Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a hilly landscape of vast coastal sand dunes interspersed with clear lakes, lies on the northwestern shore of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The park was created mainly for its exceptional natural features. The landscape is varied, with quiet, birch-lined streams, dense beech-maple forests, sandy beaches and rugged cliffs carved by glaciers rising 140 meters above Lake Michigan. Away from the shore, surrounded by the unpredictable waters of Lake Michigan, are the tranquil and secluded North and South Manitou Islands. Every year, thousands of visitors come to Sleeping Bear Dunes to enjoy the great outdoors. The park's roadways offer spectacular views of land and water. On the hiking trails you can find a rich variety of wild flowers, mammals and birds. But you can also go canoeing, fishing and, in winter, cross-country skiing. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is also one of Michigan's most popular destinations for camping. The campsites at D.H. Day Campground are rustic, wooded and further apart than most campgrounds. Nearby attractions include the Empire Bluffs, "dune hunting" and North Bar Lake. The main dune climb is opposite Glen Lake and is accessible on foot or by bike. Hikers can walk all the way to Lake Michigan. The Piping Plover, which is a federally listed endangered species, nests at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.