You’ve got visions of a sweet little island off Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. You’re just imagining the feeling you’ll have as soon as you step onto the sidewalks, bustling in the absence of motorized vehicles. A place drenched in history. But what about how to get to Mackinac Island?
This question comes up from time to time and all I can think about is planes…trains…and automobiles. When you live near Mackinac Island you’re bound to know at least a few people who, either live there full-time, or commute frequently for seasonal work.
Because on any given day, an “islander,” or “cottager,” or seasonal worker may use multiple modes of transportation to get from point A to B. For example, imagine you’re an islander with a months worth of groceries. You drive in your car from the grocery store to the airport in St. Ignace. Then stepping off of your plane you grab a horse drawn taxi to lug your groceries home.
You later realize you forgot to grab milk so you head off into town on your bike but when you get there you find that the sweetest little market you’ve ever seen is fresh out!
Knowing that life can’t happen in the morning without milk in your Cheerios you hop on a ferry boat to go to the mainland. Once there, Michigan weather decides to change drastically, as it often does. Suddenly you find yourself trudging through snow that’s waste deep and the waters between you and home are now frozen.
So you gas up your snowmobile and head across the ice, milk in tow. Until you remember that you left the Cheerios at the checkout…
Obviously this is a dramatic interpretation but now you can see what I mean, sans train of course. And that’s a grand total of 6 different sources!!!
If visiting for the first time you’ll want to be sure you read the 7 rules to live by when visiting Mackinac Island.
How to get to Mackinac Island
Less commonly used are airplanes. Mostly because they’re expensive if using often and less convenient if you don’t have transportation from the island airport. Much like any other airport, it’s out of the way and, unless you plan on taking a horse taxi, you’ll have a long trek to town.
photos courtesy of Mackinac Island News & Views, Facebook group. Free to join and full of great info!
If you have your own boat that’s large enough to handle the bigger seas of the Great Lakes you could travel to the island in style. But make sure you plan accordingly. Boat slips in the marina can be hard to come by depending on your dates and the weather. Make sure you follow the rules and call ahead.
Taking a Ferry Boat is the obvious choice when figuring out how to get to Mackinac Island. But there are a few things you should keep in mind when venturing the open waters of the Straits of Mackinac.
First of all, check the boat schedule! Departure times vary from spring, summer and into fall. There’s even limited winter times as weather and ice allows.
There are only two ferry boat companies available. Both depart from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace. Remember that the departure times are different between the 2 cities, as well as the returning times to their respective docks.
Some ferry boats travel under the Mackinac Bridge at set times. Nice, if you’re interested in seeing the Mighty Mack in a different perspective, but remember that it’ll take longer to reach your destination.
Lastly, and you heard me mention this before…Snowmobiles! I wasn’t kidding!
The water between St. Ignace and Mackinac Island freezes in the winter. BUT – not always!
Sometimes it’s for 6 weeks, sometimes not at all. You’ll see Christmas trees lining the ‘safe’ trail, usually starting at the Mackinac Grill in St. Ignace and leading to the back side of the island.
Use your brain and ask the locals! Be safe! Due to heavy currents the ice could shift. When in doubt, don’t go!
And never, EVER ride from Mackinaw City! The ice cutter boat goes through the Straits of Mackinac so freighters can get through with cargo.
And now that you know all the ways of how to get to Mackinac Island, which will you choose? I have ferry boats and personal boats out of the way and the other 2 have been on my to-do list for quite sometime. Hmmmm…trip anyone?
Related posts:
Day Trips to Mackinac Island, ladies that lunch
7 Rules to live by when visiting Mackinac Island, being a fudgie
