Incredible Blue Ice Phenomenon in Mackinaw City

I was unaware of the blue ice phenomenon that occurs in Mackinaw City until a family friend posted about it on her personal Facebook a few years ago. So if you don’t already know about the blue ice in Mackinaw, I hope I am about to blow your mind just like mine once was! I knew one year I would want to go see it and we ended up having a free Saturday this previous week, and thankfully the ice was there this year!

But first, what is the Mackinaw Blue Ice?

It doesn’t occur every year, but some years, during special weeks, you can see the giant shards of light blue ice buildup on top of each other. The ice appears blue due to the lack of air bubbles, and how the eye perceives the ice, according to staff at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. The lack of air bubbles allow the light to be undisturbed as it passes through the giant shards.

If this phenomenon occurs in years to come, be sure to take caution. The ice is slippery, the stacks of shards are not stable and there could be danger of falling in if one wanders out too far (there is still open water in the Straits). Not to mention, the amount of tourism this has attracted causes the ice closer to shore to melt sooner. But, like with any sort of adventure, be sure to be aware and respectful of private property, and clean up after yourself.

When we got there, the city was absolutely crowded. Being that we normally visit during off-season, this was completely unusual to us! I knew that the blue ice was a well known phenomenon, but I didn’t realize just how large it had become. We walked out onto the lake near an empty part of the park in attempt to see the ice. Which we did, we found a small pile on that side, but we decided that there were just too many people for our comfort and that we would come back later in the evening.

Just like with any tourist area, I suggest to come early in the morning or late in the evening if you want the place mostly to yourself (and locals).

After snapping a couple of shots by our little ice bundle, we decided to go out and hit the trails to burn a few hours. We headed down the road a few minutes to the Headlands International Dark Sky Park. We came here back in June to practice capturing the night sky with my new camera! But, we didn’t get to explore the trails (mostly due to mosquitos during that time). The trails were breathtaking in the winter, so I can only begin to imagine how they look in other seasons!

Poor Evelyn started to get tired of sitting, but also tired and hungry in general (which you know is a dangerous combo). Thankfully we were nearing the end and I packed plenty of fruit and snacks. By this time, it was prime golden hour! When we got back to the ice, the park was nearly empty (minus a few other families and photographers) and we were graced with cotton candy skies.

And of course we can’t forget the historic tree in one of Mackinaw’s parks that is called the Ice Tree in winter!

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Have you seen blue ice anywhere before? It can be found in hidden gems throughout Michigan but it is most well known in Mackinaw.

Seeing The Stunning Blue Ice In Mackinaw City

But first, what is the Mackinaw Blue Ice?