Cycling Around Mackinac Island

 Taking the ferry over to Mackinac Island takes you to a lifestyle that we are not used to, one with not motor vehicles driving around on the streets.  There are horse-drawn carriages available that serve as taxis and shuttles, but who wants to sit behind a horse, not me. If you are wanting to cover some distance on the island then renting a bicycle is a great way to get around.

Our favorite activity while on Mackinac Island was riding the perimeter trail around the island.  At 8.2 miles this trail circumnavigated its way around the whole island at lake level.  This means that there is no elevation gain or loss on this ride.  The marked two-lane path provides a smooth riding surface and makes it an easy ride for all levels.

Along the water from there are multiple vendors that will rent you a bike by the hour.  A nice leisurely ride will take most groups no more than 90 minutes, with many finishing quicker than that.  We rented from Mackinac Island Bike Shop which was located just below our hotel room at the Bicycle Stree Inn.  We had breakfast at Chuckwagon and were ready for a ride before the day trip crowds arrived and while we could enjoy the crisp morning air.

The staff at Mackinac Island Bike Shop were very helpful and explained the trip to us on a map that they provided.  The bicycles were in great working order and had been well maintained over the summer.  Your rental will provide you a bike fitted to your size, a lock, a basket, and a bottle of water.  It only takes a couple of minutes to complete your rental and the bikes are ready to go.  You are off on the trail in no time.

The hardest decision that you will have to make for the day, other than deciding on the flavor of ice cream you want after the ride, is if you are going to go clockwise or counterclockwise on the path.  We chose to head out going counterclockwise, which seemed to be the route less chosen while we were out on our ride.  There is no a right or wrong way to go, since it is a big circle and you are going to end up at the same destination. 

Along the trail, there are pullouts and benches if you want to stop and enjoy the views of the lake along your route.  There are some highlights that you will probably want to check out during your ride. 
(In a counterclockwise direction here is where we stopped)

1. Devil's Kitchen - This is a unique rock formation made over time as water and limestone cliffs have met.  From here you can look west across the Mackinac Straights and see the Mighty Mack bridge with its 5-mile-long crossing of the water.

Devils Kitchen

2. British Landing - This is the only developed stop along the way.  It was not quite halfway for us in the direction we were traveling.  At this stop, you will find restrooms and a snack shack.  If you are traveling in the afternoon it would be a great spot to stop and sit a spell while you enjoy a nice cold treat.  They also had grill items available, so you might even head out here for a less crowded lunch on the lake shore.

Snack Shack at British Landing

The shoreline here is great and there is room for lots of people before it would seem crowded.  The shore has lots of small rocks on it, providing kids with plenty of ammo for throwing or skipping stones into the lake.

British Landing Beach

This location gets its name because on July 16th and 17th of 1812, a small force of British soldiers landed here.  Along with several hundred Indian allies, they marched to Fort Mackinac and demanded its surrender.  The 51 Americans at the fort did not know that war had been declared and seeing the differences in the number gave up Fort Macinak without a fight.  The Americans never regained control of the fort during the war.

3. Point Aux Pins - This is the furthest north point of the island.  Here you can get a 270-degree view of the water and the trail starts to head back towards town along the east side of the island.  

4. Arch Rock - This impressive stone arch will be hard to miss along the trail because there will be lots of bikers stopped along the path to view and take pictures of the arch.  Arch rosk is a natural limeston arch that was formed during the last glaciation.  It stands 146 above the water.  There is a spot to part your bike here and hike up the stairs to the top of the arch.  The arch is also accessible by carriage from the top, so do not be surprised to run across big crowds here that did not have to climb the stairs.

Arch Rock from the Trail

5. Mission Point - As you make the final curve and start heading into town again you will pass Mission Point.  The Mission Point Resort is located here and is another of the great resort hotels of the island.  The grounds are immaculate and it makes provides plenty to look at as you ride by.

You will now come back into town, completing the full loop around the island.  We decided to use the bikes to explore some of the other locations we were going to visit on the island, which meant riding up the hill.  This took a little more effort but allowed us to visit arch rock from the top view point, then head over to Fort Mackinac where we locked up the bikes and toured the fort.  Finally we rode our way over to the Grand Hotel where we parked them and stopped for an ice cream, rocked in the rocking chairs on the front porch and toured the hotel.  The ride from the hotel back to the water front was fun and easy.  

We arrived back at the Mackinac Island Bike shop and checked in the bikes and will remember out ride around the island for a long time to come.