonderful Magical Island?

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It's in Upper Michigan in the USA

There is a lot of Mackinac Island information to provide even though it’s a small island located in Lake Huron in the eastern Straits of Mackinac 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.

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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.

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.