Visiting a new place with a wheelchair can be nerve-racking. A lot of times you don’t really know until you get there how accessible things will really be. We stayed on Mackinac Island with my mom, who is in a wheelchair full-time after a stroke that limited function on her right side. Here are some things that we found to do on Mackinac Island with a wheelchair.
Take Shepler’s Ferry to Get to Mackinac Island with a Wheelchair
The ferry to get to Mackinac Island was a very smooth process for traveling in a wheelchair. We took Shepler’s Ferry from Mackinaw City, which docks right off of Main Street, near the Bicycle Street Inn. I would plan to arrive about an hour before you want to depart.
I wrote another article all about our experience on the process of taking Shepler’s Ferry to Mackinac Island with a wheelchair if you want more details.
Take a Carriage Tour with a Wheelchair on Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island Carriage Tours is located right on Main Street. They only have one accessible carriage and it is first come first serve, so you will want to get there earlier in the day to purchase tickets and reserve a spot. We bought tickets around 10 am and our tour was scheduled for 1:40 pm.
My mom stayed in her wheelchair the entire ride. There is a ramp and a spot in the back for the wheelchair to securely sit on the carriage. My son and I were able to sit in the back row (just in front of her) so that we were all together.
There was one other wheelchair party riding with us, but the person in that party with a wheelchair was able to transfer to a seat with assistance, so she sat in a row with her family while her wheelchair was stored in the back.
The carriage ride was about an hour and a half and it was definitely worth it! This was such a cool experience and our guide was so entertaining! She was hilarious, super sweet and answered lots of questions about life on the islands.
The accessible carriage is a bit smaller than the other carriages with only three rows, plus the space in the back for wheelchairs. This also means that your guide will not make as much in tips as tour guides with larger carriages. Keep this in mind and tip them well if you enjoy the ride!
The carriage tour is a must in my book if you are visiting Mackinac Island.
Loop Around Mackinac Island with a Wheelchair
There is about an eight mile loop around the island that is fully paved. It offers gorgeous views of the crystal clear water and a view of Arch Rock from below. The higher lookout to Arch Rock that we stopped at required steps and was not wheelchair accessible, but you can get a pretty great view from below! There was also a little natural spring that you can put your hand in from a wheelchair and several neat things to see along the way.
My son and I each rented a tricycle and my mom joined us in her electric wheelchair. You could also walk this.
The wheelchair was quite a bit slower than the tricycles, but I didn’t mind going slower and stopping regularly. This took us a total of around 5 hours with stopping at the rest stop and pulling off to sightsee and take pictures throughout the journey. I would not plan much else on your schedule when you do this because it will take up most of your day.
There is a rest stop at about the halfway point that did have an accessible bathroom.
Bring extra wheelchair batteries (or someone who doesn’t mind pushing)
My mom’s electric wheelchair can last all day normally, but the eight mile stretch in one trip proved to be a bit more than its battery could handle and it died on her with just under a mile left. I was a little ahead of her when this happened, but fortunately there was a couple training for a marathon right behind her when it stopped and they were kind enough to push her until my son got there to take over.
This would be a challenging walk to push someone the whole way because of the length and some hills, so I would recommend an electric wheelchair – just make sure you’re fully charged and have a chair that can handle the distance.
This was an incredible experience though and everyone felt like it was well worth it, even with the wheelchair battery died near the end.
Grab a Bite to Eat
Not all of the restaurants on the island are accessible, but I put together a list of the Wheelchair Friendly Restaurants on Mackinac Island that we enjoyed.
Shopping on Main Street
There are lots of shops along Main Street, which is mostly where we stayed during our visit. We enjoyed strolling up and down the sidewalks and browsing the shops that looked like they had more space for a wheelchair. There were some we had to skip because they weren’t accessible. One store had a side door with no traffic where my mom hung out and I brought some hoodies over to show her because they had a good selection, but the space was just a little tight for her to feel comfortable navigating in the wheelchair.
Mackinac Island Fudge
You can’t go to Mackinac Island and not at least try some of the fudge it is so well known for. There are several fudge shops along Main Street where you can watch them make fudge, try a sample and buy some. We tried fudge at a few different places, but Joann’s and Kilwin’s were some of our favorites. Many of the fudge shops are accessible with a wheelchair and easy to get in and out of. The Kilwin’s connected to the Bicycle Street Inn was one that I remember having a lot of space to navigate a wheelchair.
Free Printable Itinerary
Figuring out how to plan your day on Mackinac Island with a wheelchair can be overwhelming. This is what we did on the island with a wheelchair and I hope it helps!
Written By Erin Mullen
AnotherAdventure 