Go See It
Arch Rock: Go See It
A natural limestone arch on the east side of Mackinac Island that one early account put at 80 feet in 1812 and another at 140 feet in 1817.
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The facts
- Drive
- 2 hr 34 min from Marquette
- Cost
- Free
- Season
- Ferries: both list April 21 through October 31, 2026
- Hours
- Mackinac Island State Park is open 24 hours a day…
More detail
- From Marquette
- , 159 miles, to St. Ignace, where the Bridge lands in the U.P., by M-28 E and US-2 E. Mackinaw City is across the Bridge from there. Google Maps, usual traffic, read Sept. 26, 2026
- Cost
- The Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau lists getting up close to Arch Rock as free, in a July 2023 post
- Season
- Arnold has its own schedule for Oct. 26 to 31
- Hours
- Mackinac Island State Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Milliken Nature Center on Arch Rock Plaza is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through October 25, 2026
- From the Bridge
- About 9 minutes and 5 miles to the Arnold Transit St. Ignace main dock (Google Maps route, usual traffic, read Sept. 27, 2026). Cars are not allowed on the island, so the rest is the ferry
The height nobody agrees on
Arch Rock’s height depends on who you ask and when. A geography book published in 1812 put it 80 feet above the lake. A letter written in 1817 said 140 feet from the water. Mackinac State Historic Parks now says more than 140 feet, and the Tourism Bureau says some 145.
The early accounts also say people walked over the top of it. Captain David Bates Douglass wrote that several officers had, at what he gave as 147 feet, and added that he should think it a rash enterprise. Do not repeat it.
The Tourism Bureau says the evidence puts the arch at about 4,000 years old, hollowed out by waves when lake levels were much higher, with the limestone breccia left standing. It says Mackinac National Park was created in 1875 in part to protect Arch Rock. Mackinac State Historic Parks calls that park the United States’ second national park, before it became Michigan’s first state park in 1895.
People have predicted since the 1800s that the arch would fall. The Tourism Bureau calls it a stable formation that should last for the foreseeable future, and also says it will probably come down someday, which is its argument for going now.
Before you go
- Finding it. It is a little way past Mission Point Resort, after Lakeshore Drive veers north.
- Getting there. Ferry from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. Arnold Transit and Shepler’s both list departures from both towns.
- Ferry cost. Arnold Transit fast ferry: adult round trip $37, adult one way $25, ages 5 to 12 round trip $25, under 4 free. Shepler’s: adult round trip $39, ages 5 to 12 round trip $27. Both add booking fees; Shepler’s lists $2 per ticket.
- On the island. 207 steps up from Lakeshore Drive, or on foot or bike from the interior by Arch Rock Road, which leaves Huron Road behind Fort Mackinac, or on a horse-drawn carriage tour.
- Stay off it. Crossing the arch is illegal now, according to the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau.
- Star Line. A third ferry operator, Star Line, was not checked.
Sources
- Arnold Transit Company, summer ferry rates Read September 26, 2026
- Arnold Transit Company, summer schedule Read September 26, 2026
- Shepler's Ferry, ticket options Read September 26, 2026
- Shepler's Ferry, Mackinaw City schedule Read September 26, 2026
- Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, Mackinac Island's Arch Rock and Milliken Nature Center (May 15, 2024) Read September 26, 2026
- Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, 8 free things to do on Mackinac Island (July 17, 2023) Read September 26, 2026
- Mackinac State Historic Parks, Mackinac Island State Park Read September 26, 2026
- Mackinac State Historic Parks, Early Accounts of Arch Rock Read September 26, 2026
- Google Maps, Marquette to St. Ignace (drive time) Read September 26, 2026
- Google Maps, Mackinac Bridge to the St. Ignace ferry dock (drive time) Read September 27, 2026
- Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, Getting Around Mackinac Island Read September 27, 2026
Verified September 26, 2026