Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island State Park, located on Mackinac Island, is a beautiful and unique location to go trail riding. Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron between the lower and upper peninsulas and is a popular tourist attraction. Motorized vehicles (except for emergency vehicles and snowmobiles in the winter) have been banned there since 1898. As a result, the main modes of transportation on the island are horse drawn vehicles, horseback riding, bicycle riding, and walking. This is a very busy state park, with about one million visitors each year.

The state park covers over 80 percent of the island, or roughly 1,800 acres. There are about 60 miles of trails throughout the park. The trails themselves are diverse, beautiful, and a blast to ride. The trails are a mix of single track and double track trails that are wide enough for driving horses. They wind through forests, past unique geological formations (e.g. Sugarloaf Rock, Arch Rock, Skull Cave, Crack-in-the-Island, etc.), near grandiose historical homes, to beautiful vistas, and by a variety of historical buildings. There are several jumping trails, with jumps ranging from about 1’ to 2’6” high (all have go-arounds). You can also ride down to the lakeshore and into Lake Huron, which is perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day! The trails are generally well-marked, and trail maps are available online and at the visitor’s center on Main Street. Trail footing is rocky and riding on paved roads is unavoidable in some areas of the park. Due to the rocks, pavement, and hilly landscape, hoof protection with some sort of traction is highly recommended.

To get to the island with a horse, you must travel on a freight boat from St. Ignace. Freight travel is currently handled by Arnold Freight Company. Once on the island, you can choose to either stay for the day, or overnight. Horses can be boarded on a nightly basis at the Mackinac Community Equestrian Center.

Finally, there are two horse rental barns on the island, where one can rent saddle or carriage horses at an hourly rate Cindy’s Riding Stable and Jack’s Livery Stable.