(WWJ) -- Mackinac Island draws in millions of people every year from Michigan and across the world.
But is it also attracting some other-worldly guests?
In 2021, the popular northern Michigan destination was voted the most haunted small town in America, according to data from the Shadowlands Haunted Places Index.
Mackinac Island topped the list with 3,347 haunted locations, which was nearly 9x more than any other U.S. city with a population under 100,000.
On a special Spooky episode of The Daily J podcast from 2022, WWJ’s Zach Clark and Annie Scaramuzzino sat down with paranormal expert, author, and self-described “seeker of the unknown” Todd Clements to find out why Mackinac Island has so many hauntings.
Clements explained that a lot of it may have to do with the island’s natural landscape. Mackinac Island is partially made up of limestone and quartz, both of which can store energy and act similar to batteries.
Additionally, the island is surrounded by a large body of water, which can serve as a conductor.
The theory is: when you combine those factors together, the island becomes like an energy magnet, which many believe contributes to its high volume of spirit activity.
Clements, who wrote his first “Haunts of Mackinac” book in 2006, has been interested in the paranormal happenings on the island since he was a child, having witnessed something while vacationing in Mackinac with his family that he couldn’t explain.
Fast-forward to 2022, and Clements is now on his third “Haunts of Mackinac” book, and has been running the popular guided ghost tour of the same name for over a decade.
Clements has also appeared on SyFy’s “Ghost Hunters,” and is passionate about Mackinac’s many legends, and its long history of strange occurrences.
From the battles fought among the Native Americans, the French, the British and the Americans, to the shipwrecks that have occurred over the years, to a string of tragedies among Mackinac’s residents and visitors, there are any number of stories that may account for the island’s many haunted locations.
Some of the more prominent "spooky" spots include Fort Mackinac and Fort Holms, Mission Point Resort, and the infamous Grand Hotel.
Through their research, Clements and his team attempt to dissect each of the island’s paranormal happenings, in order to provide background and historical context for those interested in learning about Mackinac’s more supernatural residents.
Kick off your October by checking out this episode of The Spooky J podcast, and find out more about Mackinac Island’s most famous ghosts, its top haunted locations, and hear first-hand accounts of stories that will make your skin crawl.