Michigan’s Mackinac Island named best island in the Continental US

Travel & Leisure readers vote Mackinac Island as best island in the Continental US

(Photo provided by Mackinac Island)

Mackinac Island, Mich. – The people have spoken -- Michigan’s Mackinac Island was voted the best island in the Continental U.S. by the Travel and Leisure readers.

Travel and Leisure in association with M&RR, a full-service market research company, conducted a World’s Best survey at the end of 2021. Readers rated various World’s Best categories, one of which being islands. Mackinac Island was victorious and took first place, voted the best island in the US.

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People around the country are recognizing what we Michiganders already knew.

Survey respondents were asked to rate different travel categories such as airlines, cities, cruise ships, hotels, islands, and US national parks. They could choose a rating of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor.

Related: Detroit makes TIME’s ‘World’s Greatest Places’ list, 1 of only 5 US cities

The island category was rated by their natural attractions/beaches, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people/friendliness, and value.

Mackinac Island scored an overall 89.10.

Travel and Leisure says this about Mackinac Island in their World’s Best article:

“Eighty percent of this roughly four-square-mile island on Lake Huron is protected as a state park. The family-friendly downtown has many restaurants, fudge shops, and galleries. There are also several golf courses, one of which, known as “Wawa,” lies on a battlefield where the British captured the island from the Americans in the War of 1812. You can explore the island by foot, bike or horse-drawn carriage, but no cars are allowed. Accommodations include the Grand Hotel, which dates back to 1887 and earned the No. 6 spot on this year’s list of the Best Hotels in the Midwest.”

Other islands featured on this list include Nantucket, Massachusetts (scored 84.53), Outer Banks, North Carolina (scored 83.57), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina (scored 82.99), and more.

Check out some of the other lists Michigan made this year on Travel and Leisure’s Website