Mackinac Island and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore recently have received nationwide kudos.

Mackinac Island earned high marks in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards.

It ranked second in the Favorite Islands in the Continental U.S. list and 19th in the Favorite Islands in the World list. Hotel Iroquois, Island House Hotel and the Grand Hotel all placed on the list for Favorite Resorts in the Midwest.

Mackinac Island, which finished No. 1 in 2022 on the domestic list, this year placed behind the Golden Isles, which are four barrier islands — Jekyll Island, Little St. Simons Island, Sea Island and St. Simons Island — located between Savannah, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida.

So, that was four islands against one, but we’re not quibbling.

The Dyrt, a top app for camping information and booking, also came out with a list: the 2023 Best Places to Camp: Top 10 in the U.S. based on reviews and ratings from its camping community.

At No. 7 are the backcountry sites of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. That’s not bad, considering they ranked highly along with Denali National Park in Alaska and Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota, which finished first and second, respectively.

People who haven’t been to Mackinac Island likely have heard about its unique qualities: no vehicles being allowed on the island, which results in a plethora of bicycles and horse-drawn carriages; fudge; and, of course, the famed Grand Hotel, where the cult movie “Somewhere in Time” was filmed.

Closer to the Marquette area is Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, whose rock formations have been the subject of many scenic photographs.

However, lesser known to some people might be backcountry camping. Pictured Rocks has nearly 100 miles of park trails, including the North Country National Scenic Trail.

In fact, most of the park’s designated backpack camping areas are along this trail.

Of course, this type of camping has its challenges, such as black flies, mosquitoes and the like, but the scenic beauty and solitude probably are more than worth it to those who wish to camp in these parts of the park.

It’s good to know that these Upper Peninsula destinations are so highly regarded. We hope they don’t get “loved to death,” but instead are appreciated enough so that people visit them enough to help them thrive.