Mackinac Island
Motor vehicles have been banned here since 1898 — horse-drawn carriages and bicycles have carried every visitor and every delivery ever since.
- Ferry
- Bike
- Walk
No, motor vehicles have not been allowed on Mackinac Island since 1898, when the village board banned them after early cars spooked the horses that were already the island's main transport. That makes it one of the oldest car bans anywhere in the world, and it has never been lifted — ferries from Mackinaw City and St Ignace are the only way in, and once you land, horse-drawn carriages, bicycles and your own two feet handle everything else.
Why it works without a car
- Motor vehicles have been banned island-wide since 1898 — one of the oldest continuous car bans anywhere on Earth.
- Horse-drawn drays still deliver luggage, groceries and freight from the docks to hotels and homes across the island.
- Frequent ferries connect the island to both Mackinaw City and St Ignace, on either side of the Straits of Mackinac, with no car needed on either shore.
- Miles of paved and dirt cycling routes, including a flat 8-mile loop around the entire shoreline, make the island one of the best places in the US to travel purely on two wheels.
How to arrive
Several ferry companies run between the island and both Mackinaw City and St Ignace, the towns on the Lower and Upper Peninsula sides of the Straits of Mackinac, with sailings roughly every 15 to 30 minutes through the busy summer months.
Both departure towns are reachable by intercity bus and by car park-and-ride if you drive partway; travellers coming from Detroit or Chicago typically arrive by long-distance bus or a connecting flight to a regional airport, then a short taxi or shuttle to the dock.
- From Mackinaw City — about 15 to 20 minutes by ferry, the shortest crossing.
- From St Ignace — about 15 to 20 minutes by ferry as well, on the Upper Peninsula side.
- Ferry service is heavily reduced or suspended in winter once the Straits ice over, replaced informally by small aircraft and, in some years, a marked ice bridge — plan a summer or shoulder-season trip if you want the classic ferry crossing.
Getting around
Bicycles are the island's real workhorse — rental shops line the harbor, and a flat, paved 8-mile road (M-185, the only US state highway with no cars) circles the entire shoreline with no traffic to share it with.
Horse-drawn taxis and guided carriage tours cover longer trips and the interior of the island, including the climb up to Fort Mackinac and the Grand Hotel. Walking easily handles the compact downtown around Main Street and the harbor.
Last-mile gaps
The bluff above downtown, home to Fort Mackinac and several viewpoints, is a genuine uphill walk or bike ride with no shortcut — budget extra time and water if you're visiting in summer heat.
Winter residents rely on snowmobiles once the ferries stop and the ice sets in — a completely different, much quieter side of the island that most visitors never see, since the vast majority of hotels and restaurants close for the season.
Travelling with luggage
Luggage is easier here than on most car-free islands, because the horse-drawn dray system was built for exactly this job. Most hotels have arrangements with dray operators to collect bags at the dock and deliver them straight to your room, often before you arrive on foot yourself.
Confirm the dray transfer when you book, since it usually needs your ferry time and hotel name in advance. Outside of that system, dragging a heavy case over the boardwalks and gravel side streets is hard going.
Tickets & the ferry lines
Several competing ferry lines run the crossing, with tickets sold at the docks or online; in peak summer weekends, buying ahead saves time in the queue but is rarely strictly necessary given how frequent the sailings are.
Round-trip tickets are standard and usually cheaper than two one-ways; some lines bundle a bike rental or Fort Mackinac admission into combo fares worth checking before you buy separately.
Where to stay
Frequently asked questions
Are cars allowed on Mackinac Island?
No — motor vehicles have been banned on the island since 1898, with only a few emergency and maintenance exceptions today. Every visitor and resident gets around by bicycle, horse-drawn carriage or on foot instead.
Why is Mackinac Island car-free?
The island banned "horseless carriages" in 1898 after the earliest cars startled the horses that carried tourists and freight around the island, causing accidents. The ban has been maintained ever since as both a practical safety measure and a defining part of the island's identity as a Victorian-era resort frozen in time.
How do you get to Mackinac Island without a car?
By ferry from Mackinaw City or St Ignace, the two towns on either side of the Straits of Mackinac, with crossings of about 15 to 20 minutes running frequently through the summer. There is no bridge or road to the island — the boat is the only way across.
How do you get around Mackinac Island without a car?
By bicycle, which most visitors rent near the harbor and use to ride the flat 8-mile loop road around the island, by horse-drawn taxi or carriage tour for longer trips and the interior, or simply on foot around the compact downtown.
Can you take luggage to Mackinac Island easily?
Yes, more easily than on most car-free islands — a long-established horse-drawn dray system exists specifically to move luggage from the ferry docks to hotels, and most properties arrange this automatically once you share your ferry time. Just confirm it when you book.
- Country
- United States
- Region
- Michigan
- How you travel
- Ferry
- Bike
- Walk
Keep exploring
