Mackinac Island Ferry: Schedule, Last Boat Back and Ticket Prices

Two companies run the Mackinac Island ferry, Shepler’s and Arnold, from Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, April 21 to October 31. A boat leaves about every half hour in summer, the crossing takes 16 to 20 minutes, and a ticket is good on any boat. An adult round trip is $39 on Shepler’s and $37 on Arnold.

How to use it

Pick the day you go and the town you leave from. The planner lists every boat that day on both companies, as their 2026 schedules print them for that date and weekday — the extra weekend boats, the Friday and Saturday evening boats, the boats that run on one date only — and marks the last boat back and the trips that go under the Mackinac Bridge. Say who is going and how many bikes to see each company’s round trip. A winter day shows Arnold’s winter boats from St. Ignace and what to do when the ice stops them; a day in 2027 shows 2026’s boats for the same date, labelled, until the companies post 2027’s.

How many boats, and the last one back

Both companies print their season as a chart where “DAILY DEPARTURES IN BLACK. ADDITIONAL DEPARTURES AS NOTED IN COLOR.” — so the same week gives a Saturday more boats than a Tuesday. From Mackinaw City, on a few days of 2026 (the boats over · the first and the last · the last boat back from the island):

From St. Ignace the numbers are close: on Tuesday, July 14, Shepler’s runs 26 boats from St. Ignace and Arnold 26. Arnold’s St. Ignace boats leave from two docks in summer — its Main Dock and, for its Classic boats, the Classic Dock — and the planner says which. Arnold says: “Ferry ride to the island is approximately 20 minutes”; Shepler’s puts its direct boats at about 16 minutes from either town.

Under the Mackinac Bridge

Some boats take the long way, under the Mackinac Bridge: Shepler’s calls them Mighty Mac departures (“Guests traveling on a Mighty Mac departure should anticipate a 25 minute trip to Mackinac Island.”), Arnold “Bridge Trip”. The planner marks each one. On Labor Day the first boats run for the Labor Day Bridge Walk.

Fares

Shepler’s adds a booking fee — “There will be a $2 booking fee per ferry ticket ticket.” — and Arnold prints “* All Tickets Subject to Booking Fee” without a sum, so the planner adds Shepler’s and names Arnold’s. Arnold’s bike fare includes the island’s fee: “BIKES (INCLUDES $2 ISLAND FEE) | $19”. Arnold’s rates page prints the free ticket as “under 4” and its schedule as “age 4 & under”: ask before you buy for a four-year-old. Both companies’ tickets are good on any boat: “Tickets valid for any date and departure during the 2026 season.” and “Ferry tickets are not day or time specific”.

In winter

Shepler’s season ends October 31. Arnold runs a winter service from November 1 to April 20, from St. Ignace’s Classic Dock (99 N. State St.) only, and the planner reads its 2026–27 sheet: fewer boats from January, none on Christmas Day, and the boats marked “*Does not run on Sunday” left out of a Sunday. On the Tree Lighting and Christmas Bazaar weekend, December 4 and 5, the last boat back is later: “6:30 PM departure from Mackinac Island (there will be no 4:30 PM departure)”.

There is no ferry from Mackinaw City in winter. On a Sunday from November 29 to December 20 the last boat back is 2:30 p.m., an hour before the last one over: the planner says so on those days. Arnold’s winter fares are not on its pages; call it on 800.638.9892.

When the ice stops the boats

The island’s tourism bureau: “But many winters bring a solid freeze to the Straits of Mackinac.” “And when that happens, the ferries shut down until the ice breaks in spring, and small planes become the only link to Mackinac Island.” Nobody can say ahead which weeks: Arnold texts its changes to 41411 (“MackinacFerry”).

Flying. “Fresh Air Aviation and Northwoods Aviation both fly air taxis to Mackinac Island out of St. Ignace in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.” The flight lasts “only three to five minutes – depending on the wind”. Fresh Air prints “DAILY FLIGHTS · FROM $59.00” for St. Ignace → Mackinac Island and keeps no timetable: “we fly when you need to fly. Call us at (231) 237-9482”. The island’s airport is “about 2 miles north of downtown”, with no bikes to rent there: book a horse-drawn taxi ahead on 906-847-3323.

The ice bridge. “Although an ice bridge to Mackinac Island sometimes forms on the Straits of Mackinac during the winter, crossing over the ice is strongly discouraged.” The island’s tourism bureau adds “There is no such thing as safe ice.” and will not say when or where it forms: “we will not provide updates nor information on the status, location or details about the ice bridge because of how unsafe it is.” Neither does this planner.

Snowmobiles. “There are no places to rent snowmobiles on Mackinac Island, but visitors can take their own snowmobiles on the Arnold Transit winter ferry boat from St. Ignace for an extra fee.” The island asks for a permit: “Contact the city of Mackinac Island or Mackinac Island Airport about daily permits available for visitors.”

What stays open. “Mackinac Island is typically a May through October destination”. The tourism bureau’s closing-dates page lists these members as open year-round: to stay, Above Mackinac Condos, Above Mustang Rentals, Pontiac Lodge, Village Inn Suites; to eat, Doud’s Market, Mustang Lounge. It lists its members only, so ask any other place before you go.

Worked examples

A Saturday in October from Mackinaw City. Ferry on Saturday, October 17: 28 boats from Mackinaw City (Shepler’s and Arnold), 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; the last one back 8:30 p.m.

A family of four with two bikes from St. Ignace. Two adults, two children 5–12 and two bikes: Round trip: Arnold $162 (2 adults × $37 + 2 children 5–12 × $25 + 2 bikes × $19, plus its booking fee) · Shepler’s $182 (2 adults × $39 + 2 children 5–12 × $27 + 2 bikes × $21 + $8 booking fees).

A July evening. On Saturday, July 11 the last boat back from the island to Mackinaw City is at 10:30 p.m.; on Saturday, October 17 it is 8:30 p.m.

A January Sunday. Only Arnold runs, from St. Ignace only, and its 8 a.m. boat stays in on a Sunday: Ferry on Sunday, January 17, 2027: 2 boats from St. Ignace (Arnold), 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; the last one back 4 p.m.

Common mistakes

• Driving to the wrong town in winter. From November 1 Arnold’s boats leave from St. Ignace’s Classic Dock only; there is no boat from Mackinaw City.
• Walking the ice bridge. “There is no such thing as safe ice.” When the ice stops the boats, fly from St. Ignace.
• Counting on a weekend boat on a weekday. Many of the morning boats in spring and fall run on Saturdays and Sundays only.
• Arriving too late. Arnold asks: “Please arrive 45 minutes prior to your departure”.
• Bringing an e-bike. “E-bikes on Mackinac Island are prohibited, with some exceptions.”
• Buying for a time. The tickets are not for one boat; the last boat back is what to plan around.

Plan the trip

Read the must-see attractions on Mackinac Island and Traverse City, Michigan, and see the longest bridges in the USA. Then check the Great Lakes water temperature, and for another island, the Madeline Island ferry.