Inside the little-known island where cars are BANNED

NEARLY 300million cars are registered in the USA – but there’s one island where you won’t find any at all.

A place called Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan has been car-free since the late 1800s with locals and tourists getting around by horse-drawn carriage or bikes if you prefer.

Mackinac Island is one of those rare places with a ban on all cars.

The ban was implemented in 1898 after early cars apparently spooked horses, threatening public safety and the local carriage industry.

Since then, the only way to navigate the island is by horse or bike.

Living on the island all year-round are just 600 residents along with around 600 horses.

While the number of horses remains the same, during the peak season of July and August, daily visitor numbers can be as many as 15,000.

It’s no surprise summer is the most popular time to visit as the island has average highs of 25C and is mostly dry.

Whereas in the winter months, it can experience lows well into the minus degrees and snow.

Mackinac Island is just north of mainland Michigan – to get there, take a ferry from Mackinaw City (Lower Peninsula).

Or take a ferry from St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula which takes 16 minutes and cost around $36 (£26.51) each way.

While the island does have an airport, it’s for charter and private aircraft only.

Thanks to there being no cars on the island, there are plenty of bike rentals with most charging around $94 (£69.31) for a full day of use.

Or around $16 (£11.80) per hour.

Horse-drawn carriage tours are also very popular with sightseeing tours starting at around $44 (£32.43) per adult where tourists head all over the island with a local guide.

During the summer, you can call certain companies for a ‘taxi’, which is a horse-drawn carriage.

One major attraction on Mackinac Island is Arch Rock in Mackinac Island State Park which is a natural 50-foot wide limestone arch.

To get up to Arch Rock, visitors have to take 207 steps from Lakeshore Drive – so be prepared for a long walk.

Film fans might recognise the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island from Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

The enormous hotel sits on the south of the island and you can actually book to stay there yourself.

There are plenty of rooms from simple balcony suites, Grand Queen rooms or even cottages with four bedrooms – these have private hot tubs, and take in views across the Straits of Mackinac.

The hotel has a grand Esther Williams Swimming Pool which has a water-jet play area, water slide and a large heated whirlpool.

There’s also a private adults-only area featuring a separate infinity-edge pool with beautiful views.

For golfers, there’s an enormous golf course, bike rentals, pickleball, bocce ball and shuffleboard.

To stay at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island can be as much as $1,000 (£737.07) per night during peak season.