What It Is

A 3.8 square-mile mass of natural beauty, history, and traditional charm.  This island is accessible by plane and by ferry and has been car-free for more than 100 years.  All transportation on Mackinac Island (pronounced ma-ki-naw) is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage.

Where It Is

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

When We Went

August 2018 and July 2025

What We Did

In 2018, we rented bicycles and rode the island’s paved, 8.2-mile perimeter before partaking of The Grand Hotel’s Grand Luncheon Buffett.  We explored the hotel, shopped in the downtown/Main Street area for souvenirs, and bought Mackinac Island’s famous fudge.

Because we loved it so much in 2018, we returned in 2025 and did some of the same things.  We again rented bicycles and rode the paved path around the island.  We also tried to eat lunch at the Pink Pony restaurant.  We shopped while we waited for our table, but we eventually decided to give up our spot on the waitlist and take the ferry back to St. Ignace instead (we were moving on to Frankenmuth that day).

How Much We Spent

In 2018, we spent $46 on ferry tickets and $150 on the Grand Luncheon Buffet.  I wasn't keeping copious notes at the time, so I don't know how much we paid to rent bicycles (2 "regular" bikes  for our son and me and one bike with a tagalong for my husband and our daughter).  

In 2025, round-trip ferry tickets cost us $140.  Four 3-speed bicycle rentals cost $116.

How Much Time We Spent There

Again, I didn't think to take many detailed notes in 2018 (the amount of notes I take now, just to keep everything straight in my head, is ridiculous), so I don't have an exact number.  However, I know we arrived at the ferry early, rode bikes around the island, and spent about three hours in the Grand Hotel alone before shopping and hopping on the ferry.  I'd guess we spent the better part of the day, approximately six or seven hours, on Mackinac Island.

In 2025, we spent just a little more than four-and-a-half hours on the island.  That includes a 10-minute walk from our hotel, the Best Western Harbour Pointe Lakefront, to Shepler’s Ferry, the brief wait at the ferry before our departure, the 30ish-minute ride to the island (some trips to the island include a little detour under the Mighty Mac, the Mackinac Bridge, which connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas), a nearly two-hour bike ride, and the time we spent shopping before catching the 16-minute ferry ride back at St. Ignace.

What We Liked

• The weather.  Coming from hot-and-humid Maryland, we loved the gentle lake breezes and the cool temperatures.  Temperatures on the island average in the low-to-mid 70s during the summer months. ​
  
• The bike ride.  My husband and kids are avid bike riders, but I am not.  On both trips, I worried—unnecessarily—about my ability to ride the entire 8.2-mile loop around the island.  The paved path is relatively flat, which makes it perfect for riders of all skill levels.  There are some slight inclines, but the bike rental shop in 2025 recommended we start our ride by heading to the left on Main Street instead of right, which we had done in 2018.  It was the best advice.  Not only did we hit the inclines first—and they were descending that way—but we also avoided much of the traffic: most people started the ride by going right.  
• The scenery.  We never did venture into the island’s interior.  We were too enthralled with the shoreline views and the beautiful greenery the bike path gave us.  
  
• The cinematic history.  We also enjoyed seeing the spot where one of the scenes from the 1980 movie, “Somewhere in Time,” was filmed.  We watched it before our 2018 visit and had the kids re-enact the scene.  Admittedly, that was more fun for me and my husband than it was for them.
  

What We Didn't Like

On our first visit, we enjoyed pretending we were guests at the hotel, relaxing on the famous 660-foot long porch, exploring the hotel, and eating the luncheon buffet.  Although the $150 cost for the four of us was a steep splurge in 2018, we were willing to pay it again in 2025.  Unfortunately, that same luncheon would have cost us $270 the second time around!  We were definitely disappointed in the price and skipped the luncheon in 2025 because of it.


Was it worth it? 

Absolutely.  I have never enjoyed riding a bike more than I have at Mackinac Island.  It's peaceful, it's beautiful, and it's relaxing.  Main Street, although busy with bikes and horses and carriages, is a fun glimpse back in time, and the beautiful scenery along the shoreline is well worth the visit.

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For more information, visit https://www.mackinacisland.org/.

Was It Worth It?
Mackinac Island

​Posted September 1, 2025, by Janet Wolfe