Best Things to Do in St Ignace | Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
In the summer months, a lot of people make the trek to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island and/or cross the Mackinac Bridge to enjoy some outdoor adventures in the Upper Peninsula.
In between those frequented routes sits the quaint town of St. Ignace… and unbeknownst to the majority of tourists looking for things to do on Mackinac Island or things to do in Mackinaw City, there are plenty of things to do in St Ignace!
The small-town serves as the gateway between Michigan’s two peninsulas positioned just across the bridge in the U.P. When road-tripping or vacationing in the area, I always make sure to experience some of the eats, sights, activities, and natural beauty that St. Ignace has to offer.
Things to Do in the Heart of St. Ignace
Before walking through the town, I head to Java Joe’s Café, at any time of the day, to grab some of their many, many, many breakfast food options.
Here, I enjoy the colorful décor, murals, and numerous cookie jars as I try some French Toast covered in whipped cream and apples, with some peanut butter and chocolate chip pancakes dusted with powdered sugar alongside.
I highly recommend grabbing a coffee as you shop at The Pavillion where I tend to enjoy some fudge at the next store, Mudrick’s Fudge Kitchen. Walking through Father Marquette Mission Park, this is my opportunity to learn some history and then head across the street and hang out on Kiwanis Beach.
Alongside that side of the street is where the Huron Boardwalk expands the length of downtown and is part of the St. Ignace Historical Walking Tour.
I was intrigued by beautiful Lake Huron views of harbors and various ferry docks, where travelers could grab a boat to Mackinac Island.
On the opposite end of the boardwalk and downtown, I recommend walking up to the six-foot-tall Chief Wawatam wooden statue and over to the Wawatam Lighthouse, which is a recent addition that was first lit in 2006.
Things to Do in St Ignace | Parks and the Mackinac Bridge
Heading south and then west on S. State Street and out of downtown, I found several places to view the Mighty Mac, the vast Great Lakes waters, and lots of Michigan natural beauty. As approached I-75, it was a great opportunity to turn off into Straits State Park. There is an observation point to capture the bridge up-top in-between and beyond the greenery.
Lovers of the outdoors can make this their home base, as there are numerous options for hiking and camping near Mackinac Island with a rocky beach along Lake Huron.
As I continued heading west past the interstate and onto U.S. Route 2, almost immediately I turned left onto Boulevard Drive and into Bridge View Park. The bridge became front-and-center! This was when I chose to get my feet wet as I was now alongside Lake Michigan and on the other side of the Straits of Mackinac.
Pro tip: It’s a great spot to have a picnic while watching the sunrise or sunset. For great photos, head a couple of miles further to the west to the Bridge View Scenic Turnout for additional bridge viewing opportunities.
Things to Do Near St Ignace
Since traveling roads is my thing, I chose to continue west on the open road and out-of-town along U.S. Route 2 which runs the entire southern end of the Upper Peninsula.
Here, I started seeing one sign after another boasting “The Mystery Spot”. Fun, fun, fun was advertised as well as lots of ???, which draws in many curious travelers.
Known as Michigan’s most unusual tourist attraction, it offers tours where you can decide for yourself if what you are seeing is an optical illusion. Zip-lines, mazes, putt-putt, and lots of fun for kids can also be found on the grounds.
As I drove further west, now about twelve miles from the bridge, in the blink of an eye the forest scenery exited and Lake Michigan shoreline took over. Beachfront, sand dunes, and brush as far as my eyes could see straight ahead.
If you park anywhere on either side of the road and find one of the narrow paths to get to the water, it is an escape from everything. There are no facilities or amenities, so it will be just you and the Great Lakes waters.
I recommend driving back and forth along this stretch of highway with the windows down!
More To Do Near the Mackinac Bridge
Whether you explore things to do in St Ignace, head east on M-134 toward the Les Cheneaux Islands, stay south of the Mackinac Bridge enjoying the best restaurants in Mackinaw City, or enjoy a stay at one of the best hotels on Mackinac Island, there’s so much to do, see, eat, and explore in this uniquely Michigan destination between the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula.
You should definitely hit up Clyde’s drive-in, home of the best burger around, next time you’re up north.
You should also visit Castle Rock. And for real adventurers climb Rabbits Back which is a short distance from first site mentioned. Not advertised. Great views.