6 Best Things to Do in St. Ignace, MI

By VI Staff on November 19, 2019 - Updated

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St. Ignace is a city near the tip of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, on the northern side of the Straits of Mackinac. The city is located on the shore of Lake Huron at one end of the Mackinac Bridge, and it serves as the gateway to exploring the Upper Peninsula and Mackinac Island. The Mackinac Band of Chippewa Indians has headquarters in St. Ignace and owns Kewadin Casinos and Hotel. Mackinac Bridge, which connects St. Ignace with Mackinaw City, is one of the longest bridges in the world. The best place to see the bridge is Straits State Park, located , on the northern shore of the Straits of Mackinac. Wawatam Lighthouse is guarding the harbor of St. Ignace in the Straits of Mackinac.

1.Mackinac Bridge

The Mackinac Bridge or Big Mac is a suspension bridge over the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. Until the bridge was completed, the peninsulas were connected by ferries. The 26,372-foot-long bridge opened in 1957 and is the 22nd-longest main span in the world and the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. The Mackinac Bridge is part of Interstate 75. It is also the Lakes Michigan and Huron components of the Great Lakes Circle Tour and a segment of the U.S. North Country National Scenic Trail. The bridge connects the village of Mackinaw City on its south end with the city of St. Ignace on the north end.

St. Ignace, Michigan

2.Straits State Park

Straits State Park is located in St. Ignace, Mackinac County, Michigan, on the northern shore of the Straits of Mackinac. The Father Marquette National Memorial and park is located within the park. The park is great place for viewing the Mackinac Bridge. Straits State Park was established in 1924 as a day park. The park was redesigned in the mid-1940s to include 32 tent campsites on the shores of the Straits of Mackinac. There are three playgrounds in the park. Swimming is allowed in the park, but there is no actual beach area and the coast is quite rocky. The two picnic areas are located near the parking area and playground, and the bridge overlook and they both have several grills, picnic tables, and water fountains. There are several hiking trails through the park.

720 Church St, St Ignace, MI 49781, Phone: 906-643-8620

3.Wawatam Lighthouse

Wawatam Lighthouse is a modern automated lighthouse in the Straits of Mackinac guarding the harbor of St. Ignace, Michigan. It was originally built in 1998 near Monroe, Michigan as an iconic roadside attraction. it was built as a functional lighthouse structure but far away from navigational waters. When the Michigan Department of Transportation decided to demolish it as obsolete, the state government decided to dismantle it and move to a more useful location. St. Ignace civic leaders learned of its availability and applied to have it installed in St. Ignace. The lighthouse was disassembled into five pieces and moved more than 330 miles by truck, from Monroe to East Moran Bay in St. Ignace. It was first lit in St. Ignace as an aid to navigation in August 2006.

St Ignace, MI 49781, Phone: 906-643-8717

4.Mystery Spot

Mystery Spot is an area of about 300 feet in diameter near St. Ignace, Michigan, where gravity seems to be not acting as anywhere else. It all started in the early 1950s when surveyors who were exploring Michigan’s Upper Peninsula noticed that their equipment did not work properly in one particular area. They called it ‘mystery spot.” The owners of the property realized the great potential this ‘mysterious spot’ presents, so they started offering tours, built a maze, zip lines, mini golf and a gift shop and tourists started coming in thousands. Some reported that they looked shorter inside of the ‘mystery area’ than outside. Others said that they felt queasy and light-headed inside. Nobody could resist mystery where gravity does not work. The explanation, which was quite simple, did not interest anyone. There are no supernatural forces at work and no spacecraft buried underground. It is just shifted, angled earth that makes the surroundings, when seen from the area, appear to defy gravity.

N916 Martin Lake Rd, St Ignace, MI 49781, Phone: 906-643-8322

5.Kewadin Casinos

Kewadin Casinos and Hotel near St. Ignace, Michigan, is located at the Gateway to the Upper Peninsula on the shore of Lake Huron. The casino is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and it offers a range of Vegas-style gaming, including Blackjack, Poker, Let It Ride, Roulette, Craps, 3-Card Poker, Live Keno and over 900 slot machines. The casino includes a 25,000-square foot gaming floor with slots and table games, a 30,000-square foot entertainment area, an 81-room hotel, the large upscale Horseshoe Bay Restaurant, the Whitetail Sports bar, the Northern Pines Lounge, and the Campfire Deli. The casino is owned by the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

3015 Mackinac Trail, St Ignace, MI 49781, Phone: 906-643-7071

6.Bessie's Homemade Pasties

Bessie's Pasties is a homey, charming roadside eatery located in St. Ignace, Michigan, famous for its delicious savory pasties. They are made fresh, from the best quality ingredients, the same as they have been made for the last 50 years. The crowd favorite is Bessie's "Original" Beef Pastie with the finest cuts of lean steak, potatoes, carrots, and sweet onions, wrapped in a delicious flaky crust and baked to golden perfection. Pasties also come with chicken and with veggies only. If you can resist Bessie’s pasties, they also offer smoked local fish, sandwiches, home-made jerky, ice cream and more.

1106 N State St, St Ignace, MI 49781, Phone: 906-643-8487