St. Ignace Winter Bucket List

Are you ready for a winter adventure in St. Ignace? We are here to help with your plans with our St. Ignace Winter Kickin' MI Bucket List! From fat biking to snowshoeing to the Mackinac Bridge. Let's go!

• Fat Bike Silver Mountain

New to St. Ignace is a fat bike trail at Silver Mountain, which is located just over 5 miles west of downtown. This groomed trail offers scenic views of Lake Michigan and inland lakes while winding through the trees. A challenging uphill leads to a rewarding downhill portion. The trail is groomed and in great condition. This is a great new winter feature in St. Ignace!

• Selfie with The Mighty Mac

There are a lot of different locations where you can make this one happen but for this one we picked Bridgeview Park. It is a great spot close to the bridge. You can also get great views from scenic overlooks along US 2 and Straits State Park. More on that spot later!

• Spot the USCGC Mackinaw

This one may take a bit of luck but it is a fun one. The US Coast Guard Cutter Mackinaw is often found in the Straits of Mackinac and we were lucky enough to see it a few times. One time as we were driving over the bridge and another time from a scenic overlook. You can be lucky enough to spot it or you can use marinetraffic.com to help you out. 

• Eat a pasty

There are great places to make this happen in St. Ignace! People have their favorites and we like to try different places. This time we went to Lehto's. It wasn't our first time having Lehto's and we are big fans but we will continue to expand our St. Ignace pasty tour during our next visit!

• Listen to the ice

The ice on the big lakes are always making sounds from movement. Find a quiet spot along the beach or a hiking trail and listen. The famous blue ice can also be found during some winters in this area. Always use caution around the ice. 

• Go snowshoeing

The snow will be there so now it is about picking a trail and there are a lot of options. You can find trails along the Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, trails with Mackinac Bridge views, trails in the woods or a snowshoe adventure along the beach. You can find trails right around downtown or head east towards Cedarville and the Les Cheneaux Island or west on US 2. 

• Find a warm treat

This is a choose your own adventure but during winter sometimes you just need something to warm up with. That can be a coffee, hot chocolate, cocktail or food. We decided to go with French onion soup from Village Inn after spending an entire day outside. 

• Mackinac Bridge views

Our go-to spot to view the iconic Mackinac Bridge is by going to Straits State Park. There are multiple viewing locations within the park and our favorite is the one that looks directly down the bridge. Our recommendation would be to go to the park, throw on your snowshoes, take in all of the views throughout the park and decide which one is your favorite.  

• Make a lasting memory

Sometimes the opportunity to create a memory happens in the moment when the timing is right. It may be with family, friends or on a solo adventure. It may be documented with photos or video or something that you just keep in your head. For us, we had the opportunity to throw on our ice skates with the Mackinac Bridge in the background. The bridge may be the most iconic part of Michigan and this memory for us will last forever. 

You can watch our entire bucket list video from St. Ignace below!