The Michigan Island That Banned Cars in 1898 — and Never Took It Back

Mackinac Island’s “no cars” rule is older than the Model T. In 1898, after an early horseless carriage had a chaotic meeting with the island’s horses, people in the carriage business petitioned the village council. The council passed a resolution that same day, effectively banning automobiles in the village. Mackinac Island State Park adopted its own ban in 1901.

The rule did not simply coast along as folklore. Mackinac State Historic Parks says the park ban was written into state law in 1960. Michigan law now makes driving a motor vehicle in Mackinac Island State Park without a permit a misdemeanor. That “without a permit” language matters: the island is car-free for ordinary visitors, not literally empty of every motorized vehicle.

For a visit, plan to walk, ride a bicycle, or use horse-drawn transportation. Emergency vehicles and a limited number of permitted service vehicles operate on the island, and snowmobiles are part of winter life. E-bikes have their own authorization rules, so check those before bringing one. The shoreline road, M-185, runs roughly eight miles around the island; MDOT calls it the only state highway in the nation where motor vehicles are banned. Daily life under that rule is a story of its own.