Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. park in northwest Michigan along Lake Michigan. It covers about 71,199 acres (111 square miles) in Benzie and Leelanau counties and runs along a 35-mile stretch of the lake’s eastern shore, plus the North and South Manitou islands. The nearest towns are Empire and Glen Arbor, and Traverse City is about 20 miles away. The park is run by the National Park Service and was established on October 21, 1970.
The lakeshore is famous for big sand dunes, forests, beaches, and interesting glacial features. The dunes are perched dunes, formed by wind-blown sand on top of glacial debris, and they have slowly moved east over time. The park also includes cultural sites like the 1871 South Manitou Island Lighthouse and old Coast Guard stations, as well as a large farming and historic area around Port Oneida and Glen Haven.
In 2014, a large part of the park was set aside as the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness, protecting about 32,500 acres. The area is a popular vacation spot, known for its scenery and camping. In 2011, it was named “The Most Beautiful Place in America” by Good Morning America.
The park includes North and South Manitou Islands, accessible by ferry from Leland. The main dune climb across from Glen Lake is a popular access point, and visitors can hike to Lake Michigan. Inside the park there are several notable trails and scenic drives, including Empire Bluff Trail, Pyramid Point Trail, Alligator Hill Trail, Kettles Trail, and Treat Farm Trail. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive offers views of the lake and surrounding land.
There are several campgrounds inside the park, such as D.H. Day Campground and Platte River Campground, plus camping on the Manitou Islands. Many more camping areas exist nearby as well. Water activities like kayaking are popular in the Crystal River and Platte River.
The park protects wildlife too, including nesting piping plovers, an endangered species. The Sleeping Bear Dunes draw huge numbers of visitors and are a beloved part of Michigan’s landscape.
The park’s name comes from an Ojibwe legend about a mother bear and her cubs who swam across Lake Michigan. The legend says the cubs did not make it, and the Great Spirit turned the mother bear into a sleeping figure among the dunes to wait for her cubs. Over time, wind and sand have shaped the dunes, including the “bear” figure that inspired the name.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 21:01 (CET).