Mackinac Island Off The Beaten Path

Arguably the worst decision that the American troops stationed on Mackinac made was building their fort so close to the water, and not on the highest point of the island. The British troops, when they attacked, quickly found this out and harnessed the use of the peak themselves, building a crude fort. The current name of this fort is Holmes, and although it's nothing more than a square-shaped wall of dirt and grass, it holds a lot of historical significance.

It's quite a bike ride up to the fort and you'll wish you had gone to the gym a little bit more frequently, but the views and the experience from the top of Mackinac is worth your while. You can watch freighters and other boats pass through the Straits of Mackinac, and you can see for miles. As an added bonus, on the way down you can coast almost all the way back to town without pedaling.

To reach Fort Holmes from downtown, bike up Fort Street and continue on behind the fort. You'll come to a forest with a large sign, and you'll need to take Garrison Road. Ride to the cemeteries and take a right on the first chance you get. The road from there is straight up to the top.

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A trip to the Island must included the following: Bike EVERYWHERE! Grab a map at the Visitor's Center and make a point to visit every trail and path that you can... it is a must. No, don't try to do it in one day....savor the experience. Force yourself to go slow enough in order to really SEE what you are looking at.
I find that I must ride the Island Trails after I 've circled the Island...just to take in the size. I usually ride around twice before I feel like I am truly there and can comfortably head inland.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when visiting this island is that they don't stray very far from the bustling hubbub of downtown.

For a true island experience, rent a bike and take the 8-mile road that circles the island. It's a relaxing ride and offers many incredible views that the city-dwellers will totally miss. This ride will also give you a better feel for the true nature of the island and helps you appreciate how special Mackinac really is.

One of the greatest parts of this road is the lack of hills: the entire road is flat! Halfway around the island is British Landing. Here you can take a break and grab some refreshment at the Cannonball snack shop, where you can pull up at a picnic table and take in the grandeur of the Straits of Mackinac.

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There are few things as calming as the sound of a waterfall and birds. Visit Tahquamenon Falls state park to see the upper and lower waterfalls. They are beautiful.

Located in the fitting town of Paradise, MI
Star Route 48

Less famous than its counterpart Arch Rock, Sugarloaf is nonetheless quite a spectacular sight. Made of the same limestone as Arch Rock and the rest of the island, Sugarloaf literally looks like a big lump of maple sugar that stretches at least seventy-five feet into the air. The great part about Sugarloaf is that it is ridiculously easy to climb around on, and there are caves as low as three feet from the ground. Personally, I'm athletically challanged, and even I can get at least fifteen feet up the rock without the aid of ropes. Those with more experience in the rock-climbing department often climb all the way to the top. I always make a stop at this place, just because it's so much fun to explore.

Sugarloaf is a little hidden and more difficult to get to because it's not directly on the coast, but signs around the roads will show you the way pretty easily. There are about three different routes to get to the rock.

Somewhere on the island, tucked away in a little nook of a room, stand matching fox hunting horse riders lamp bases. The peculiarity of these lamps is the taupe paint chosen for the leggings of the standing figures: It makes the pair appear to be NUDE from the waistcoat down.

Harrisonville, in the center of the island, is where many of the full-time residents of Mackinac reside. The houses here are modest single-family dwellings, and many of them (not surprisingly) have their own stables. If you are strolling out here, also take a look at "Great Turtle Park," just to the east of Harrisonville. It's where the islanders have their own baseball fields.

The Mackinac Island Cemetery is up on Fort Hill, inland and away from the tourist town. It has graves dating all the way back to the War of 1812; interestingly, both US and British soldiers from that conflict are buried here.