Popular Attractions

Frequently mentioned favorites

Include the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Glen Haven Maritime Museum and Life Saving Station, the Dune Climb, canoe trips on the Crystal and Platte Rivers, and the biking and hiking trails - especially the new Heritage Trail for hiking and biking and the new Palmer Woods trail for mountain biking. Those trails with scenic overlooks at Inspiration Point and Pyramid Point are also popular as are the ranger-led tours and campfire programs.  Many visitors enjoy stopping off for an ice cream cone and driving the backcountry roads to see the scenery and wildlife. For more information, visit the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

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…

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…

Getting Here

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is located in the northwest corner of Michigan's Lower Peninsula, about 25 miles west…

Park History

The hills, dunes, valleys, shoreline, small lakes, and streams which you'll see throughout the area were formed by the powerful…

Winter Activities

Everyone knows the magic of summer in Northern Michigan… the days on the beach, the nights around a campfire. What could be…

Tours

Want to discover hidden vistas, dig into the natural history of the dunes, or learn about local wildlife? Sleeping Bear Dunes tours…