Cross the open water, read the shoals & choose the right archipelago.

Motor vehicles have been banned on Mackinac since 1898. Over 80% of the island is preserved within Mackinac Island State Park. Bicycles, carriage tours, and walking are the sole modes of transit. Pack a comfortable daypack; rental bikes line the main harbor strip, and the 8.2-mile paved M-185 loop traces the entire shoreline perimeter.

Isle Royale is a true roadless wilderness inhabited by wild wolf packs and moose. There are no cell towers, wheeled carts, or bicycles allowed. All hikers must be entirely self-sufficient with water filters, camp stoves, and rain gear. Dogs are strictly barred by federal law to safeguard the fragile wolf population against canine diseases.

Covering 55 square miles, Beaver Island is the third largest island in Lake Michigan. Bringing a vehicle or sturdy gravel bike is highly recommended to reach remote south-end campsites, the Beaver Head Lighthouse, and pristine inland lakes. St. James provides groceries, taverns, and fuel, but the southern half is pure northern hardwoods and gravel roads.

South Manitou is famed for its 100-foot 1871 lighthouse, the Francisco Morazan shipwreck aground off the south shore, and a grove of old-growth virgin white cedars dating back over 500 years. All travel is on foot. Backcountry campers must register with NPS rangers and carry out all trash.

North Manitou encompasses nearly 15,000 acres of pure designated wilderness. There are no stores, vehicle rentals, or paved amenities. Hikers practice true dispersed wilderness camping (at least 300 feet from Lake Michigan and inland Lake Manitou). Water treatment is mandatory and ticks are prevalent in tall grassy clearings.

The largest of the 22 Apostle Islands, Madeline is the only one not included in the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, allowing vehicles, private cabins, and paved roads. Drive or bike out to Big Bay State Park to hike dramatic red sandstone cliffs, kayak sea caves, and camp along a 1.5-mile sand barrier beach.

Washington Island is renowned for Schoolhouse Beach, one of only a handful of smooth, glacier-polished limestone pebble beaches in the world (taking even one stone carries a strict fine). Cycle past fragrant lavender farms, visit the wooden Stavkirke church, or take the secondary passenger-only ferry out to remote Rock Island State Park.

Dominated by the 352-foot Doric column of Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial (commemorating the War of 1812 Battle of Lake Erie), South Bass Island is lively and bustling. Leave your car on the mainland; golf carts and rental bicycles are the universal way to explore winery caves and lakeside state parks.

Far quieter than South Bass, Kelleys Island features the Glacial Grooves National Natural Landmark—a 400-foot trough of limestone scored 15 feet deep by the Laurentide Ice Sheet 18,000 years ago. Cycle the quiet coastal roads to Kelleys Island State Park, hunt Devonian horn corals on the north quarry cliffs, and explore Inscription Rock petroglyphs.

Sitting on the same latitude as northern California and Rome, Pelee Island is home to Canada's southernmost winery (Pelee Island Winery pavilion) and internationally renowned Carolinian forest bird migration corridors. Passports or NEXUS cards are required for international travelers. Biking the 18-mile Waterfront Trail loop is the premier island outing.

Drummond Island spans 249 square miles—the second largest freshwater island in the U.S. It is famed for the Maxton Plains, the largest intact limestone alvar ecosystem on Earth, featuring rare prairie smoke flowers and fossilized coral beds. A high-clearance 4WD vehicle or ORV is required to access the rugged Marblehead sea cliffs and remote fossil ledges.

Covering 1,068 square miles, Manitoulin Island is the world's largest freshwater island, holding over 100 inland lakes of its own. It is home to vibrant Anishinaabe First Nations communities and the iconic Cup and Saucer Trail, which ascends 230-foot limestone cliffs of the Niagara Escarpment for panoramic vistas over hardwood forests and Lake Huron.