US Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is the only island stretching about 3.8 square miles. The island is located in a remote area, making it a national historic landmark.

About Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island is an island and resort, situated on an area of 3.8 square miles (9.8 km 2) of land area, in the US state of Michigan. Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, between the state and the upper lower peninsula.



Mackinac Island is the home of one of America's oldest national parks in the facility, which consumes more than 80 percent of the territory of the island, which is open to visitors year round. If you are an amateur water, the island boasts the pleasure of the great kayaking, boating, sailing, in addition to hunting options; if you prefer to stay on dry land, you can enjoy the scenery during a curfew on foot, or by bicycle, or by riding a horse from Lake Shore Boulevard.

In the late 19th century, the island has become a popular area is the tourist attraction. The island went through a lot of extensive restoration to preserve the historical area. As a result, the entire island is listed as a National Historic Landmark. It is well known to contain many of the island's cultural events, and that the formation of large areas of architectural styles, including the famous Grand Victoria Hotel.
There is one of the most unusual features of the island, which is the absence of motorized vehicles. Used trucks while prohibiting all other vehicular traffic. The arrival of goods shipments using the teams and crews to repair roads using horse-drawn vehicles.

Geography
Mackinac Island extends about 8 miles (13 km) into the ocean and 3.8 square miles (9.8 km 2) in total area. The highest point on the island is the historic Fort Holmes, which is about 320 feet (98 meters) above the lake surface level and 890 feet (271 meters) above sea level. According to the US Census in 2010, the census population of the island throughout the year amounted to about 492. The population is growing exponentially during the summer where the movement hurtling hotels, restaurants, bars and retail stores, to remain open only during the summer season, as Ataaan staff in the short term to accommodate up to 15,000 visitors a day.

Nature
Mackinac Island has a wide variety of land, including fields and marshes, and the coast, the northern forests, with formations of limestone. The preservation of the environment legally on the island by State Historical Park.

Wildlife and Plants
Includes the island each of rabbits, foxes, raccoons, otters, mink and gray and red squirrels, chipmunks are all common and sometimes wolf. Bats are mammals migratory most abundant. There are many limestone caves that serve many of the insects on the island. Migratory birds on the island hesitate in their journeys between summer and winter habitats. Eagles, hawks and abundant in April and May, while the small birds such as yellow warblers, American rubella, indigo bunting are the most common in the early summer. Near the beach, gulls, there are herons, geese and loons. Other birds, like Chickadees, cardinals, blue jays, and woodpeckers, live on the island year-round. Also found frogs.
Mackinac Island contains more than 600 species of vascular plants. Flowering plants and wild flowers abundant, including Trillium, lady slipper, violets, trout lily, spring beauty, hepatica, anemone, fringed gentian. Forest on the island is home to many species of trees, such as maple, birch, elm, cedar, pine, fir.

Transportation
You can access the island by private boat, by ferry, by small aircraft, and in the winter, can be accessed through the snow across the ice road. The airport has 3,500 feet (1070 m) paved runway, and air services are available daily with the Charter of the mainland. In the summer tourist season, the navigation service from the Arnold Transit Company are available, Ferry Shepler to the island of St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.
Motorized vehicles were banned on the island since 1898, except for snowmobiles during the winter, emergency vehicles, service vehicles. Travel on the island is either on foot, bike, or horse-drawn carriage. It allows skied on ice, except in the downtown area. Bicycle rental service is available, snowboarding.


Points of interest
The Mackinac Island was listed as a National Historic Landmark in October 1960. In addition, because of the long history efforts in the preservation of the island since 1890.
Fort Mackinac was built in 1780 and was shut down as a fortress in 1895 for lack of any strategic objective. It has been refurbished in the late 19th century to the state through the efforts, which began in 1930.
The mission church was built in 1829 and is the oldest surviving building in Michigan. Restore the church to its appearance in 1830 efforts it has been returned.
There are many children's gardens in the island. These include the most popular in school playgrounds, which includes a baseball field, skate park and barbecue area, and a set play.


Appearance on the US Mackinac Island :