10 Things To Do Around Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island

We just got back from our first-ever family vacation to Mackinac! We visited both Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.

I know this is the quintessential trip for Michigan families, but honestly it has been an intimidating trip for me because it’s a very expensive vacation between ferry tickets and activities. But I have to say, some MAJOR core memories were made, and we can’t wait to return again in a few years.

To save some accommodation moula, we opted to stay in a bridge view cabin at the Mill Creek Campground in Mackinaw City {we booked early, which is key!}. I cannot speak highly enough about our experience. It was such a beautiful spot with lots for families to do! Plus, they had a shuttle to take you to the Star Line ferry to Mackinac Island, which helped to save money on parking.

One day we’ll stay on the island, but I just couldn’t justify the cost as a family of 5 when we have other trips we hope to take this year 😉

Here are some things we did that we loved. Feel free to leave a comment with your favorites to give others great ideas for sites to see around the city and island!

10 Things To Do Around Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island

In Mackinaw City, we visited….

Colonial Michilimackinac

If you’re a history lover, this location is a MUST. The entire site has been re-built to look like it did during its time as an 18th century fort and fur trading village. There are loads of uncovered artifacts and interpreters to explain what you are seeing. One of the coolest thing about this fort is that it has been an archeological dig site each summer for 64 years! We loved chatting with an archeologist that was working. He showed us the sewing needles and nails he had dug up that day.

We also loved hearing a canon go off…Just make sure to cover your ears 😉

Learn more here.

Mackinac Point Lighthouse

We loved this lighthouse and spent much more time here than I anticipated. If you visit, you do need to have secure shoes to climb to the top of the tower, so keep that in mind. My kids enjoyed seeing the lighthouse as it may have looked during its time, but our collective favorite part as learning about all of the shipwrecks that have happened along the Straits of Mackinac. Do not skip the film — it was super interesting!

Learn more here.

Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park

This is an overlooked gem just east of Mackinaw City. Not only is it a historic sawmill, but they also have an “adventure tour” package you can add on. We went for it, and loved it! It included a forest canopy walk, zipline and climbing tower. Kids need to be 4 feet tall to do all of them. We absolutely loved it — even my hubs who is afraid of heights 😉

Afterward we watched a sawmill demonstration, which is a MUST when you visit this park. It was super interesting and our docent really knew his stuff and kept my kids completely engaged. In fact, my little guy even got to help, which he loved!

Learn more here.

Breweries.

My husband and I love to support local breweries wherever we go. They usually have a fun atmosphere for families, and my middle has made it a mission to try soft pretzels at each one. We visited both Rusted Spoke and Biere de Mac Brew Works while in Mackinaw City.

Rusted Spoke had a really cool atmosphere but pricier food, whereas Biere de Mac was a bit more casual and was only serving pizza at the time of our visit. Both are worthy of a visit if you enjoy beer!

We didn’t make it to Great Turtle Brewing Co. on Mackinac Island, but that is definitely on my list for our next visit!

On Mackinac Island, we…

Biked the island

Biking the island is definitely the best way to see all the sights. It’s 8 miles around, and completely do-able with active kids with all the bike options there are — tandem, bike trailers, attachable seats, etc. My husband carried a backpack cooler with picnic foods and I carried a backpack with sunscreen and water {and sweatshirts because the ferry ride over was cool}, and it worked out great.

I got a lot of questions about how my kids did riding their own bikes at ages 7, 9 and 11. They did great, BUT they were tired after, and I did have one refuse to climb all the stairs to Arch Rock – LOL. Ice cream and some downtime was definitely in order after. {We absolutely loved the backyard garden at Ice House BBQ behind the Island House, which was away from crowds. Thanks for the tip, Carrie!} After some snacks, we were good and down to walk around town.

But there’s no doubt about it, biking is the best way to see the unparalleled beauty the island offers.

Eat Fudge

This goes without saying, right? As my middle said after tasting fudge for the first time, “Wow. I didn’t expect for it to taste THAT good.” – HA!

As far as the best of all the fudge spots, who knows. It’s highly controversial to pick a favorite 😉 It would be fun to do a taste test from several locations in the future!

Fort Mackinac

This Fort is what was built after Colonial Michilamackinac was burned to the ground as troops sought higher ground that wasn’t as easy to attack. It is Michigan’s oldest public building…Boy, if those walls could talk! Regular demos and tours by costumed interpreters happen all day long here. We especially enjoyed learning about family life and touring the hospital. After, we went down the hill to learn more about Dr. Beaumont, who was a pioneer in digestion scientific research. It was very interesting! Even the kids were captivated.

Learn more here.

A few additional spots we didn’t get to but I look forward to on our next visit:

Headlands Dark Sky Park. This is high on my list of things to do in Mackinaw City, but visiting in June was tough with kids because it doesn’t get dark enough until 11 p.m. and we were so exhausted from our adventures! I would love to visit in the fall just for this, and possible stay right on site in a cabin.

McGulpin Point Lighthouse. If you love lighthouses, this seems like a great one just outside Mackinaw City that is a bit away from the crowds.

Mackinac Island Butterfly & Insect House. This was also something we would’ve loved to do but just couldn’t squeeze it in with just one day on the island. The world-renowned facility has 1,800 square feet of tropical garden filled with hundreds of live butterflies from four continents.

Of course, visiting, if not staying at The Grand Hotel is always a hoop dream here, but between time and money, it’s never an option. One day 😉

Overall we had an incredible time visiting. If you’d like to cross the bridge and visit the Upper Peninsula, check out this itinerary for the east side, or this one for the west side. All amazing trips to take as a family!

Where are your favorite sites around Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island?

Mackinac State Historic Parks sponsored by visits to their sites.