Mackinaw Bridge Walk 2023 and 2024

Some friends and I go up to the tip of Michigan's lower peninsula every Labor Day to do the Mackinaw Bridge walk. That in itself is kind of historic, but while I am up there I also try to hit some markers and generally take in the history. Fort Michilimackinac is there on the mainland, as well as a historic sawmill site and pretty much the entirety of Mackinaw Island is one big historic site.

 

The walk itself has changed over the years but it's a tradition going back to 1958, with only a hiatus in 2020 because of COVID.

Here's a history of the bridge walk. 

The current deal is that the bridge is closed from 7AM to 11AM. During that time, only emergency vehicles are allowed on the bridge. Walkers may start at the north or south end, walk as far as they like, double back after reaching the middle if 5 miles is enough for them, walk across and back, etc. The only rule is that at 10:30 nobody is allowed to cross the center anymore - if you haven't reached the center by then, you need to turn around.

You can't actually walk as fast as you might think because the crowd makes it impossible to go full speed.

After the Mackinaw bridge walk, our group likes to book it over to Cheboygan for their bridge walk. It's good fun, the walk is manageable at about 250 feet total, and there are free hot dogs and chips in the city park afterward!

 

At the end of the day, a walk down to the beach for the sunset is usually rewarding.



 

Here are some markers found in Mackinaw City. Several of these had been renewed recently so the photos you see here are what is current on HMDB.org, and in fact several were not currently on the site and I was able to contribute a whole new entry.

The Barnett Building

Mackinaw City

Mackinaw City obverse

The Algomah - From 2023. This marker has been replaced in 2024

Mackinaw's Civil War Dahlgren Cannons


Railroad Ferries

Mackinaw City Railroad Dock

USCG Cutter Mackinaw WAGB 83 - obverse of Mackinaw City Railroad Dock

British Colonial Shipbuilding Yard

Moving west towards the bridge, and the entrance to the fort:

Michigan's First Jewish Settler

Labor memorial

Mackinaw Bridge marker

Mackinaw Bridge Museum




Flags of Michilimackinac

Crossroads of the Fur Trade

The Community Outside the Walls

The Dixie Highway

The Water Highway

Historic Timeline

Mackinaw Boat - Mackinaw Coat

Lake Level Research on the Great Lakes - marker no longer here, replaced

Chief Wawatam

Geology of the Straits

Our Weather - marker since removed

Where are the Clouds? The snow?

A Bridge for Mackinac

Chief Wawatam

Mackinaw's First Business District

Warrior Stone

 

Commercial Fishing

 
Mill Creek


Auto Ferries

Aquatic Aliens

Mackinaw City Water Level Station

Mackinaw City Fishing and Observation Pier

Great Lakes Fishing

Green Design

Green Design

Ice Harvesting

Railroad Ferries

Right downtown near the ferry docs is a city park with some artwork on permanent display.

Guardian Spirit

 

Guardian Spirit

 
Shepler's Ferry

Shepler's Ferry

A bit west of Downtown is the excellent Darrow's Family Restaurant. If you go there, save room for pie.


 

Back to the waterfront again:

British Colonial Farm

 This memorial stone is in a city park in Cheboygan, east and down the coast from Mackinaw City:


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