Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island is a resort area in Michigan. It is situated in Lake Huron at the eastern end of the Strait of Mackinac, between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the state. For many years the island was home to an Odawa settlement and earlier indigenous cultures before European colonization began in the 17th century, and was a strategic center for the fur trade in the area around the Great Lakes. At the end of the 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist destination and summer colony. The island's many buildings have undergone extensive preservation and restoration, and the whole area is listed as a National Historic Landmark because of its historical significance. The island is known for its many cultural events, a wide range of architectural styles, including the Victorian Grand Hotel, and more than 80 percent of the island is protected as Mackinac Island State Park. Mackinac Island has a varied topography, which includes fields, marshes, bogs, coastal areas, boreal forests and limestone formations. On the island, rabbits, foxes, raccoons, otters, mink, grey and red squirrels and chipmunks are frequent, along with the occasional beaver and coyote. The island is visited by migratory birds on their journeys between their summer and winter habitats, since it lies on a major migration route. In April and May, eagles and hawks are abundant, while smaller birds such as Yellow Warblers, American Redstarts and Indigo Buntings are more abundant in early summer. Seagulls, herons, geese and loons are common near the shoreline, and owls are also found on the island.