Imagine a town where the loudest traffic sound is the clip-clop of hooves. No engines, no honking, no hunting for parking. That place exists on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan, and visitors from all over come to experience it.
The short answer: motor vehicles have been banned on Mackinac Island for well over a century. They've been prohibited within the City of Mackinac Island since 1898 and across the whole island since 1901. The ban began after local carriage drivers complained that the new automobiles were startling their horses.
How the Ban Began
At the end of the 1800s, automobiles were a noisy new invention. On Mackinac Island, where horses already did the hauling, they caused real trouble. Concerns about the safety and health of both residents and horses led to the restrictions.
The rule has stuck ever since. The only exceptions are emergency vehicles like ambulances, police cars, and fire trucks, plus city service and state park vehicles, and snowmobiles in winter. When Vice President Mike Pence was allowed to bring a motorcade onto the island in 2019, it caused some controversy.
Getting Around Without a Car
So how do people travel? By foot, bicycle, horse, or horse-drawn carriage. Roller skates and roller blades are allowed too, except downtown. Visitors can rent bikes, carriages, and saddle horses.
An 8-mile road loops around the island's shoreline. It's actually a state highway, M-185, and it's the only state highway in the country without motor vehicles.
Horses are so central to island life that Mackinac celebrates them each June with stable tours, a blessing of the animals, and a parade honoring Epona, an ancient horse goddess. There's even a job collecting and composting all that manure, which once landed on the TV show Dirty Jobs.
A Step Back in Time
Mackinac Island is small, about 4.35 square miles, and sits in Lake Huron between Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Its name comes from Native American words often translated as “Great Turtle,” because people thought the island's shape looked like one.
It has a long history. It was a hub of the Great Lakes fur trade, and the British built Fort Mackinac there during the American Revolutionary War. The island saw two battles during the War of 1812. Today, the entire island is a National Historic Landmark, and more than 80 percent of it is a state park.
The famous Grand Hotel, a Victorian-style building, opened in 1887. The 1980 film Somewhere in Time was shot on the island, and its director said he needed a place that looked like it hadn't changed in eighty years.
Fudge, Lilacs, and Fudgies
Mackinac is famous for fudge. Fudge wasn't invented there, but it became the island's signature treat, and visitors are nicknamed “fudgies.” During lean years, one candy-making family reportedly used fans to blow the smell of fresh fudge into the streets to lure in customers.
Since 1949, residents have also held a 10-day lilac festival each spring, ending with a parade of horse-drawn vehicles. Only 583 people lived on the island year-round as of 2020, but tens of thousands visit each season.
So if you've ever wished you could escape traffic for a while, Mackinac Island might be calling. Just remember to watch your step on the streets. The horses always have the right of way.
