Take a step back in time with me today we tour Mackinac Island by horse and carriage. Retreat back to the Colonial era of a youthful America. Follow me to a place where time moves at the pace of horse and carriages. Where the patriotism of inhabitants is evident by the hundreds of American flags that line the streets.
Mackinac (Mack-in-awe) Island is a true American hidden gem. Located on the Straits between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas and where the Great Lakes of Huron and Superior meet is the only place in the world where transportation is entirely by horse and carriage. On my most recent trip to this underrated location, I took a tour of the bottom half of the island by horse and carriage.
About the Horses of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is the only place in the world that has radio taxi by horse and carriage 365 days of the year. Motor vehicles were banned in the 19th century so the only transportation on the island is by bicycle or horseback.
Most of the horses on the island are Percheron Belgian Draft horses, the strongest breed in the world. With that strength comes Mackinac Island’s ability to offer the world’s largest passenger carriage that carries 35 people.
While some horses stay on the island year-round, more than 500 are brought to Mackinac at the peak of summer season, outnumbering the amount of locals that live here all year. The horses begin working at age 5 and retire at around age 18, living out the rest of their days on the owner’s 2000 acre farm in the Upper Peninsula.
The wellbeing of the horses here absolutely blew me away; each stallion is bathed twice a day, even on non-working days, and never work for more than 4-6 hours at a time. Working shifts are every other day so the horses have time to rest between. Since Mackinac Island is somewhat hilly, the horse-drawn carriage stops intermittently to give the animals a break. Carriages are equipped with holding brakes so the driver can take all weight off of the horses while they’re resting.
Purchasing Mackinac Island Horse & Carriage Tour Tickets
My horse and carriage tour tickets were purchased as a discount package with a ferry from St. Ignace to Mackinac Island. I booked that deal through Shepler’s Ferry, which included a round-trip ferry ticket and the 1 hour 45 minute tour with Mackinac Island Carriage Tours for $51.50.
You can find the Shepler’s Ferry discounted island package as well as pricing on Shepler’s page here, departing from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace.
Tours are held from May to October and booking directly through Mackinac Island Carriage Tours for $30.50 is another option. Buy tickets at the booth located on Main Street to the east of the Starbucks. If you plan on just taking a day trip to the island and want to take the tour, definitely take advantage of Shepler’s online deal above.
Click here to see pricing and learn more about the tour through Mackinac Island Carriage Tours
Embarking on the Mackinac Island Horse & Carriage Tour
The tour begins with a smaller passenger carriage pulled by 2 horses. Rolling down Main Street, we pass by Fort Mackinac and continue on Market Street past the Post Office.
Coming to a T at the island’s main road of 185, we head north past the monstrous Grand Hotel where we take a break on the hill for the horses to rest.
Surrey Hills Museum
About a half mile up the road we make it to the Surrey Hills Museum which displays historic carriages. There’s even a horse-drawn hearse here that’s still in use today!
We snag some homemade doughnuts before walking down to the Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory where over 200 species of butterflies fly around. Entrance to the Wings of Mackinac is $10 but you can add it on to your horse and carriage ticket for a discount at the time of purchase.
Read More: Inside Mackinac Island: What You Can’t Miss on a Visit
After the Wings of Mackinac, we walk down the hill a little further over to the Grand stables. These lavish horse stables are home to 12 horses specifically for the Grand Hotel and exhibit the progression of the carriages inside, including various artifacts and information about the history of Mackinac Island’s horses and carriages.
After exploring the stables, we retreat back to Surrey Hills for the second half of our tour.
Off the Beaten Path
From this point, the horses pull us through the lush forests of Mackinac State Park, which makes up 83% of the Island.
Strolling past old Protestant and Catholic cemeteries, we stumble upon Skull Cave. This area was used as an entombment for Native Americans in the 1700s.
Our tour guide/carriage driver continues to bombard us with important information about the horses and Mackinac Island. I loved learning new things about this place I’ve lived near my whole life.
Arch Rock
After stopping and starting multiple times for the horses to rest, we swing by one of the most popular areas on Mackinac Island, Arch Rock.
Upon leaving this viewpoint of Lake Huron, we meander by the Fort Mackinac. The tour ends again at Surrey Hills where we walk down to the Grand Hotel to finish our day.
Read More: A Tour of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
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I just love the pictures on your blog
Thank you friend! Just upgraded my camera so hopefully you’ll love the pictures more from here on out! 🙂