If you can picture Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, it looks like a mitten. Mackinac Island is right at the tip of the mitten. Mackinac Island sits in the Straits of Mackinac, just east of the Mackinac Bridge that connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas.

Not by car! You’d think the Mackinac Bridge connects to Mackinac Island, but it actually runs between the Upper and Lower peninsulas. Mackinac Island has been car-free for more than 125 years. Most visitors travel to Mackinac Island on ferries that depart from St. Ignace (at the north end of the bridge) or Mackinaw City (at the south end of the bridge). You also can take a private boat to Mackinac Island or charter a plane and fly into Mackinac Island Airport.

Because Mackinac Island is car-free, most people get around on foot, bicycle, horse-drawn taxi, wheelchairs, or electric mobility scooters. The whole island only covers 3.8 square-miles, and many of the most popular restaurants and attractions are in close proximity right downtown. Visitors who venture into Mackinac Island State Park, which covers 80% of the island, typically travel by bicycle or horse. Mackinac Island allows you to bring your own bike on the island where most hotels have bicycle space to park for overnight. Also, make sure you bring your bike lock!

More than you can experience in a single trip! Many visitors enjoy renting bikes and pedaling around Mackinac Island, sampling world-famous Mackinac Island fudge or just relaxing on a Mackinac Island porch and taking in the breathtaking views. Going on a horse-drawn carriage tour of Mackinac Island and seeing historic sites like Fort Mackinac also are popular things to do. And because more than 80% of Mackinac Island is a state park, it's ideal for outdoor activities such as kayaking, biking, hiking and horseback riding. Mackinac Island is home to three unique golf courses, two amazing butterfly conservatories, scores of distinctive shops, many extraordinary bars and restaurants and no fewer than 13 fudge shops.

Most Mackinac Island visitors arrive on a ferry boat that departs from the mainland in either St. Ignace or Mackinaw City, and the visitors who spend the night on Mackinac Island typically have luggage. It’s customary to tip workers at the dock a couple bucks per bag for tagging and loading your luggage onto the boat. Likewise, a couple bucks per bag on your return trip from Mackinac Island shows appreciation for taking good care of your luggage and loading it into your vehicle. Depending on where you book your stay on Mackinac Island, a dock porter may pick up your luggage at the dock and transport it – by bicycle! – to your room. Dock porters on Mackinac Island add to the character of the place, so please support these hard workers by tipping $3 to $5 per bag each way – once for delivery to your room at the start of your visit and once for delivery back to the dock for your return trip to the mainland. If housekeeping staff has tidied your room during your stay on Mackinac Island, a tip of $5 to $10 per day is appreciated. A tip also may be given for any additional special requests that hotel staff handle satisfactorily during your stay. Whether you’re taking a horse-drawn carriage tour of Mackinac Island or just catching a horse-drawn taxi for a ride down the street, tipping a few bucks per person is a fine way to express thanks for high-quality transportation service.