You can take an 8-mile day hike on Mackinac Island, if you want. Or you can spend a couple hours exploring the East Bluff, gawking at summer cottages and soaking up the mind-blowing view from Robinson’s Folly – then still have time to enjoy an afternoon at the pool or your watering hole of choice.
If you’re looking for a rigorous workout, you can paddle all the way around Mackinac Island on a 6-hour journey. Or you can kayak out of the harbor and around the bend to the magnificent Arch Rock and still make it back into town in time for ice cream on the boardwalk at sunset.
As the home of what was the second national park in America, Mackinac Island has plenty of hardcore adventure to offer. Yet, the USA’s Best Summer Travel Destination is also full of “soft adventures” that expose you to the incredible natural history of the island without requiring you to pack dehydrated food or sleep in a tent.
Soft adventures are those that offer the same payoff as more strenuous escapades, but without risking your life or requiring special gear and months of demanding physical training. On Mackinac Island, you can encounter the wonders of Mackinac Island State Park by day and experience the comforting luxury of historic hotels, fine dining and live entertainment by night. You can go on memorable excursions to breathtaking overlooks without enduring an exhausting all-day expedition full of death-defying thrills.
Here’s a look at just six of the many “soft adventures” you can have on Mackinac Island:
Riding A Bike Around Mackinac Island
Pedaling a bicycle all the way around an island might seem like a daunting proposition. Yet, it’s only 8.2 miles around Mackinac Island – on a road that’s mostly flat and paved, with no cars to worry about! Even at a leisurely pace, you can make the circuit in an hour or so. Or you can take a break every so often and explore any of the many scenic pullouts along the way.
Guided bike rides are available on Mackinac Island through CAP Excursions and Mackinac Jane’s Audio Tours.
Short Hikes Into Mackinac Island State Park
The longest hike on Mackinac Island is the outer loop, which follows the same 8.2-mile route that many visitors love to ride on a bike. But with more than 70 miles of paved and dirt trails crisscrossing Mackinac Island State Park, there are countless shorter hikes to do, too.
For more of a challenge, hoof it up some 320 feet of elevation gain on a 3.4-mile trek to Fort Holmes, the historic blockhouse atop the island’s highest point. For a less intense trip, stroll along the Mackinac Island Botanical Trail and discover the diverse flora and fauna that populate the forest.
Guided hikes of varying degrees of difficulty are available through Inside Out Tours of Mackinac, Chad’s Wonderful Walking Tour and Great Turtle Kayak Tours.
Kayaking and Snorkeling on Mackinac Island
Guides with Great Turtle Kayak Tours will lead you on a paddle all the way around Mackinac Island, if that’s on your bucket list. They also will help you navigate the harbor and the shipping lanes in the Straits of Mackinac on a paddle across to nearby Round Island or Bois Blanc Island, if you’re up for a daring trip like that.
Other tours are a bit less ambitious, yet no less scenic. You can wake up early for an inspiring sunrise paddle to Arch Rock, for example, or venture into the twilight on a sunset paddle to Devil’s Kitchen. If you’d like to get into the water, add a snorkeling tour of the Rock Maze to your Arch Rock trip.
Great Turtle Kayak Tours also offers standup paddleboarding at British Landing, which is located halfway around the island from downtown and makes for a relaxing adventure just getting there.
Birding on Mackinac Island
With the state park making up more than 80% of the land area, Mackinac Island is a delight for birdwatchers. Dozens of bird species can be seen at different times of the year.
Not only is Mackinac Island the year-round home for birds such as chickadees, woodpeckers and Great Horned owls, but it also is a summer nesting spot for robins, yellow warblers and Canadian geese. And in spring, you could see thousands of hawks, falcons, eagles and other raptors migrating through the Straits of Mackinac on their way north.
Horseback Riding On Mackinac Island
Just as the trails of Mackinac Island State Park create an unlimited number of hiking options, they also are perfect for horseback riding. Many visitors experience the island’s car-free culture by taking a horse-drawn carriage tour. Fewer people actually saddle up and venture into the woods on horseback.
Both Jack’s Livery Stable and Cindy’s Riding Stable offer guided or unguided horseback riding adventures.
Fishing and Boating Off Mackinac Island
Fishing off Mackinac Island isn’t quite like roughing it out on the open seas in search of Jaws (and not just because there are no sharks in the freshwater Great Lakes). The charter boats that operate out of Mackinac Island are modern crafts equipped with state-of-the-art gear and electronics that give you the best chance for deepwater trolling success.
Boat tours are another great way to have a safe water adventure while visiting Mackinac Island. Then, after cruising under the Mackinac Bridge or bringing a salmon up from the depths, you can tell your tales over dinner at one of Mackinac Island’s many restaurants serving up northern Michigan whitefish and other Great Lakes delicacies.
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