Welcome To Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

As you look around, you'll see that you've chosen to visit a very unique corner of the United States.

Popular Attractions

Frequently mentioned favorites include the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Glen Haven…

Crystal River Outfitters

The Dunes offer visitors sightseeing and recreational and educational opportunities in all seasons of the year.

In spring, summer and fall, swim and picnic at sugar sand beaches; canoe, kayak or tube on crystal-clear streams; or, simply let the day slip away with a late summer sunset. Wintertime provides a much different view. Snowshoe, cross country or downhill ski, snowboard or venture into the wilderness. Your only company will be the Dunes' year-round residents - its natural wildlife.

The staff at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park is proud to preserve and protect this natural environment for you and your family, just as they have for over 40 years. In fact, the Dunes have a very long history of recreation, agriculture and maritime activity, a great deal of which can still be seen through preserved and restored buildings and landmarks.

Shaped by glaciers thousands of years ago, the diverse terrain and ecology of the dune environment is alive with opportunity for observing and learning about our natural world and what we can do to protect it. While you are at the Dunes, we encourage you to contact National Park Service uniformed employees, or one of the many volunteers that work in the park, if you have questions or need assistance.

Enjoy your stay in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area. We hope you have a safe and memorable visit.

Family Activities

A good part of the history of our area relates, as you would expect, to the water and vessels plying it. A part of that history deals with the shoals, lighthouses, storms, heroic efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard and…

Park History

The hills, dunes, valleys, shoreline, small lakes, and streams which you'll see throughout the area were formed by the powerful earth-moving forces of ice, wind, and water over time.

Visitor Center

The Philip A. Hart Visitor’s Center located about 22 miles west of Traverse City, on the edge of the Village of Empire, is an interesting and informative stop for new visitors to the park.