Rare Look at a Vehicle on the Streets of Mackinac Island

When you go to Mackinac Island you will see a lot of bicycles, horses, but you won't see any vehicles. There is a rare occasion when a vehicle is spotted on the island.

History of Vehicle Free Mackinac Island

Why can't vehicles be on Mackinac Island? The answer to this question dates back to the late 1800s. The original reason for not having motorized  vehicles on the island at that time was the horses were disturbed by the noisy engines. You have to remember, at that time horse drawn carriages out numbered vehicles.

👇BELOW: See Everything That is Banned From Mackinac Island👇

There are a few exceptions when a motorized vehicle can be on the island such as emergency vehicles, maintenance trucks, and some e-bikes (pedal assist only). Oddly enough, the island allows snowmobiles during the winter but I chalk that up to being a Michigan thing.

Vehicles were banned on the island in 1898. Walking, bicycling, and horse-drawn carriages were a way of life before motorized vehicles and every since the vehicle banning.

Read More: Three Michigan Cities Named Best Places to Live in 2025

It's Rare to See a Vehicle on Mackinac Island

It's rare but there you have a truck parked on Mackinac Island and it just so happens a pedal e-bike is driving by at the same time. According the Great Lakes Weather & Climate Facebook page, the truck is a public safety vehicle parked along Main Street.

It is funny that Thomas Tocco made the statement above because I was thinking something similar about seeing a vehicle on Mackinac Island is like seeing a Bigfoot, very rare.

The photo Rob Cover is talking about can be verified unlike a Bigfoot sighting.

I learned something from this rare vehicle sighting thanks to Craig Berry, that the locals on and near Mackinac Island have a name for everyone who visits the island, they call them "Fudgies." That just made my day.