The Crown Jewel of the Great Lakes has done it again! For the third year in a row, USA Today readers have voted Mackinac Island the Best Summer Travel Destination in the country.
An expert panel nominated a list of 20 must-see vacation spots, and people chose Mackinac Island No. 1 ahead of other great summer destinations, from Catalina Island in California to Nantucket, Mass. and from Bend, Ore. to Galveston, Texas.
What Visitors Love About Mackinac Island
Visitors adore Mackinac Island’s charming car-free roads full of horse-drawn carriages and bicycles. And they love the mix of Mackinac Island’s vibrant downtown with bars and restaurants (and fudge shops!), historic sites such as Fort Mackinac and a state park forest where you can hike, bike or ride horseback along miles of trails and see ancient landmarks such as the iconic Arch Rock.
The third consecutive title of USA’s Best Summer Travel Destination comes on the heels of other honors for Mackinac Island including Top Family-Friendly Beach Town, Best Wedding Destination in the U.S., Most Tourist-Friendly U.S. City, Best Picnic Spot in Michigan, No. 1 State Park in the U.S., No. 1 Best Island in the Continental U.S. and more.
Several places to stay on Mackinac Island also have earned recognition as the best hotels or resorts in the country including Grand Hotel, Island House Hotel, Mission Point, Hotel Iroquois and others. Plus, the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival held each June was just named the No. 3 Best Flower Festival in the country.
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