Mackinac Island has been saying no to cars since 1898 — before most people even owned one. The ban has held through two world wars, the interstate highway system, Apple CarPlay and electric cars — the list goes on. But the island tucked between Michigan’s two peninsulas has defended the ban through every attempt to modernize.
What you find is a 3.8 square mile natural park of limestone cliffs, cedar forests and shoreline paths that move at a pace closer to the 19th century. Horse-drawn carriages sharing the road with bikes, fudge shops line the main street and ferries full of tourists have been flocking here all summer long for over a century. The only real concession to the 21st century is the occasional selfie.
You will see Mackinac and Mackinaw — both pronounced “MACK-in-awe” — and no, it isn’t a typo or just a Michigan accent. The name traces back to the Anishinaabemowin word Michilimackinac. French colonizers shortened and reshaped it, the British did the same when they took control and eventually the spellings split — Mackinac for the island, Mackinaw for the mainland city.
Most visitors arrive by ferry — Arnold Transit Company or Shepler’s, departing from Mackinaw City on the lower peninsula or St. Ignace on the upper. Right when you get off the boat, you’ll immediately notice the slower, quieter life that comes with a car-free place. (You’ll also notice the smell of horses. But more about that later.) While it may seem a novelty to most of the modern world, a 2024 University of Bath study on car-free living found that participants reported an improved sense of health and well-being, reconnection with their physical and social environments, a sense of accomplishment and saving money.
Here are five ways to see the joy of car-free living, even if only for a day, for yourself on the island that’s been named U.S. News and World Reports No. 1 in “Best Summer Vacations in the USA for 2026.”
1. Bike
When you first arrive at Mackinac Island, one of the best ways to see what it has to offer is by biking State Highway M-185. That’s right, we said highway! For those who didn’t bring their own wheels, Mackinac Cycle — conveniently located across from the Visitors Center — offers Trek rental bikes ranging from single-speeds to hybrids, tandems and special needs carts. This 8.2-mile road along the island’s perimeter is the only highway in America that bans cars. Electric bicycles are also prohibited — allowed “only if you are a qualified person with a mobility disability” — as the island’s strict historical character takes precedence over everything else.
Biking is certainly not a rarity on Mackinac Island, as there are more bicycles per person than anywhere else in the world (yes, even more than the Netherlands!). Without stopping, it takes around an hour to circle the island, making for the perfect sightseeing opportunity. Expect to pass quaint shops, the Native American Cultural History Trail, beautiful homes that characterize the island and more.
Austin had the pleasure of biking the residential portion of M-185 in 2023, and it is nothing short of breathtaking. The route is fairly level, making for an easy, leisurely ride. Barrett grew up making the trip annually for a similar reason — his older sister is a wheelchair user, and M-185’s flat, paved path meant she could be part of every mile of it. With the Mackinac Bridge — one of the world’s longest suspension bridges — in the background, the views from the path are inseparable from the quintessential Mackinac experience — designed to create core memories.
2. Walk
It’s only natural that biking, while excellent for sightseeing, doesn’t let you slow down and fully understand Mackinac Island or its vast history. That’s where walking comes in. Unsurprisingly, the island offers plenty of opportunities — from more than 70 miles of hiking trails to guided tours of the island and through all of its most historic sites.
One of these guided walking tours is led by Mackinac Island resident Chad Bennett, known as Chad’s Wonderful Walking Tours. These tours can be customized for a variety of routes and ability levels. All year round, Bennett shares interesting historical facts about the island while showing visitors places of interest.
But Bennett isn’t the only one offering guided walking tours — Fort Mackinac offers them as well. Home to the oldest building in Michigan, built during the Revolutionary War, Fort Mackinac is made up of fourteen historical structures open to the public, showcasing everything from “military training and battles to medical treatments to family life within the fort.” Guided tours bring these stories to life, offering deeper insight into the people who lived and worked there.
Fort Mackinac is just one of many historic sites on the island. Austin learned this the hard way — sore ankles and blisters by the end of the day. Comfortable shoes aren’t an option here.
3. Kayak
Spending the day on land can certainly become a sweaty, uncomfortable experience as temperatures rise, so why not cool off with Great Turtle Kayak Tours — named for the Anishinaabek people’s vision of the island itself as a great turtle shell emerging from the water, a place they called Michilimackinac. They offer unforgettable on-the-water experiences, whether you’re learning to kayak or paddleboard or exploring the calm waters of Mackinac on a guided tour.
Tours of varying difficulty are available, some of which include iconic landmarks, like Arch Rock — which “towers above the water and is more than fifty feet wide.” Arch Rock can be reached by foot, taxi, carriage, or bike — but those are all views from above. On the water, looking up at the hollowed-out limestone, is the only way you can truly appreciate it in all of its glory.
With the bright, cerulean waters of Lake Huron sparkling around you, it’s easy to see why Great Turtle Kayak Tours has built its entire mission around preserving these ecosystems — and why the Great Lakes feel worth protecting. When visiting the island, Austin was fortunate to see it both from the water and the air, and one of the most striking things was how the landscape shifted from a flat shoreline to massive bluffs inland. It almost looked as if the limestone rock were rising out of the blue water — just as the Anishinaabek had seen it centuries before.
4. Boat
There is — and there should always be — a time and place on vacation to let loose and bask in the beauty you paid to be surrounded by. Embark on a cruise with Sip n’ Sail Cruises aboard the Isle Royale Queen III or the Robin E. Their “Sunset Cruise” features local musicians on board, while their “Easy Like Sunday Morning” offers a leisurely shoreline tour — Arch Rock, British Landing, West Bluff, the Grand Hotel — with bloody marys and mimosas in hand. Either way, you’ll see the island from an angle your ferry ride over never offered.
Their lineup also includes the “Michigan Craft Beer Cruise,” “Bourbon Under the Bridge” and their “History Cruise,” meaning you can tailor the experience to exactly the kind of day you want. There’s something for everyone without overwhelming the island itself — you’re on the water, not adding foot traffic to the trails or crowding the fort. Barrett has yet to make it back to the island as an adult, but a sunset cruise with a live band and a bloody mary might be reason enough.
5. Horse
You’ve biked the perimeter, walked the fort, paddled the shoreline and toasted to all of it from the water. The only thing left is to put on your best outfit and let the island take you somewhere worthy of it. Call a horse-drawn taxi cab from Mackinac Island Carriage Tours — they’re radio-dispatched and available around the clock all summer — and head to the Grand Hotel. Fair warning: the island scoops horse manure constantly, but constantly is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Dress accordingly, or at least strategically. (It’s either this or dragging your suitcase by foot up the big hills, which we do not recommend.)
Standing since 1887, with the world’s longest porch at 660 feet, it’s the island’s most iconic landmark and its most demanding host. The emphasis on historic preservation extends to hotel etiquette, and dinner attire. “After 6:30 PM, we honor this 139-year tradition by requiring our guests to dress with elevated evening attire in all main areas of the hotel,” reads their hotel policies.
Barrett can’t remember his own visit as a kid, but the Grand Hotel and horse drawn carriages have been the backdrop of enough family photos to feel like a fixture — his older sister front and center in most of them, white porch columns behind her. Arriving by carriage, dressed for dinner, to a hotel that has operated the same way forever — it’s the only way to end a trip on an island that never let cars in.
Mackinac Island has been saying no to cars for over a century, and somehow that’s become the whole point. However you get around, you’ll leave wondering why everywhere else has somehow forgotten the beauty of being car-free.
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