St. Ignace is the Gateway to the North and the jumping off point for a lifetime of adventure. Through the centuries it has been under the domain of at least three different countries and was inhabited by Native Americans who called the area home long before French explorers and fur traders arrived. Today it’s a tourist town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, with shops, restaurants, and cozy hotels, all with a great view of the lake across the road, ferry docks, and Mackinac Island in the distance. It’s the prototypical image of a summer vacation community. At the edge of town and in every direction, there are shimmering lakes, pine and cedar forests, and excellent riding. To get there only requires crossing one of the largest bridges in the world.
A BRIDGE TO ADVENTURE
The Straits of Mackinac separate Michigan’s two halves. Connecting the two is the enormous Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest bridges on the planet, and fully five miles from shore to shore. It’s always something special to cross it in a vehicle, and that usually means your car or truck. There have been parades of tractors, semi-trucks, jeeps, and even runners, but a few years back a new event called TREK the MIGHTY MAC was added. This event was all about ATVs and Side x Sides.
Since their inaugural event in 2016, the Trek the Mighty Mac event has been expanded to include pretty much any ATV, UTV, Side x Side, 3-Wheeler and off-road motorcycle. We’ve seen relics that we assumed had gone extinct dragged out of the barn and driven across the bridge, and it’s something like a rolling exhibit of off-road machinery both new and old. It’s well worth seeing! Best of all, when riders complete their bridge crossing the fun is not over as the parade winds through town, down the famous main street past shops and the ferry docks, and ends at the Little Bear East Arena. There participants are provided a lunch, games, entertainment, and prize drawings. It’s a little bit carnival and car show, and a fantastic way to spend a great fall day. We love it!
Registration fee is $40 for the UTV/ATV/SxS or dirt bike & Driver, and $25 for additional riders/passengers, children under 10 years of age $12. Registration fees include: Mackinac Bridge Fare, Lunch, Shuttle, Busing, Entertainment, Free Drink Ticket for Friday Night Meet-N-Greet, Decal, and Pit Parking. They do want you to pre-register for the event, so get on the phone or hit one of the links below, and get yourself, friends and family there!
FEELS LIKE HOME
We’ve been to St. Ignace too many times to count and it always feels like home. The scent of the cedars, the crisp, cool air of fall, and the leaves just beginning to change colors make it a fantastic time to visit. Come for the bridge ride, and then hit the trails which begin right at the Little Bear Arena where the ride ends. Where your trail leads after that is up to you, but you can never go wrong starting your adventure in St. Ignace.
https://stignace.com/event/trek-the-mighty-mac/
Location: Mackinac Bridge and Little Bear East Arena
Phone: 906-643-6950
Email: info@stignace.com
