America has some car-free destinations you might be surprised to learn. There are some people in the United States that are not a fan of the car and are looking to go somewhere where the car is not welcome. Luckily there are several places in the United States that have no cars whatsoever. The world’s cities have become densely populated and the effect on the climate has been significant to say the least. So if you consider yourself a climate conscious tourist, these are some places for you to visit on your next vacation.
Are there really places in the United States that have no cars at all?
Yes there is, quite a lot actually. One of those is Monhegan Island, Maine. The island is small and can be found a short eleven miles off the coast of Maine. It has existed since its founding without the need for a car and they maintain that stance to this day. The only way to get to the island is be a ferry that does three trips daily to the island during the summer months.
Next on the no car list is Mackinac Island, Michigan. The island has been operating without cars since 1898 when they banned “horseless carriages” in an attempt to keep the island as quiet and peaceful as possible. Not to mention the safety aspect. The island’s founders were concerned with the danger that “horseless carriages” might pose to the residents.
Another place worth mentioning is Supai, Arizona. The town is eight miles from the nearest road and the main population hub of the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Their commitment to the old ways has proven to be a way of life. Supai is the only place in the U.S. where mail is still transported by mule train. The stillness of the Arizona desert is prevalent in the town and its surroundings.
How many places in the United States have banned cars altogether?
The exact number of places is not certain but Tangier Island, Virginia is one of them. The island is mostly inhabited by crab fisherman and the ocasional tourist visiting. The car is basically non existent there as the only way to access it is by boat. Once on the island your choices as far as mobility are bikes and golf carts or your good old feet.
The last on our list is Bald Head Island, North Carolina. The island was originally used during the Revolutionary War and then in the Civil War. The once militarized island is now a paradise only a 20 minute ferry ride across the two-mile-wide Cape Fear River. The island takes full advantage of the water, offering opportunities for stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, kiteboarding, fishing, surfing, and cycling.
The world is envisioning a future without the car, and these places in the United States prove that the world can exist, quite peacefully we might add, without the car. The return to a peaceful life, at one with nature and your surroundings is one that we all crave as we get older. The novelty of the big city really starts to wear off once you get a bit older and have kids for example.
Can the world move towards a future without the car? Not even an EV?
The EV proved that the world is ready for the next step in the evolution of mobility. These five places in the United States prove that perhaps we have been looking in the wrong direction. Maybe, just maybe, we can imagine a society that does not need the car and only needs large scale population transport. That is a future that we can all agree would be more beneficial for all of us. If you are the kind of person that considers the effect you have on the climate, go to one of these places. We must warn you however, that you might not want to leave.
