Oh, the Mackinac Bridge!

Oh, the WALKING. 5 miles of it, to be exact.

But it’s a tradition that thousands of people take part in every year.

Starting in 1968, only a year after the completion of the project, then Governor G. Mennen Williams led 68 others in a walk across the bridge during its opening ceremonies in late June. However, the walk date was changed to Labor Day the following year so more people could take part in the festivities. For the following 6 years the walk across the Bridge alternated starting points, but ever since then the walkers start in St. Ignace. Upon completion of the event, the walkers then take buses and shuttle back to the Upper Peninsula.

So why is it so cool?

For starters, Labor Day is the only day that you can walk on the Bridge. Normally, foot traffic is prohibited on the bridge for safety consideration. For the actual walk, officials cordon off the two easternmost lanes, usually for northbound traffic, and save those for the walkers. The other two lanes are then used for usual traffic, since the level of car traffic that crosses the Bridge increases over Labor Day, despite the fact that there are two less lanes of traffic to use.

Second, the view. You’re 155 feet above the two lakes, with a clear view all around you of the surrounding land and water. You can easily see Mackinac Island on the eastern side of the bridge, the many ferries and boats that travel through the area daily, and – if you’re feeling daring – a view through the grates directly below you on the inner cordoned lane, straight down to the clear blue of Lakes Michigan and Huron.

Third, the people. In an average year, 50,000 – 65,000 people traverse the Bridge throughout the day. That’s more than the total number of people in the two touching counties combined on both sides of the bridge, and seeing as how both of the main cities in those two counties are tourist towns with a lot of people, that’s saying something. People come from all around the world to walk across one of the 20 longest bridges in the world, and the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. With 5 miles of track to go over, it’s not just a quick walk and then you’re done. Being able to find someone to walk with you as you go over the Straits of Mackinaw is a great experience, and you can find virtually anyone, each with unique and interesting stories to tell.

Finally, there’s the chance to walk across one of the coolest pieces of Michigan history. The story behind the Bridge itself is a lengthy and interesting one, with original planning for the bridge beginning nearly 70 years before the first piece of the project was even started. The bridge-building itself took three and a half years (Only during the summers, since it was too cold and too dangerous to work during a harsh Michigan winters, especially that far north where the yearly average snowfall is 60 inches. To compare, the US average yearly snowfall rate is 25 inches.) and took the lives of five workers. It’s been working to full capacity every day since its opening on November 1, 1957, taking an average of 11,600 cars across its surface daily.

All in all, the experience is one that you would definitely remember. Just to be on the safe side, though, bring a water bottle along with you. You may be surrounded by fresh drinkable (although that’s probably debatable) water, it’s a long way down from you to access.

And it’s probably really cold.