Only 50 People Are Allowed To Climb The Mackinac Bridge Every Year

My friend who used to attend Northern Michigan University would always post whenever he would cross the Mackinac Bridge as his "halfway point" from Grand Rapids to Marquette.

Driving over the Mackinac Bridge is kind of a right of passage for every Michigander, crossing from the Land of the Trolls into Yooper-country. However, while most people drive across the bridge, a select few are allowed to tackle the Mackinac Bridge in a very different way: vertically.

Only 50 A Year

If you've ever wanted to get to the tippy top of the Mackinac Bridge, the Mackinac Bridge Authority (the section of the Michigan Department of Transportation in charge of the Mackinac Bridge) could help fulfill that dream for you.

Each year the MBA conducts a drawing in early August and randomly chooses 25 non-profit organizations to receive a "tower tour certificate" to raffle or auction off for charitable purposes. The certificates give two people each a trip to the top of the bridge.

READ MORE: Steamboat Willie Takes A Trip Around Pure Michigan

What It's Like

Reddit user jason-murawski shared his experience of going to the top of the bridge with his dad who won a ticket from an auction.

Did something I've wanted to do for a while
byu/jason-murawski inMichigan

Jason explained that the Bridge Authority brought him and his dad up the service elevator, and had to climb the final 40 feet to complete the journey to the top. The view was incredible and has made me supremely jealous.

If you want to know more about the bridge certificate, you can read more here. In the meantime, you can watch my favorite clip from the TV show Dirty Jobs where host Mike Rowe walked along the suspension beams to change the lights on the bridge.