Vacationers have discovered the delights of island hopping in Michigan. Mackinac Island famous for its gingerbread architecture, horse carriages and finger-licking fudge is the most popular of the more than 75 named islands claimed by Michigan, 40 of which are open to the public. However, lesser-known islands ranging from small uninhabited islets to massive archipelagos hold their own special appeal for nature lovers, outdoor sportsmen, boating enthusiasts, folklore aficionados and off-the-beaten-track vacation seekers.
Ecotourism is gaining ground on Beaver Island, known as America's Emerald Isle for its heavily forested woodlands, green meadows and residents' Irish heritage. The island was settled by renegade Mormon "king" James Strang, who ruled from 1848 until 1856 when he was permanently "deposed" and his followers were run off, opening the settlement to immigrants from Ireland and Arranmore Island.
In the summer, a passenger/vehicle ferry and scheduled air flights carry vacationers 32 miles from Charlevoix to Beaver Island. Balmy weather invites nature walks through state-held land, scuba dives to shipwrecks, picnics on white-sand beaches and fishing trips. The island's only traffic jam is on July Fourth when crowds congregate in the town of St. James for a gala parade and fireworks. Fall caters to leaf-peepers and deer hunters, and winter offers 150 miles of trails for exploration on cross-country skis, snowshoes or snowmobiles.
"Beaver Island is ideal for a family vacation because it fits in the middle ground," says Steve West, who vacationed on the island with his family for 30 years before settling there permanently. "It's not primitive, so you can rent a car or vacation house. Yet, you can drive down to Iron Ore Bay and enjoy a huge secluded stretch of Lake Michigan beach" Visitors find Nina's restaurant is "as good as any in the Midwest" and enjoy evenings at the Shamrock bar, noted for its Irish flavor and food.
Drummond Island, wedged between Lake Huron and Lake Superior just one mile across the St. Mary's River from DeTour Village, is a great place to "get back to nature and enjoy hunting, fishing and bird-watching," says Carol Martin, a local publisher. Photographers and nature enthusiasts will discover a "rare mosaic" of plants, birds and butterflies on the Maxton Plains, a protected geological area and the "world's best" alvar grasslands region. The Heritage Trail in Drummond Island Township Park is ideal for watching eagles, osprey, owls, hawks and 200 varieties of songbirds.
Woodland Indians occupied Drummond Island before it became a British outpost in 1814. Named after British commander Sir Gordon Drummond, the island drew attention when Domino's Pizza magnate Tom Monaghan purchased land and operated until 1991 an executive retreat, now the Drummond Island Resort and Conference Center.
Today golfers tee off at The Rock, an 18-hole golf course, or at the nine-hole Drummond Island Golf Course. Trophy fishermen compete in the Tag Perch Contest in May and the Annual Salmon Derby in August. With year-round ferry and air service, Drummond Island attracts winter tourists who snowmobile on 100 miles of groomed trails and across the International Ice Bridge to Canada.
Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior offers vacationers an unparalleled wilderness experience they will find very few places. Operated by the National Park Service since 1940, the maritime park comprises one large island surrounded by 400 smaller islands and covers 894 square miles including submerged land. Naturalists and backpackers hike Isle Royale's 165 miles of scenic trails and pitch tents in more than 200 campsites in 36 rustic campgrounds. No cars are allowed, so non-campers stay at the Rock Harbor Lodge and enjoy boat tours aboard the M.V. Sandy. The park is open from April 16 to October 31 and is serviced by passenger ferries and a seaplane from Michigan and Minnesota.
"The remoteness of the island and its wilderness character are what attract people," says Greg Blust, a supervisory park ranger. "Backpackers must be self-sufficient and in good health since there are no medical facilities on the island. If parents have young children, we suggest short day hikes from a base camp."
The 45-mile-long archipelago is accessible only by boat or seaplane, and an excursion into the park's interior takes visitors back into its prehistoric past. Isle Royale has been designated an International Biosphere Reserve, and is famous for its long-term wolf and moose studies. Vacationers can explore abandoned copper mines, see a historic commercial fishery in operation and photograph picturesque lighthouses or simply enjoy the solitude.
North and South Manitou (meaning "spirit") figure prominently in the Chippewa Legend of the Sleeping Bear and represent two bear cubs lost in the waters of Lake Michigan. The islands are part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and offer a remote wilderness escape for explorers, day hikers and backcountry campers.
"Park visitors need to carry their own provisions, because there are no restaurants or stores on either island," says park ranger Paul Purifoy. "During a day trip to South Manitou Island, families can explore a turn-of-the-century U.S. Life-Saving Service station and climb to the top of the 100-foot-tall South Manitou Island lighthouse." Bird-watchers may glimpse an endangered Great Lakes Piping Plover on North Manitou, and divers will delight in more than 50 known shipwreck sites found in the Manitou Passage State Underwater Preserve.
Mike Grosvenor's grandparents lived on North Manitou in the early 1900s, and his family has been operating the seasonal Manitou Island Transit passenger ferry since 1917. The company also offers motorized tours on South Manitou, which take visitors past abandoned farmsteads, a schoolhouse and cemetery dating to the mid-1800s when island farmers sold crops to passing ships.
"Visiting the Manitou islands is taking a true step back in time to what things were like a century ago," he says. "They are the starting point for Michigan history." Grosvenor recommends seeing South Manitou's Shipwreck Overlook, Old Growth Cedars (which predate Columbus) and Perch Dunes. North Manitou, which flourished during the lumbering era and is now deserted, provides a haven for migrating birds and native wildflowers.
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Michigan Island Hopping was contributed by freelance writer Claudia Capos.
