The village of Mackinaw City straddles Cheboygan and Emmet counties, two of the northernmost counties in the lower peninsula. It has a population of 846 as of the 2020 U.S. Census, with the population increasing with seasonal workers and tourists during the summer. The Algonquian people were the historic residents with Europeans moving through the area as early as 1633. The first European settlement came in 1715, and Mackinaw City became incorporated in 1882.
RVers will appreciate access to I-75 through the village and US Route 23, which runs along Lake Huron's shoreline to the south. There are also two ferry services connecting to Mackinac Island. During the summer, visit Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, which includes zip lines and the five-story Treetop Discovery Tower. The McGulpin Point Lighthouse and Historic Site helped to guide ships in fog and storms until 1906; now, it guides tourists through history. The reconstructed fort and buildings at Colonial Michilimackinac are open during the summer and take visitors back to 1779 to see how soldiers, villagers, and Native Americans lived in the area.
You can spend an hour or more at the Mackinaw Bridge Museum dedicated to the steelworkers who helped build several nearby landmarks. The Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum is an 88-foot-long vessel with exhibits showcasing ice breaking on the lakes and as a transport vessel during WWII.
Audie's Restaurant gets high ratings for its American dishes and has vegan-friendly options. The Chippewa Room is popular with patrons for its local cuisine and atmosphere. Check out Biere De Mac Brew Works If you are looking for a brew pub after a day on the road in your RV.
Campgrounds Near Mackinaw City, Michigan
One of the closer facilities to Mackinaw City is the Gaylord KOA Holiday. Some of the amenities at the site include 50-amp hookups, accommodations for 120-foot vehicles, cable TV, Wi-Fi, KampK9, and mini-golf. They also offer bike rentals, propane, firewood, and a snack bar for extra costs. The facility is closed in the winter.
The Aune-Osborn Campground is north of Mackinaw City near the Canadian border. It provides close access to the water and town amenities like food, gas, and shopping. A roped swimming area and sandy beach are found on site, but there is no lifeguard. The back-in or pull-through sites include full RV hookups, 30- and 50-amps power, Wi-Fi, and shower facilities.
Lakeshore RV Park Campground sits across the bridge in St. Ignace, MI. It has 55 back-in and pull-through sites starting at $40 per night. The site started as a temporary trailer park for workers on the Mackinaw Bridge, and you will glimpse even older historical artifacts on site. It offers full RV hookups, 30-amp power, shower facilities, 4G LTE cell reception, Wi-Fi, satellite reception, and a convenience store.
State Parks Near Mackinaw City, Michigan
Nearby Wilderness State Park sits west of the Village of Mackinaw City, providing guests with 8,000 acres of terrain to enjoy. You can enjoy its open meadows scattered among coniferous and mature hardwood forests. Wildlife viewers can observe beavers, bobcats, coyotes, deer, mink, muskrats, otters, and snowshoe hares. Temperatures in the winter stay below freezing, and summer temps top out at 79 degrees. You can enjoy weekly nature classes, guided hikes, and interpretive programs during the summer when scheduled. There are 16 miles of trails to explore, beaches to frequent, and you will have boat access to Lake Michigan.
A 23-mile road trip southeast of Mackinaw City on U.S. Route 23 puts you at Aloha State Park near Cheboygan, MI. Mullett Lake is a major attraction here, making boating, fishing, swimming, and other water sports the most popular activities. Biking, birding, and hiking opportunities will keep you busy when you aren't on the water. When the winter months come around, you will find people ice fishing and snowmobiling around Aloha State Park. It provides 287 campsites, but you need to book in advance.
Burt Lake State Park is a 30-mile drive south on I-75 from Mackinaw City, near Indian River, MI. This 400-acre recreation has a one-mile hiking trail and 2,000 feet of shoreline along the lake for guests to enjoy. You can visit Cross in the Woods National Shrine, home to the largest crucifix in the world. Other park activities include birding, boating, fishing, and relaxing on the beach. Winter provides the conditions relished by those who enjoy cross-country skiing and ice fishing. There are 306 modern campsites, and some have 50-amp hookups. You will also have access to the dump station and water faucets. These campsites start at $26 per night.
National Sites Near Mackinaw City, Michigan
The Father Marquette National Memorial is across the bridge from Mackinaw City, located in St Ignace, MI. It honors the life and works of Father Jacques Marquette, a French explorer who founded a mission serving colonists and working local Native Americans. This small site sits inside Straits State Park, providing plenty of outdoor activities once you finish exploring this site. Nearby hiking trails, Mackinac Bridge, and the Museum of Ojibwa Culture help fill the day after you spend an hour at the memorial.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is 114 miles northwest of Mackinaw City, on the upper peninsula, outside Munising, MI. It showcases 200-foot-tall sandstone cliffs that tower over the waters of Lake Superior. Use a kayak or take a boat tour to view the cliffs from the water. You will also find 111 miles of trails and six lakes on land to explore. Biking, camping, fishing, and hiking are the top activities outside sightseeing at the cliffs.
A 144-mile road trip southwest of Mackinaw City will put you near Maple City, MI, and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The dunes rise 450 feet above Lake Michigan's waters, making the lakeshore ideal for sunbathing, swimming, and watching the sunset across the pink and orange waters of the lake. The Dune Climb to the top of these geographic features isn't easy, but the view and trip down are a lot of fun. The nearby Bay View Trail and the Shipwreck of the Morazan are attractions that you might consider checking out while you are at the lakeshore.
National Forests Near Mackinaw City, Michigan
The Hiawatha National Forest is across the bridge on the upper peninsula, near Manistique, MI. It covers 894,836 acres, with commercial logging in some sections of the forest. Several lighthouses dot the shoreline and provide touring opportunities. The shorelines of this forest sit along the shores of Lake Huron, Michigan, and Superior, which brings lake-effect snow during the winter. Enjoy birding, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, hunting, and scenic drives while visiting.
Huron-Manistee National Forest covers nearly 1 million acres of land 90 miles south of Mackinaw City, near Cadillac, MI. The habitats within the forest are diverse, including bogs, coastal marshlands, dunes, fens, oak savannahs, marshes, and sand prairie remnants. Anglers enjoy trout in the cold water watersheds, and hikers will find the 330 miles of trails to their liking. There is dispersed camping in the forest and developed campsites nearby.
Ottawa National Forest will be found on the upper peninsula, a 231-mile road trip from Mackinaw City to Bruce Crossing, MI. It covers almost 1 million acres of terrain and is known for having 18 waterfalls and 2,100 miles of road trails to see and explore. The section of forest near Ironton has 2,000 miles of rivers and streams along with 500 named lakes, making it a haven for anglers. Outside of fishing, hiking, geocaching, stargazing, and wildlife viewing keep visitors happy. While you can disperse camp in the forest, several nearby campgrounds and towns provide RV amenities.
