You’ll Never Drive an Auto on Mackinac Island

You can do a great deal of points on Michigan’s Mackinac Island: ride bikes, explore historic Ft Mackinac, capture a horse-drawn carriage, or eat the famous fudge made there. However something you can not do on this preferred tourist location in Lake Huron is drive an auto– or any sort of motor vehicle– since automobiles have been prohibited there because 1898.

Obtainable by ferry, the island is home to M-185, a narrow, eight-mile loop that is the only U.S. state highway where automobiles are not allowed. Citizens as well as visitors navigate by walking, biking, or antique equine power, as well as in-line skates are allowed anywhere yet midtown. The island does have emergency lorries, yet they’re seldom used.

Back at the end of the 19th century, the “horseless carriage” was a new novelty– a loud, great smoky one that Mackinac Island citizens promptly determined included absolutely nothing excellent to their peaceful globe. The village council passed its restriction on July 6, 1898. M-185 was constructed quickly thereafter, at the beginning of the 20th century, and also it was called a state highway in 1933.

The roadway’s first-ever auto mishap occurred in 2005, as well as it had not been much of a crash: The fire engine dented the door of the rescue while emergency personnel were responding to a telephone call.

Mackinac gets a great deal of interest for its car-free stance. In 2008, USA Today named it among the “10 Terrific Places to Get Your Feet Back on the Ground.” But automobiles have actually been permitted a number of times because 1898. In 1979, while making the movie Someplace in Time, filmmakers were allowed to fire the late star Christopher Reeve driving there. And also on the 100th anniversary of the car restriction, the town brought over a vintage steam-powered automobile for a quick spin around the island.

They may not have automobiles on Mackinac Island, yet they do have a sense of humor.

Leave a Reply