National Lakeshore · Michigan

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Towering dunes over turquoise Lake Michigan

TypeNational Lakeshore
StateMichigan
Best seasonSummer & fall
Don’t missPierce Stocking Scenic Drive

Giant sand bluffs rise 450 feet straight from the impossibly blue water of Lake Michigan, once voted the most beautiful place in America. Run down the dune; you’ll pay for it on the climb back.

What to see

  • Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
  • Dune Climb
  • Empire Bluff Trail
  • Glen Lake
  • Sleeping Bear Point

On public wild lands, services are sparse and conditions change fast — check the managing agency (Forest Service / BLM / Park Service) for road and seasonal closures, fire restrictions, and any permits before you go, and pack out what you pack in.

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