Mackinac Island rock???

ok so I know there is rock on Mackinac Island. Notable examples are The Sugar Loaf, Arch Rock, and to a lesser extent Lovers Leap.

geo.msu.edu/geogmich/images…

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geo.msu.edu/geogmich/images…

Has anyone ever climbed on the island, or know of any history of climbing on the island? I know for a fact that there are no climbing signs in a few places. You would get nicked in no more then 2 min if you tried to climb at Arch rock (too many tourists).

I also hear that the Michigan State Parks are SUPER anal, and frown on just about everything.

Anyone know anything about this?

wow that arch looks rad.

I know right, I want to hit it.

I also don't want to get a huge ticket, or arrested for that matter.

haha understandable.

Hi. I've spent a lot of time on Mackinac Island, and can probably give you a fair idea of these climbs and the legal risk factor.

I just climbed Sugar Loaf Rock this past summer, since it's been a long time goal of mine. It's very easy to climb, especially without ropes, if you take the easiest route. That route starts about 15 feet (just an estimate) to the left of the keyhole, and goes up diagonally to the right. There are plenty of ledges, and there are lots and lots of jugs for handholds. It took me only 5-10 minutes to get to the top. There's not much space at the top, just a small spot for one person to sit and rest. It might be fun to try climbing a couple of the other sides with a rope, but there's not really a good place to set up a top rope, and to bring equipment into it would increase your risk of getting caught by any authorities. It's a popular point of interest for tourists, so you should expect to have onlookers. They can see you from down below and from Point Lookout, which is even higher than the top of Sugar Loaf. Getting down is harder than getting up, but only for nerves and having an audience. If you just want to solo Sugar Loaf and get it over with, then it's very doable without getting caught by police or state park authorities. The worst you'd get is a fine, I think. There aren't any signs though saying that climbing is prohibited.

As for Arch Rock, I have not climbed it myself, and the only report I have on climbing it is from my dad, who climbed it over 30 years ago. He said it's easy to traverse, because it's about 8 feet wide. The tourists will be your biggest issue, because someone will probably report you, not to mention hundreds of people go out there on horse drawn tours, so island employees will probably see you too. If you want to attempt it, I bet you can get away with it either early in the morning or as the sun is going down, when the tourist traffic is far less. It all depends on how adventurous you're feeling. Sugar Loaf would be the better option, in my opinion.

The only history I know of climbing on the island, like I said, is from my dad who climbed it, barefoot, when he was like 20 with a drunk guy. I bet islanders do it all the time.

I can offer you some pictures of my climb, if you'd like. Just let me know.

Good luck, and I'd be interested to hear how your climbs go!

Thanks, that is super helpful. I was there this summer, and traversed Sugarloaf staying less then 10 ft off the ground. There were onlookers who yelled "WE SHOULD TELL SOMEONE THERE ARE PEOPLE CLIMBING ON THE ROCKS"

fun enders.

I want to climb the rock that forms the left (as seen from the 3rd link) side of arch rock, from the ground (trail that goes arround the island). Not something I particularly want to solo. Its a goal. We will see.

This is so funny because monkeying around on Sugarloaf in the late 90s is what initially put climbing on my brain. Now I rock climb.

I climbed Sugar Loaf Rock recently as well and if it wasn't for the onlookers and kids yelling about wanting to climb too or the adults reacting, "if he slips once he could die", it might have been a little more enjoyable. It is quite a breathtaking view from the top but you may get more of a high when you look down and notice the onlookers and think to yourself "oh shit, now i have to get down without killing myself!" That may be the point where inexperienced climbers will get into real trouble as the path up is quickly forgotten and you feel as though you are having to find a new way down. So PLEASE use caution and do not climb if you are not experienced!! Like previously stated, it is a very small point at the top, room for just a single person at a time. I did not even attempt to stand on the point since there is literally only enough room for one foot given that you have incredible balance and nerves. The climb has many great holds all along the way but you may want to test each as you go since they may be somewhat brittle. Being that the rock itself is mostly limestone, it is very smooth and slippery so climbing early in morning or after rainfall just seems too risky. Whitney, when you climbed did you see initials on the very top, "MOB", written in a sharpie? Just wondering if that was before your climb or after. I didn't want to mess with the natural beauty so no tagging for me.

Timothy Nolan wrote: ok so I know there is rock on Mackinac Island. Notable examples are The Sugar Loaf, Arch Rock, and to a lesser extent Lovers Leap. geo.msu.edu/geogmich/images… media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/m… geo.msu.edu/geogmich/images… Has anyone ever climbed on the island, or know of any history of climbing on the island? I know for a fact that there are no climbing signs in a few places. You would get nicked in no more then 2 min if you tried to climb at Arch rock (too many tourists). I also hear that the Michigan State Parks are SUPER anal, and frown on just about everything. Anyone know anything about this?