Mackinac Island tourism 'absolutely crazy,' sets revenue record in 2021

Chris Shepler, a third-generation operator of Shepler's Ferry that shuttles visitors to Mackinac Island every season, struggled to describe the 2021 tourist season.

"This summer was out of control, off the charts crazy," he told the Free Press. "Absolutely crazy. We set records for our all-time busiest summer in the history of our company."

While William Henry "Cap" Shepler started the ferry service 77 years ago with a six-passenger speedboat, his grandson is running four big ferry boats out of Mackinaw City and three boats out of St. Ignace every single day on 15-minute departure times and still had long lines.

"We absolutely carried more than 600,000 people this year to the island, maybe 650,000," Shepler said. "On the dock, we were working 60 to 80 hours a week. I took two days off between mid-June and mid-September. And it was the best staff we've ever had, hands-down."

Read more: https://www.cheboygannews.com/story/news/2021/10/19/mackinac-island-tourism-revenue-record-2021/8520886002/