Flying to Mackinac Island

Two ways across the straits

Choose Mackinac Island Airport (KMCD) to put your airplane on the island. The state park runs the field year-round, with neither fuel nor an FBO, so plan fuel for the flight out before you leave home. Five nautical miles west, Mackinac County Airport (83D) at St. Ignace has a 3,800 × 75 ft concrete Runway 07/25 and lists 100LL and Jet A+. Call 906-643-7327 to confirm availability. If you park there for the day, arrange a ride to the St. Ignace dock and check the outbound sailing and the last ferry back. The two airports share CTAF 122.7. On the mainland, use the radio call “Saint Ignace.”

One runway among the trees

At KMCD, Runway 08/26 rises slightly to the east. The FAA lists trees on both approaches and obstruction lights on the approach to 26. The runway lights use 122.8, a different frequency from CTAF/UNICOM 122.7. Weather is on 118.275. Check the current Chart Supplement, NOTAMs and island weather before departure.

• The physical pavement is 3,501 × 75 ft. The FAA Chart Supplement lists no separate declared takeoff, accelerate-stop or landing distances for either end.
• For noise abatement, climb to the 1,900 ft MSL pattern altitude before turning, avoid overflying the shore and town, and plan full-stop landings. Touch-and-goes are prohibited. Watch for gulls near the landfill 0.3 NM northeast of the field.

Tie down and take the island map

The state park keeps ropes and chocks beside the terminal. Ramp spaces cannot be reserved. The park gives larger aircraft and overnight visitors priority when possible, and day visitors may be sent to grass overflow. Orange cones mark the tie-down cables in the grass. A pitot cover earns its place in the flight bag here. The FAA notes that mud daubers can plug the tube while the airplane sits. Cover it when parked, then remove the cover and inspect the tube before departure.

• Register and pay at the terminal. Landing costs $15 for a piston single, $30 for a piston twin or $45 for a turboprop or jet. That covers daytime parking and repeat landings by the same aircraft that day. Staying past 10 p.m. adds the same amount per night.
• Pilots have 24-hour terminal access, including the after-hours payment box. Summer staff generally work 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. From October through April, call 906-847-3231 for staffing and field conditions.

Down to town by foot or carriage

If you have daylight and a light bag, pick up the route from the map in the terminal and walk downhill to Main Street. Budget about 40–50 minutes each way as a planning estimate, with extra time for the climb back or slippery footing. The bike rental shops are downtown. For a half-day visit you can walk one way and call ahead for a carriage the other.

• Call Mackinac Island Carriage Tours at 906-847-3323 before flying. Give dispatch your arrival time and party size, and agree on a place and time for the return pickup. The horse taxis are radio-dispatched around the clock in summer. From November through April they run by appointment.
• The airport is in Zone E, $11 per adult each way with a two-fare minimum. Two adults riding both ways spend $44 before tip. Bring cash for the driver or request the card-payment link from dispatch. Bicycles cannot go on the taxi.

A Navy pilot’s tavern on Astor Street

At the Mustang Lounge, look for the old timbers and the uniform patches. The family that runs the place traces the wood to a fur-trading warehouse built in the 1780s. Dennis Brodeur, an islander who flew F6F Hellcats in the Navy, took over the tavern in 1972. Service members and first responders brought patches, and the owners now count more than 600. Over a Mustang Burger or a Paddy Melt, you can spend part of lunch looking for one from home. The tavern operates year-round. Call 906-847-9916 for winter kitchen hours.

One more climb for the harbor view

From Astor Street take Main Street to Marquette Park. In season, the Fort Street ramp leads up to Fort Mackinac, where the barracks and demonstrations merit an hour or two. From the bluff you can look back over Haldimand Bay. The Officers’ Stone Quarters once housed two officers and their families. In 1918 the Red Cross opened a tea room downstairs to raise money for soldiers. Visitors using wheelchairs or scooters should use the rear entrance on Huron Road. If pickup time is near, stay by the water and walk back to meet your driver.

When the boats stop running

Fort Mackinac closed for the 2026 season and lists April 30, 2027 for reopening. A winter day leaves time for a harbor walk and a confirmed lunch. When ice interrupts the ferry, the state park says the island airport takes on another job. Mail and groceries come off airplanes by hand, then go into town on sleighs or horse-drawn freight wagons. Call ahead about field conditions, the kitchen and your return carriage before you make the trip.

• For an overnight stay, book a downtown room and add the aircraft parking fee. Pontiac Lodge offers rooms and suites and posts holiday closures. Arrange morning pickup when you book. Camping is prohibited at the airport and throughout the island.