Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan

Famous locally, though perhaps underrated nationwide, the Sleeping Bear Dunes make up a national park located in the northern area of Michigan’s lower peninsula. And we cannot say enough good things about it.

What is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes is a national park located in northern Michigan, USA. This protected area is coastal to Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes of North America that sit along the American-Canadian border.

In just a few sentences, the park allows visitors to explore the massive sand dunes lining the lake that have formed from the wind depositing sand naturally overtime. It may sound surprising, but the majority of these sand dunes are actually covered in dense, green vegetation!

The park offers a scenic driving route as well as hiking paths that explore the area’s lush forests, fields, ocean views, and impressive sand dunes.

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive

To get the full experience of what the park has to offer, you’ll want to build in time for the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. This road that winds through Sleeping Bear Dunes will allow you to get a glimpse of the various overlooks the park has to offer in a more feasible amount of time than walking would allow (but there are still some hiking paths built in & accessible by car!).

In total, the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive marks twelve “stopping points” along its path for visitors to stop at. Each of these stops are marked by a wooden post with a plaque explaining its significance. Though you’ll likely stop at them all along your trip, I want to specifically highlight a few of the stops on this drive that you should not miss:

Glen Lake Overlook (Stop #2)

This first stop will be quick, as it is just a peak through the forest out towards Glen Lake, but it is a nice look into the nearby lake and vast open land after what would likely have been a long drive through the trees to get to the park.

You only need to factor in a few minutes for this first stop, as it is just a pullover on the road.

Dune Overlook (Stop #3)

As apparent by the name, this stop allows you to overlook the dunes within the park. With a man-made landing perched amongst the sand, this stop offers a view of some of the lesser-disturbed dunes with vegetation growing atop it.

At this stop you’re able to get out and stretch your legs a bit more, so if desired you could probably spend up to 10 minutes or so taking in the various vantage points. There are also some benches to sit down and relax on if you’d prefer to pass more time and enjoy the views.

Lake Michigan & Sleeping Bear Dunes Overlooks (Stops #9 and #10)

These two stops (we’re going to group them because they’re accessed through the same pitstop) are by far the most stunning of the drive. The overlook of Lake Michigan, and further into the sand the overlook of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, are so beautiful and impressive that they are worth the trip out to the lakeshore alone.

At these stops, you will walk up a sand path out of the forest and find yourself atop a massive sand dune backing directly up to the lake, so steeply that you will not even be able to see the bottom unless you begin to descent in the sand a bit.

The most famous area of the park, here you will find a sign from park rangers advising you not to climb down the dunes, due to the fact that many underestimate the effort it takes to climb back up, and also due to the fact that the foot traffic erodes the naturally formed dunes. While we did not make the trip down the slope, there is a flat beach at the bottom, and many choose to climb down due to its novelty (and likely mesmerizing beauty).

If you do choose to climb down, we would like to reiterate the park rangers’ guidance to go slowly, bring ample water and snacks, and remember the way back up will take more effort and time than the way down. It is not uncommon for visitors to underestimate the exertion required to get back up the dune once they go down it, and a few times a month someone needs to be rescued (which may come with a hefty fine under certain circumstances).

Whether you choose to climb down or just stay at the top, we recommend building in at least 20-30 minutes to walk around the top area of the dune or sit and enjoy the view. If you intend to climb down and back, build in a couple hours. Though to be honest, we think it would be fun to bring a beach chair and people watch for a couple hours at the top either way!

North Bar Lake Overlook (Stop #11)

Lastly, we also recommend making sure you park your car to check out the overlook of the North Bar Lake, peering out at Platte Bay and Point Betsie. Though this lookout doesn’t require a hike, we think it is a great way to cap off the drive through the park.

And that should wrap up your journey through the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive within Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore! There are, however, still more things to do on foot if you so choose.

The Dunes Trail to Lake Michigan

If you have time, and it’s not too hot of a day, another popular activity in the park is to hike the Dunes Trail that leads you out from the inner side of the dunes, up and over them, and out to Lake Michigan. This trail is 3.5 miles in total (round trip), with the majority being through thick sand.

Unlike the slope at the overlooks #9 and #10 on the Pierce Stocking drive, this trail is meant to be hiked and not quite as steep. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not difficult though, so gauge your own limits on when to turn back and again – be sure to pack yourself some water. 🙂

Visiting the Park

While there is more to explore in the park than what’s listed above, we think the above should be a great introduction for a first time visitor! A couple of other things to know before your first visit to make the day go smoothly:

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is Sleeping Bear Dunes free, or do I need a ticket? Entrance Passes are required to get into Sleeping Bear Dunes. Longterm passes may also be purchased if you’d like to access the park across multiple trips. Tickets can be reserved in advance or at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center when driving in.
• How much does it cost to go to Sleeping Bear Dunes? The entrance passes for Sleeping Bear Dunes are counted by car/group, so the price will vary based on how many people you intend to split it between. The standard pass is ~ $25 USD, and the annual pass costs ~ $40 USD.
• Where is Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore? The entrance to Sleeping Bear Dunes will probably pop up before you realize it as you drive along the M-22 near Empire, Michigan, since the protected area stretches beyond where you will likely park your car and begin your hikes. You will most likely want to directly put in “Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive” into your maps to get started.
• What city is Sleeping Bear Dunes in? As noted above, the park is closest to a town called Empire, but often times visitors will choose to stay in either Glen Arbor or Traverse City instead.

If you have any more questions about visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes, feel free to ask in the comments below! We hope you have a great trip!

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About the Author: Hi, I’m Jill! I am a biomedical & mechanical engineer who loves traveling during my free time. My hope is to help make it easier for others to plan their dream trips by providing firsthand experience from the places I’ve been! Read More.