Straits of Mackinac, Waterway between Michigan peninsulas, United States
The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Michigan with Lake Huron through a channel roughly 30 miles long and up to 4 miles wide. Above the water rises the Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in North America.
French explorers reached the waterway in the 17th century and built a fort nearby in 1715. The bridge connecting both shores today was completed in 1957 and changed travel across the region entirely.
The name Mackinac comes from the Anishinaabe language and refers to the shape of the island in this waterway. Sailboats and ferries are now the main vessels, while cargo ships pass between the Great Lakes.
Ferries run from Mackinac City and St. Ignace to an island where cars are not allowed. Crossings usually take about fifteen minutes and depend on weather conditions.
Below the surface lie more than a dozen shipwrecks that now form a protected diving area. Some of these wrecks date back to the 19th century and remain well preserved in the cold water.
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