Psst. Here’s a little secret: There are actually lots of motor vehicles on car-free Mackinac Island.
Not during visitor season, of course. But when there’s snow on the ground, many residents get around on snowmobiles.
Mackinac Island residents take gas-powered sleds to the grocery store, for example, and to work and school. It’s an efficient way of getting from point A to point B, faster than a horse-drawn Mackinac Island taxi or fat tire bike.
Take a look!
What To Know About Snowmobiling on Mackinac Island
As you can see, there are snowmobiles all over town on Mackinac Island. In fact, locals often can identify fellow residents from afar by the look of their snowmobiles and snowsuits!
Here are some more fun facts about snowmobiling on Mackinac Island:
- Gas for snowmobiles is available on Mackinac Island at Rock Hardware and Fuel Dock and, as you can see from this video about snowmobiles on Mackinac Island, it’s much pricier than fuel on the mainland!
- Permits are required to use snowmobiles on Mackinac Island. Residents and commuters often buy permits that are good for the whole winter, from Nov. 15 to April 15. Contact the city of Mackinac Island or Mackinac Island Airport about daily permits available for visitors.
- There are no places to rent snowmobiles on Mackinac Island, but visitors can take their own snowmobiles on the Arnold Transit winter ferry boat from St. Ignace for an extra fee.
- Although an ice bridge to Mackinac Island sometimes forms on the Straits of Mackinac during the winter, crossing over the ice is strongly discouraged. Like many Mackinac Island organizations and businesses, we will not provide updates nor information on the status, location or details about the ice bridge because of how unsafe it is. There is no such thing as safe ice. Using the ice bridge is a “ride at your own risk” mode of transportation and should be considered with extreme caution.
Recreational Snowmobiling on Mackinac Island
Some areas of Mackinac Island State Park are groomed for cross-country skiing and prohibit snowmobiles, but many roads and paths are open to snowmobiles including Annex Road, British Landing Road, Cadotte Avenue, and all of Lakeshore Drive within Mackinac Island State Park. However, with strict speed limits of 20 miles per hour in town and 25 miles per hour in Mackinac Island State Park, snowmobiling is more about transportation than joyriding.
Snowmobiling on Mackinac Island is more of a necessity than a recreational activity.
Still, a leisurely ride around Mackinac Island can be a fun adventure. You can get a sense of the serene stillness of the snowy trails through Mackinac Island State Park and how peacefully beautiful they are in the winter.
Take a look!
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