Explore a car-free US island where horses are the locals' main mode of transport

Michigan is famous worldwide as the birthplace of America's automotive industry. With cities such as Detroit being labeled "Motor City," the state is readily associated with automobile production.But right off its northern shore in Lake Huron isMackinac Island — a place that rejects this legacy.This 3.8-square-kilometer island is known not for its adoption of technology but for its commitment to a slower, more uncomplicated existence. For more than 120 years, automobiles have been prohibited in this place, making it one of the few locations in the United States where motor vehicles are not only scarce but prohibited.The history of Mackinac Island's auto-free tradition dates back to 1898, when the first car to ever arrive on the island backfired, startling horses and sending horses into a panic. For safety and maintenance of the tranquility of the island, the village promptly banned motorized vehicles. In 1900, the prohibition extended to the entire island, and it has been there ever since.This decision has become a defining feature of the island’s identity. Even golf carts are banned, and the only honking you’ll hear might come from a goose rather than a car horn.Without automobiles, life on Mackinac Island is sustained by about 600 horses, a number that closely approximates the island's permanent human population. These horses are essential to daily life — they're employed for trash pickup, package delivery, and even serve as taxis.Urvana Tracey Morse, a resident artisan and businessman, encapsulated the island's spirit in a few words: "Horse is king here." Horses aren't a novelty, but infrastructure. In the height of the summer tourist season, more than 1.2 million tourists travel by ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace to visit a world that seems frozen in time. Horse-drawn buggies, clattering horses' hooves, and no engines contribute to the island's near-fairy-tale-like charm.Well before it was ever a vacation getaway, Mackinac Island was inhabited by Native Americans. According to Anishinaabe beliefs, the island's limestone cliffs and green forests were reminiscent of a giant turtle emerging from the lake. They called it Michilimackinac, or "place of the great turtle," in Anishinaabemowin. Today, the effort is underway to save and respect this cultural heritage. Anishinaabe historian Eric Hemenway is spearheading efforts to restore Native stories on the island, focusing on its significance as one of the most spiritual locations on the Great Lakes.The Biddle House on the island is home to the Mackinac Island Native American Museum, which was opened in 2021. It tells the stories of Indigenous history, perseverance, and spiritual importance of the land.In 1780, the British exploited the strategic position of the island and built Fort Mackinac, a military fort situated overlooking the harbor. The fort was later used during the War of 1812 before it fell into American hands.Now, the site is a living museum, where visitors can observe cannon firings, visit reconstructed barracks, and stroll through Michigan's oldest building. The fort bridges contemporary visitors with the colonial and military history of the island while being respectfully connected to its Native roots.Mackinac Island started to draw prosperous travelers from industrial cities such as Chicago and Detroit in the late 19th century. These affluent families wanted refuge from city life, fleeing to the island's natural beauty and peaceful environment.At the center of this vintage tourism explosion lies the Grand Hotel, constructed in 1887. With 397 individually designed rooms and what is said to be the longest front porch in the world, the hotel is an architectural treasure of America's Gilded Age. It's also one of the few remaining fully operational great hotels of the period. Though popular, locals are cautious about too much exposure. In a tongue-in-cheek gesture, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently proposed Mackinac Island as a filming site for HBO's The White Lotus.Though the proposal was half in jest, residents such as Morse fear that fame may bring overtourism, possibly destroying the island's close-knit nature.Eighty percent of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park, providing 70 miles of hiking trails along dense woods and sheer limestone cliffs. Among its most recognizable natural features is Arch Rock, a 50-foot-wide natural rock arch created through centuries of erosion.The island may be toured in several ways:The island's 8.5-mile highway, a U.S. highway by official designation, is the sole one in America that does not allow cars. It is instead a scenic cycling and walking path with stunning views of Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge, a five-mile suspension bridge connecting Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas.Mackinac Islanders adopt a life profoundly connected to nature and neighbors. Year-round bike commuter Morse explains that carelessness enriches everyday existence: "I just love the idea of mounting up my bike and riding down [to the village] through the trees. It puts me in the right mood for the day." This reduced speed creates frequent contact, promoting a close, friendly community.Even during winter, when the island is temporarily isolated by ice floes, a few horses and inhabitants still bring packages, pick up trash, and maintain the island in working order. Vital supplies come through freight ferries when weather allows, and horses are slowly returned in spring from the mainland where they spend the winter. Spring and summer are a riot of color and activity. The Lilac Festival, in June, celebrates the island's famous lilac trees blooming in parades, music, and flower displays.Tourists also crowd picturesque spots like Fort Holmes, the island's highest elevation, to gaze at the night sky beneath a starry Michigan sky. But even amidst the festivity, the island retains a peacefulness rarely found in modern life — free of car horns, engine rumble, and urban sprawl.Also Read | Watch | Rare snow leopard, the ‘ghost of the mountains’, leaves tourists in awe as it walks along Spiti road