A full experience of Mackinac Island’s distinctive character requires an overnight stay. Otherwise, your access to the timeless playscape gets stifled by the Mackinac Island ferry schedule.
Think of the hours of fun missed if you leave before dark and are unable to return until the ferries start running again the next day. You’d miss Mackinac Island sunsets. You’d miss Mackinac Island nightlife filled with live music and tasty drinks. And, perhaps most of all, you’d miss rising with the sun on incredible Mackinac Island mornings.
Mornings on Mackinac Island are special. It’s when you can enjoy the quiet calm before downtown teems with people later in the day.
Here are seven reasons why you don’t want to miss mornings on Mackinac Island:
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Sunrises on Mackinac Island
The scenery is awe-inspiring alone, but pair it with the rising, glowing sun and it’s an enchanted moment. To wake with the Island is to awake with magic.
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Relaxing Start to Your Day on Mackinac Island
Waking up already here means no rush in prepping yourself and family for the day’s itinerary or worrying about getting to the ferry on time. Your transition into the new day is a fluid one. Wake up, enjoy your Mackinac Island coffee and immerse yourself in the tranquility of the quiet morning.
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Mackinac Island Kayaking at Sunrise
Starting your day with a Sunrise Kayak Tour from Great Turtle Kayak Tours sets the mood for the rest of the day. It’s a relaxing trip to Arch Rock and the Rock Maze for full immersion into the sun’s newfound presence.
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Breakfast on Mackinac Island
Whether directly from your hotel or by means of a walk over to one of the many restaurants, you can sate your hunger pangs with a leisurely Mackinac Island breakfast before the crowds arrive. And just think — shorter lines for that much-needed coffee.
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Morning Tee Times for Mackinac Island Golf
Staying overnight ensures the opportunity to be one of the first to tee off the next morning. Mackinac Island golf is a relaxing day starter, and paired with the incredible natural beauty all around it has the potential to be one of the most serene rounds of golf ever.
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Early Morning Bike Ride or Run on Mackinac Island
For those who like beginning their day with some exercise, the 8-mile loop around Mackinac Island is the perfect path for a morning ride or run. Enjoying one of Mackinac Island’s most scenic running routes before the ferries start running means less weaving around other visitors. Olympian Dathan Ritzenhein can vouch for Mackinac Island as a great spot for a morning run.
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Witnessing Mackinac Island Wake Up
One of the most underrated aspects of staying overnight is witnessing how Mackinac Island all comes together in the morning. From watching horses deliver goods to the restaurants to seeing the approaching ferries in the distance, you’ll feel at home by being there before all the bustling truly begins.
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