Michigan Has 516 Islands – More than Half are in Just 2 Counties

Michigan is the Great Lakes State. We border 4 of the 5 big lakes. So it shouldn't be surprising that there are hundreds of islands within the state's borders. According to one count, that total is 516 islands.

Some of them are well known like Mackinac Island, Belle Isle in Detroit and Windmill Island in Holland.

It's in the Upper Peninsula you'll find the island-heavy counties. There are 116 islands in Keweenaw County with the vast majority of them being in and around Isle Royale - the national park in Lake Superior.

READ MORE: This Michigan Roadside Park Is Affectionally Known as 'Goose Poop Island'

The immediate second place county is Chippewa - home to Sault Ste Marie. East of the Soo Locks before Lake Huron becomes Lake Huron, the St Mary's River emerges into several bodies of water like Lake Nicolet and Munuscong Lake. The county also includes Drummond Island and the dozens of islands that surround it.

Mackinac County including the area around the straits, Mackinac, Round and Bois Blanc Islands as well as the Les Cheneaux chain counts 51 islands- 3rd most in Michigan.

Next comes Wayne County as the islands of the Detroit River totaling 21. Charlevoix County is home to Beaver Island and 18 other islands in northern Lake Michigan. Last of the most-island counties is Marquette with 16.

No other counties in Michigan have more than 15. Only a few inland counties doesn't have any islands - whether they're within a lake or river.

So if you're an island hunter and explorer, you'll be hard pressed to find many states as isle-abundant as Michigan.