A Mackinac Winter
The trails in the Mackinac
Island State Park are kept peaceful for Nordic skiing
and snowshoeing. Since 1991, volunteers from the Mackinac
Island Ski Club, with the support of State Park personnel,
groom what have been called some of the best Nordic ski
trails in the Midwest.
November brings colder temperature, the leaves falling from the trees, a bit of rain and a quiet across the Island. This is a perfect time to catch up on some reading, writing and hiking in Mackinac Island State Park.
December sees the community out and about for the annual Christmas Bazaar, the lighting of the Christmas Tree downtown and Islanders catching up on the season. As the temperatures drop, the strength of community ties grow stronger.
January is a time of snow and solitude. Travelers to the Island enjoy cross country skiing, snowshoeing, loads of relaxing and Superbowl Sunday at the island pubs.
February offers Winterfest hosted by the Mackinac Island Recreation Department for good old fashioned outdoor fun. Mid-month the Annual
Winter Festival, Valentine’s Day celebrations and
the Village Inn's winter fun weekend with the heralded Chili Cook-Off warms our hearts and bellies.
During March, island pubs kick out great yet quaint St. Patrick's Day celebrations.
Come April, Islanders reflect and
prepare for the new season, Grand Hotel opens for the late winter season offering excellent ratesand the boats start running.
The Solitude of Nature Seeing Arch Rock, Sugar Loaf and Mackinac Island architecture
covered in snow is a memorable experience. The stillness
and solitude found at Fort Holmes give
the traveler a truly memorable vision not familiar to
most of the Island’s visitors.
Accommodations
A cozy bed & breakfast, nice downtown apartments
and a sweet hotel are here to make sure you enjoy a
good winter slumber on Mackinac Island. Please click on the links below.
Once the lake freezes...
After the Arnold Line stops running due to ice, we simply use Great
Lakes Air 906-643-7165 to fly back and forth to the
Island.Tickets average about $45 RT for adults with a reduced rate for children. FYI-furs and feathers...or dogs, cats and birds fly free.
Winter Horses
Winter horse drawn taxi service is available and reservations
are necessary. Call 906-847-3323 before
3pm each day for evening or early morning service and for any airport pick up.
Cross Country Skiing
As mentioned above, the
Balsam Shop offers Cross Country Ski and Snowshoe rentals for the beautifully groomed ski trails throughout Mackinac Island State Park.
Mackinac Island Public Library With a great inventory of books to enjoy and a great winter art exhibition, our library is the go to spot during the winter. The cheery interior was created by designer Carelton Varney who now manages Dorothy Draper & Co., in New York City and is the interior designer for Grand Hotel. The library's decor was specially designed to reflect the rich history of Mackinac and the traditional role of public library reading rooms. Daguerreotypes of 19th century American Literary Figures (Holmes, Longfellow, Bryant, Emerson, Lowell and Whittier) hang near the custom designed maple circulation desk.
November brings colder temperature, the leaves falling from the trees, a bit of rain and a quiet across the Island. This is a perfect time to catch up on some reading, writing and hiking in Mackinac Island State Park.
The Solitude of Nature 
Accommodations
Getting Here in the winter