Iconic Carriage Horses Are Leaving Mackinac Island to Begin Winter Rest
This is your sign the busy tourist season on Mackinac Island is coming to a close:
All the horses are leaving!
Beginning in April, up to 600 draft horses are transported from Michigan's Upper Peninsula mainland to the famously car-free Mackinac Island, where they serve as one of the town’s main modes of transportation. Their annual return to the island is one of our favorite first signs of spring’s arrival in The Mitten!
But come fall, the opposite is true as their departure marks the season’s end.
While Mackinac Island is home to year-round residents, only a dozen or so horses remain through the off-season to help maintain day-to-day operations. According to caretakers, it’s actually easier to move the horses back to the mainland than to regularly transport feed and supplies across the often-choppy wintery waters of the Great Lakes. As a result, most horses spend the winter in the Pickford, Michigan area.
According to island's famous Grand Hotel, sadly, the time has come. As the busy 2025 tourist season begins to officially wind down, it's time to say goodbye to the horses:
As fall settles over Mackinac Island events at Grand Hotel continue, today we bid a fond farewell to our beloved Hackney Horses: Royal, Crown, Noble, Jester, Lady, and Maid. We are grateful for the hard work and joy these incredible horses bring to our guests and team each season. Now, they’ll enjoy a well-deserved winter rest on the mainland, safe and sound, until their return to Grand Hotel Stables in May 2026 for another unforgettable season! - Grand Hotel via Facebook
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