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Right in the middle of America’s car culture, there’s a place where cars simply don’t exist. While Michigan is famous for Detroit—the birthplace of Ford, GM and Chrysler—just off its northern coast sits Mackinac Island, a quiet, beautiful spot that has banned cars for more than 100 years.
The island is tiny, only 3.8 square kilometres, and home to about 600 people year-round. There are no cars, no motorcycles and not even golf carts. It’s the only place in the US with a highway where you’re not allowed to drive. If you hear a loud noise, it’s probably a goose, an owl or a horse—not an engine.
Cars were first banned in 1898 after one backfired and scared the island’s horses. Locals decided that engines didn’t belong there, and the rule stuck. Today, horses are at the centre of daily life. As one local shop owner puts it, “Horse is king here.”
The governor of Michigan recently pitched Mackinac Island as the location for the next season of The White Lotus (Credit: Mackinac Island Tourism Board)
Every summer, around 600 horses help keep the island running. They pull carriages, collect rubbish and even deliver packages. During the busy season, about 1.2 million visitors arrive by ferry to enjoy the island’s famous fudge, scenic bike trails and old-fashioned charm. When autumn comes, many of the horses are shipped back to the mainland, marking the end of the tourist rush.
Long before tourists and hotels, Indigenous Anishnaabe people lived and travelled through the island. They called it Michilimackinac, meaning “place of the great turtle,” because of how the land rises from the water. The island is still deeply important to Indigenous history, with burial sites dating back thousands of years.
Later, the British built Fort Mackinac in 1780, which still stands today as Michigan’s oldest building. In the late 1800s, wealthy families from cities like Chicago and Detroit began spending summers on the island. The Grand Hotel, built during that time, still welcomes guests with its famous long porch and timeless elegance.
Despite its popularity, much of Mackinac Island remains untouched. About 80% of the land is protected as a state park, filled with forests, limestone cliffs and peaceful trails. Visitors can bike around the island’s 8.5-mile loop, stop at quiet beaches or take photos at the famous Arch Rock.
Bikes are the main way people get around, but horses truly define the island. Even in winter, when ice can cut off ferry service, a small number of horses stay behind to keep things moving.
In warmer months, the island comes alive. Lilacs bloom, festivals fill the streets and visitors enjoy slow evenings by the marina with ice cream or fudge in hand. Mackinac Island doesn’t just feel different—it feels like stepping back in time, to a place where life moves at the sound of horses’ hooves instead of car horns.
