Mackinac Island Carriage Tours

For first-time Mackinac visitors, a narrated carriage tour of almost two hours is an ideal introduction to the island. It gives them an idea of destinations to revisit and shows off the interior's natural beauty. The tour's last stop is at Fort Mackinac's hillside rear entrance. Visitors who get off here are spared the challenging climb up the bluff to the fort's front entrance.

Tours leave rain or shine. Only hail, which spooks the horses, stops them.

The tour, typically narrated from a script, goes along Main St. and uphill past the Grand Hotel, then into the island's interior. There's a brief visit to Surrey Hill Square, a newish attraction developed by the carriage company. It has a historic carriage museum, working blacksmith, restaurant, fudge shop, and big Wings of Mackinac butterfly house suitable for weddings. All have entrance fees for non-tourgoersl

Passing the horse barns at the south end of Harrisonville, the village of year-round residents, the tour stops at the island's three cemeteries: the Post Cemetery for military burials at the fort: the Protestant cemetery; and the Catholic one.

The tour then passes Point Lookout at Fort Holmes. (Many island employees gather there to see July 4 fireworks and drink too much.) Next are Mackinac's natural highlights, much visited in the Victorian era — first Skull Cave, then stopping to get out and admire Arch Rock overlooking Lake Huron, and again getting out briefly at the Avenue of Flags, the fort's rear entrance. Visitors might be able to tour the fort and reboard a later carriage for a ride downtown, space permitting. But the views along the easy walk downtown are quite charming.

Our tour was fortunate in having as a guide Mike, an experienced carriageman, funny, and insightful about working with horses. (See box on Horse culture.) For his tours, Mike reads up on island history, too. (Mike and other select carriagemen mainly do private tours by reservation, costing about $25/person/hour.) Note: an increasing percentage of carriagemen are women.

Each carriageman curries, brushes, and bathes his or her horses. Then "they feel better, they sleep better, just like a person," Mike said.
Most carriages weigh 10,000 pounds loaded. These horses weigh 2,300 pounds. Most can pull three to four times their own weight. But they don't have to pull nearly so much. They get to choose how much they want to pull. If they are struggling, they are moved to a lighter carriage. "Or we'll sell them. We can't afford hay-burners. They are, after all, work horses, not pets."

Each horse has its spot in a team. The carriage company keeps teams together as long as possible. Some horses are trained to be universal replacement horses. Horses spend the winter in Pickford north of Cedarville. It takes three months to get them all off the island on ferries.

The worst enemy of the horse is a plastic bag blowing in the wind, Mike said.

No island horses are purebreds, we learned. "Clydesdales are bred for looks. It should only take two Clydesdales to pull a wagon, and yet Budweiser shows them in a team of eight." Belgians are famous work horses. Most island horses are purchased at the big Amish horse auction in Shipshewana, in northwest Indiana near Elkhart. (Held year-round on Fridays at 9 a.m., the auctions are where visitors can observe Amish culture in action and see how their face-to-face world produces terrific negotiators and networkers.) Some carriage horses are horses that didn't make it at the race track.

The Mackinac Island Carriage Tours company was formed by a group of carriagemen and run by their descendants. It claims to be the world's largest and oldest continually operated horse and buggy livery, with 100 carriages. See www.micht.com, the Carriage Tours' site, for details, FAQs, and a link to Elizabeth Edwards' interesting Traverse magazine article on the history of Mackinac carriagemen, "proud, stubborn, and mostly Irish," and how they took the initiative to ban automobiles from the island.

Tours start on the east end of Main St. at City Dock across from the Arnold Dock. (906) 847-3325. micht.com. Tours cost around $23.50/adult, $9 for ages 5 to 12. Under 5 free. Tour season is May thru Oct. Shorter tours in early May. Tours leave according to demand, every 5 to 15 minutes or so. May-mid June 9 to 3. Summer 9-5. Labor Day to Oct 1 9-3. October 9-2. ; from Mem. Day weekend thru Labor Day between 9 and 5. In Oct., weather permitting, 9 to 3. Wheelchair-accessible carriages by request. Call ahead, at least 24 hours, preferably more.
[Get Directions]

Return to City of Mackinac Island

Best of the Best U.P. Maps

Incredibly Useful!
Hunt's Map Guide to the Upper Peninsula • Favorite hikes, beaches, restaurants, shops, lighthouses, scenic drives, waterfalls, & much more
• 13 detailed U.P. maps
• Full color, on sturdy, water-resistant paper
• Folds out to 12”x38”
• Only $6.95
To learn more & buy online, click here