Mackinac Island Ferries

Today's boats by company and dock, the last boat home tonight, 2026 fares, mainland parking and the winter reality.

Mackinac Island has no cars and no bridge — every trip on or off the island is a ferry. This page is the companies' published schedule, worked out from your clock, with fares and mainland parking, so you can see the last boat home before you set out.

It is not a live feed. Weather and ice change the real times, and winter boats run only when the water allows, so always check the ferry company too.

Times are your device’s clock against the published schedule — not a live feed.

This is the published schedule — not a live feed

Times below are the companies’ published schedule. Weather and ice change the real times, and winter boats run only when the water allows — always check the operator before you travel. A ticket is usually good for any boat that day, so you don't have to lock in a departure time when you buy.

Routes and times

Arnold Transit Company · Mackinaw City

Season	To the island	Off the island	How often
Peak summer	7:30 am – 10:00 pm	10:30 pm	About every 30 minutes midday.
Spring (Apr–Jun)	See the schedule page	See the schedule page	Fewer boats — see the schedule page.
Fall (Sep–Oct)	See the schedule page	See the schedule page	Fewer boats — see the schedule page.

Arnold Transit Company · St. Ignace

Season	To the island	Off the island	How often
Peak summer	7:30 am – 10:00 pm	10:30 pm	About hourly, more often at peak.
Spring (Apr–Jun)	See the schedule page	See the schedule page	Fewer boats — see the schedule page.
Fall (Sep–Oct)	See the schedule page	See the schedule page	Fewer boats — see the schedule page.

Arnold Transit Company · St. Ignace · Classic Dock

Season	To the island	Off the island	How often
Winter	7:30 am – 4:30 pm	8:30 am – 5:30 pm	About 5 round trips a day; early boat Mon–Sat. Runs until the harbor freezes.

Round-trip fares (2026)

Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry

Adult, round trip: $39
Child, round trip (ages 5–12; under 5 free, ticket still needed): $27
Bicycle, round trip: $21
Booking fee (per ticket): $2

Pets ride free on a leash. Priority boarding costs extra. Fares valid Apr 21–Oct 31, 2026.

Source: Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry, checked 15 June 2026.

Arnold Transit Company

Adult, round trip: $37

Plan a mainland trip

Add up a round trip for your group — ferry tickets plus mainland parking.

Ferry company

Adults

Children

Bicycles

Mainland parking

Ferry (round trip): $39
Estimated total: $39

Plan around the last boat back — miss it and it’s a hotel night or a charter flight.

An estimate from the published fares below. Booking fees and exact prices are set by the companies — confirm at the dock.

Parking on the mainland

Two prices people mix up. The outlying lots are cheaper — about $10–$15 a day, or $20–$25 overnight — and run a free shuttle to the dock. The secured dockside lots cost more, about $40–$75 a night. You never have to pay for dockside parking just to catch your boat. These are typical 2026 rates; the ferry companies set them, so confirm before you go.

Lot	Where	Price
Day lot (with shuttle)	Mackinaw City	$15 per dayFree shuttle to the dock
Overnight lot (with shuttle)	Mackinaw City	$25 per nightA few blocks away; free shuttle
Dockside, secured	Mackinaw City	$50 per nightMore on weekends
Day lot (with shuttle)	St. Ignace	$15 per dayFree shuttle to the dock
Overnight lot (with shuttle)	St. Ignace	$25 per nightFree shuttle
Dockside, secured	St. Ignace	$40 per night

Free shuttle: Every outlying lot runs a free, continuous shuttle to the dock — paying for dockside parking is a choice, not a requirement.

Source: Parking on the mainland, checked 15 June 2026.

Winter: the boat runs until the ice wins

From about November 1 to April 20, Arnold Transit runs a few boats a day from the St. Ignace Classic Dock — but only as long as the ice isn't too thick. Once the harbor freezes, usually deep in winter, the ferries stop and the island is reached by small plane from St. Ignace until spring. Winter fares are higher than summer.

About the ferries after 2027

Both ferry companies are now owned by the same family, and the City of Mackinac Island has called it a monopoly. In April 2026 the companies told the city they may stop running after the 2027 season unless a new agreement is reached; the current franchise ends June 30, 2027, and fares and parking have been in court. None of this changes today's boats — but it is why prices move, and why we date-stamp them here.

Check the operators

Live wind by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry · Mackinaw City

Season	To the island	Off the island	How often
Peak summer	See the schedule page	See the schedule page	Runs late April through October. Pick your date on Shepler's schedule page; the crossing is 16–26 minutes.

Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry · St. Ignace

Season	To the island	Off the island	How often
Peak summer	See the schedule page	See the schedule page	Runs late April through October. Pick your date on Shepler's schedule page.