The Les Cheneaux Islands

Tucked into the southeastern corner of the county, where Clark Township meets Lake Huron, lies one of the prettiest boating spots in the Great Lakes: the Les Cheneaux Islands. The name is French for “the channels,” and that’s exactly what they are — a maze of thirty-six wooded islands and the calm, sheltered waterways that wind between them. Two small mainland villages, Hessel and Cedarville, sit at the water’s edge and serve as the gateway, with marinas, docks, and lodging.

For anyone who loves the water, this is a little paradise. The protected channels are ideal for kayaking, sailing, and small-boat cruising without the big open-water waves, and the fishing is excellent. The islands have a long summer-cottage history, and that heritage shows up every August at the Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show in Hessel — one of the largest classic-boat shows in the country, drawing more than a hundred gleaming old wooden boats. Cedarville’s maritime and historical museums tell the rest of the story.

For buyers, this corner of Mackinac County offers something special: quiet, wooded waterfront on protected channels, a real boating community, and that rare Up North feeling of a place that hasn’t changed much in a hundred years. You can find more at lescheneaux.net.