With Mackinac Island attractions fully opening this weekend, thousands of people will be lining up for ferries and heading to the island in search of a unique experience with family or friends.
The popular getaway officially opened to summer visitors Friday, May 1, kicking off the 2026 tourist season, according to the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. While the island is home to dozens of attractions, restaurants and accommodations that “everyone knows,” there are still some places where you can feel like you’re getting away from the crowds.
“Mackinac Island is … a place where the horse is king, where the streets have been car-free for over 100 years. It is a place where life moves at the clip-clop pace of a carriage, and where the noise of day-to-day life is silenced by the delightful ding of a leisurely bicycle bell,” the tourism bureau’s website says.
Here’s a look at a few sites and attractions that may not be crowded this summer.
When is Mackinac Island’s opening day?
Opening day on Mackinac Island is May 1 for the 2026 tourist season, according to the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. The weekend will include numerous events to welcome visitors.
Trek to Sugar Loaf, ancient ‘sea stack’
Take a hike or bike ride through Mackinac Island State Park to reach Sugar Loaf, the island’s tallest limestone stack, an ancient rock formation.
Standing out on the Mackinac Island skyline, the limestone stack gets its name from its shape, said to resemble 17th to 19th century cone-shaped sugar loaves to early European settlers, according to the Inn on Mackinac. While touring its cave was a popular 19th century pastime, climbing Sugar Loaf is now off-limits, per Mackinac State Historic Parks.
“Sugar Loaf and Skull Cave are two of Mackinac Island’s most famous curiosities. In geological terms, both formations are sea stacks, once attached to tall cliffs of ancient Mackinac Island,” according to Mackinac State Historic Parks. “About 11,000 years ago, deep postglacial lakes eroded softer limestone, leaving behind tall stacks of Mackinac breccia, a type of durable recemented limestone. Today, Sugar Loaf rises about 75 feet above the forest floor and sits about 300 feet from the cliff called Point Lookout.”
A sacred site to Indigenous peoples, legend holds the area has been home to burial grounds, served as a site for spiritual gatherings, or represents the remains of a man from a wish gone wrong, per the tourism bureau and the Inn on Mackinac.
Stop and smell the roses at Grand Hotel’s ‘secret garden’
During your stay at the luxurious Grand Hotel — or even if you’re just passing by — step out into the greenery to discovery the resort’s secret garden.
Hidden among the Grand Hotel’s gardens below the massive pillared veranda, the garden includes two sections: a perennial area and an area featuring a spring flower bulb display. Searching for the garden can be a fun adventure, and staff are on hand to assist if needed.
Tee it up at Wawashkamo Golf Club
Pack your golf bag and head to the fairways at Mackinac Island’s Wawashkamo Golf Club, one of Michigan’s oldest continuously operating golf courses, run by a nonprofit.
Many people are familiar with at least a part of the Grand Hotel’s Jewel course, which sits adjacent to the main road up to the hotel, but finding Wawashkamo is more of a challenge.
The course is a heathland links-style layout on the grounds of the Battle of 1814 on Mackinac Island.
The nine-hole golf course — with two sets of tees to allow 18 different holes — opened in 1898 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, located deep in the center of the island. Enjoy a game on the scenic course and stop by the historic clubhouse to hold a private event or pick up merchandise.
Rates are $70 for nine holes with a cart or $110 for 18, according to the website.
Take in history at British Landing
On your 8.5-mile bicycle ride — or long, long hike — around Mackinac Island, make a stop at British Landing on the island’s northwest side.
A Michigan Historic Site marker designates the site, detailing the July 16-17, 1812, landing of British soldiers and their Indigenous allies at that spot during the War of 1812.
In addition to the historic nature of the site, there also is a snack bar with burgers, hot dogs and ice cream.
In addition, the British Landing Nature Center has a short nature trail. The center has restrooms, a bike repair station and offers free admission to see the exhibits and interpretive panels.
What’s duckpin bowling? Try it at Bobby’s Bar
Nestled in the woods near the back nine of the Grand Hotel’s, Bobby’s Bar, named after an English terrier, offers brews, some food and the nation’s oldest duckpin bowling alley, according to its website.
Try your luck for a three-ball frame with friends or family at this local bar during your stay on Mackinac Island.
The rules are similar to traditional bowling, but you get three rolls per frame instead of two. Instead of sturdy pins and heavy balls, duckpin bowling uses lightweight, shorter pins and palm-sized balls.
How can you get to Mackinac Island?
Ferry services take visitors to Mackinac Island from Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula and St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula. You can also get to the island by private boat or cruise. Flight options include personal planes, commercial flights or an air taxi service from St. Ignace.
If you’re traveling by ferry, you can take Arnold Transit Company or Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry’s routes from St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. See their websites for full schedules and price details. Coming from the U.P., you can take Fresh Air Aviation’s air taxi flights from St. Ignace.
Does anyone live on the island year-round?
Yes, Mackinac Island is home to about 500 year-round residents, according to the tourism bureau.
Detroit Free Press contributed.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Island can get crowded, these 5 attractions may offer respite
Reporting by Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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