At 1,800 acres, Mackinac Island State Park makes up 80 percent of Mackinac Island's land mass. The park was founded in 1898 and features natural landmarks, forested areas and trails for bicycling and horseback riding. Mackinac Island State Park has approximately 61 miles of trails. Some of Mackinac Island's natural landmarks include Arch Rock -- a natural bridge made from rock -- and Sugar Loaf -- a 75-foot limestone rock formation. Views of Lake Huron and Saint Martin Bay are available from the state park's limestone bluffs.
Mackinac Island's Fort Mackinac is one of the oldest sites on the island; the fort was built by the British in the 1700s. The fort provides families with scenic views of the Straits of Mackinac, which are waterways 150 feet below the fort. Fort Mackinac attractions include horse carriage rides, live rifle demonstrations and archaeological artifacts dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. On July 4th, Fort Mackinac hosts a Fourth of July picnic and fireworks display.
The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House (originalbutterflyhouse.com) is on the northern edge of downtown Mackinac Island. Founded in 1991, the Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House is the only butterfly house -- an indoor sanctuary, or zoo, of butterfly species -- in Michigan. One of the marquis attractions at the butterfly house is the Butterfly Garden. At the time of this publication, the Butterfly Garden receives up to 500 butterfly pupae, or chrysalids, on a weekly basis.
Mackinac Island Carriage Tours (mict.com) offers horse carriage rides throughout Mackinac Island. The ticket depot for Mackinac Island Carriage Tours is in downtown Mackinac Island, near the Arnold Transit ferry dock. This tour provides families with rides to Mackinac Island landmarks, including Arch Rock, the Grand Hotel, Surrey Hills Museum and the Fort Mackinac Avenue of Flags. Up to 10 passengers may ride on a Carriage Tour. Families of eight may take a private tour of the Island on one of the company's livery carriages.
Mackinac Island celebrates the 10-day Lilac Festival (mackinacislandlilacfestival.org) on an annual basis in the summer. Since 1949, Mackinac Island has hosted this summertime event in honor of the lilacs that bloom on the island in early summer. Some of the Mackinac Island's lilac trees date back to the mid-19th century, when they were first introduced to Mackinac Island. This festival includes the Lilac Parade, which consists of horse-drawn floats with floral arrangements.
