Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
National Lakeshore · Empire, Michigan
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a National Park Service area of roughly 71,000 acres on Lake Michigan in the northwest of the Lower Peninsula, centred on the villages of Empire and Glen Arbor. Its giant perched dunes rise hundreds of feet above blue-green water, behind them sit beech and maple forest, inland lakes, the Platte River and, offshore, the Manitou Islands. ABC's Good Morning America viewers voted it the Most Beautiful Place in America in 2011, and summer crowds reflect that. It suits families, walkers, beach people and photographers. The famous Dune Climb is short but steep, and the walk on across the dunes to the lake is a long, strenuous trip of several miles that strands people every year. Allow a full day at minimum, two or three days to do it properly. Expect hot sand, strong sun and cold water. Confirm the current park fee and pass rules. It is a national lakeshore, not a national park, and August parking can fill by late morning.
9922 Front Street, Empire, Michigan, 49630, United States
The lakeshore is open year-round and most beaches, trails and roads can be reached at any hour, but the visitor centre in Empire and some seasonal facilities keep limited hours that change by season, so confirm before you drive. Some park roads, campgrounds and services are seasonal and winter snow can close roads or make them hard going, although cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular then. The ferry to South Manitou Island runs from Leland in the warmer months only, on a set schedule, and needs a booking. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is its own seasonal row. Summer days are long, which helps, but heat on the sand peaks mid-afternoon.
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