Mackinac Island State Park
Encyclopedia
Mackinac Island State Park is a state park
located on Mackinac Island
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. The island park encompasses 2.81 mi² (7.28 km²), which is approximately 74% of the island's total area of 3.78 mi² (9.78 km²). The park is also within the boundaries of the city of Mackinac Island
and has permanent residents within its boundaries. M-185
circles the perimeter of the park as the only motorless highway in the state due to the island's ban of automobiles. The park is governed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
and the Mackinac Island State Park Commission
. On July 15, 2009, the park celebrated its 20 millionth visitor.
The park was first established as Mackinac National Park
in 1875, which was the second national park
established in the United States after Yellowstone National Park
. In 1895, it was transferred to state control and reorganized as Mackinac Island State Park, which was the first state park in Michigan. The park contains many important historical and geological features, such as Fort Mackinac
, Fort Holmes
, other historic buildings, historic sites, limestone caves, and other unique rock formations. The park also operates the Mackinac Island Airport
. Many of these sites are formally operated by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, which also governs many parks around the Straits of Mackinac
area.
between the United States
and Canada
(then a British
colony). Fort Mackinac, upon the island, was built by the British army during the Revolutionary War
. The British later relinquished the fort to the Americans in 1796, but then built and maintained a similar fort on nearby St. Joseph Island
. The two nations used their island forts in a struggle to maintain supremacy over the waters of northern Lake Huron. As one of the opening actions of the War of 1812, the British captured Fort Mackinac and maintained it as a British stronghold until the end of the war. An American attempt to recapture the fort in 1814 failed in the Battle of Mackinac Island
. When the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent
in 1815, the island was returned to American control.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located on Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort area covering in land area, part of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The island was home to a Native American settlement before European...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The island park encompasses 2.81 mi² (7.28 km²), which is approximately 74% of the island's total area of 3.78 mi² (9.78 km²). The park is also within the boundaries of the city of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former...
and has permanent residents within its boundaries. M-185
M-185 (Michigan highway)
M-185 is a state trunkline highway in the U.S. state of Michigan that circles Mackinac Island, a popular tourist destination on the Lake Huron side of the Straits of Mackinac, along the island's shoreline. A narrow paved road of , it offers scenic views of the straits that divide the Upper and the...
circles the perimeter of the park as the only motorless highway in the state due to the island's ban of automobiles. The park is governed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
and the Mackinac Island State Park Commission
Mackinac Island State Park Commission
The Mackinac Island State Park Commission is an appointed board of the State of Michigan that administers state parklands in the Straits of Mackinac area. It performs public activities under the name Mackinac State Historic Parks...
. On July 15, 2009, the park celebrated its 20 millionth visitor.
The park was first established as Mackinac National Park
Mackinac National Park
Mackinac National Park was a U.S. national park that existed from 1875 to 1895 on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan making it the second National Park in the United States after Yellowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains. The 1,044 acre park was created in response to the growing...
in 1875, which was the second national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
established in the United States after Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
. In 1895, it was transferred to state control and reorganized as Mackinac Island State Park, which was the first state park in Michigan. The park contains many important historical and geological features, such as Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island...
, Fort Holmes
Fort Holmes
Fort Holmes was a fortified redoubt located on the highest point of Mackinac Island. Originally built in 1812 by British forces during the War of 1812, the redoubt was improved by that army throughout the course of the war to help defend the adjacent Fort Mackinac from a possible attack by the U.S...
, other historic buildings, historic sites, limestone caves, and other unique rock formations. The park also operates the Mackinac Island Airport
Mackinac Island Airport
Mackinac Island Airport is a public airport located 1 mile northwest of the city of Mackinac Island in Mackinac County, Michigan, USA. It is located in the center of Mackinac Island.-History:...
. Many of these sites are formally operated by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, which also governs many parks around the Straits of Mackinac
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
area.
War of 1812
Mackinac Island played an important role in the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
(then a British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
colony). Fort Mackinac, upon the island, was built by the British army during the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. The British later relinquished the fort to the Americans in 1796, but then built and maintained a similar fort on nearby St. Joseph Island
St. Joseph Island
St. Joseph Island is a Canadian island in Lake Huron, near the mouth of the St. Marys River which connects Lake Huron with Lake Superior. It is the second largest island in Lake Huron and the third largest in the Great Lakes overall, trailing Manitoulin and Lake Superior's Isle Royale.St...
. The two nations used their island forts in a struggle to maintain supremacy over the waters of northern Lake Huron. As one of the opening actions of the War of 1812, the British captured Fort Mackinac and maintained it as a British stronghold until the end of the war. An American attempt to recapture the fort in 1814 failed in the Battle of Mackinac Island
Battle of Mackinac Island
The Battle of Mackinac Island was a British victory in the War of 1812. Before the war, Fort Mackinac had been an important American trading post in the straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
. When the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
in 1815, the island was returned to American control.
Information centers
- Soldiers' Barracks (in Fort Mackinac; admission charged)
- Visitor Center (free)
- Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau (free information year round)
Historic buildings
- Fort Mackinac
- Fort Holmes
- Mission ChurchMission ChurchThe Mission Church is a historic Congregational church in Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States. Built in 1829, it is the oldest existing church in the state of Michigan...
- Mission House
- Beaumont MuseumWilliam BeaumontWilliam Beaumont was a surgeon in the U.S. Army who became known as the "Father of Gastric Physiology" following his research on human digestion.-Early life:...
- Matthew Geary HouseMatthew Geary HouseThe Mathew Geary House is a wood-framed single family home located on Market Street in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan built about 1846. It is owned by the Mackinac Island State Park. The two-story, side-gabled frame house has an entrance porch topped with a balustrade and an enclosed side...
- Benjamin Blacksmith ShopBenjamin Blacksmith ShopThe Benjamin Blacksmith Shop is a blacksmithy and museum, in operation since before 1885, located adjacent to the Biddle House on Market Street on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of Mackinac Island State Park...
- Biddle HouseBiddle House (Mackinac Island)The Biddle House is a historic house and fur trade shop space, built before 1800 on Market Street on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of Mackinac Island State Park...
- Governor's Mansion (Lawrence Andrew Young Cottage)Michigan Governor's ResidenceThe Michigan Governor's Mansion is located in the U.S. state capital of Lansing, Michigan. The gated mansion is in a secured area of a private neighborhood. An official summer residence is located on Mackinac Island. Both residences are owned by the state of Michigan and are maintained with...
- Indian DormitoryIndian DormitoryThe Indian Dormitory is a Federal-style structure built at U.S. government expense on Mackinac Island, Michigan, in 1838. It was a pioneering idea in building housing for Native Americans visiting the Indian agency on the island. From 1867-1960, it was used as a public school, and from 1966-2003...
- McGulpin HouseMcGulpin HouseThe McGulpin House is a historic house museum, located in a structure originally built before 1780 and now located at the corner of Fort Street and Market Street on Mackinac Island, Michigan...
Historic sites
- Battlefield of 1814Battle of Mackinac IslandThe Battle of Mackinac Island was a British victory in the War of 1812. Before the war, Fort Mackinac had been an important American trading post in the straits between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron...
- British LandingBritish LandingBritish Landing is a place within Mackinac Island, Michigan and is located on the shore of Mackinac Island, two miles northwest of the island's downtown and harbor. British Landing is the site of a War of 1812 amphibious operation on July 16-17, 1812, by a joint force of the British Army and...
- Cemeteries
- Lime Kiln
- Marquette ParkMarquette Park (Mackinac Island)Marquette Park is a landscaped park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is part of Mackinac Island State Park and stands on the edge of Mackinac Island's harbor on the Round Island Channel and just east of downtown Mackinac Island....
- Wawashkamo Golf ClubWawashkamo Golf ClubThe Wawashkamo Golf Club is a nine-hole links golf course on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. The course was laid out by Alex Smith in 1898, and is as of 2009 the oldest continuously played golf course in Michigan....
Caves and rock formations
- Arch RockArch Rock (Mackinac Island)Arch Rock is a geologic formation on Mackinac Island in Michigan. It is a natural limestone arch formed during the Nipissing post-glacial period, a period of high Lake Huron levels following the end of the Wisconsin glaciation...
- Gitchi Manitou
- Sugar LoafSugar Loaf (Mackinac Island)Sugar Loaf is a 75-foot-high landlocked rock or stack in the interior of Mackinac Island in Lake Huron. Created by erosion during the period of postglacial Lake Algonquin, Sugar Loaf is the largest post-glacial erosion feature in the Straits of Mackinac...
- Cave of the Woods
- Crack-in-the-Island
- Eagle Point Cave
- Skull CaveSkull Cave (Mackinac Island)Skull Cave is a small and shallow cave on the central heights of Mackinac Island in Michigan, USA. The cave was carved during the Algonquin post-glacial period by the waters of Lake Algonquin, a swollen meltwater ancestor of today's Lake Huron....
- Friendship's Altar
- Sunset Rock (sometimes called Chimney Rock)
- Devil's KitchenDevil's Kitchen (cave)Devil's Kitchen is a small cave on the southwestern shore of Mackinac Island in Michigan, USA. The cave was carved during the Nipissing post-glacial period by the waters of Lake Huron. It consists of two wave-cut hollows in a rocky cliff, one directly on top of the other.Mackinac Island's...
- Robinson's Folly