Sleeping Bear Dunes, part 1

Before leaving Ann Arbor, we took a quick family vacation to the west side of Michigan to see the Sleeping Bear Dunes, another one of the things you should probably see if you lived in Michigan for six years. Like Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear is National Lakeshore managed by the U.S. National Park Service; a weeklong pass for a private vehicle costs $25. We spent two full days at Sleeping Bear, and did four of the hikes in the Lakeshore, which covered most of the highlights of the area – climbing the dunes, spending some time on a Lake Michigan beach, and getting various views of the lake and dunes.

Our first day was primarily a travel day – we left Ann Arbor bright and more or less early, picked up my brother and his girlfriend in Kalamazoo, and arrived in Glen Arbor midafternoon after a stop for a lunch of pasties¹ (another Michigan thing to try before leaving), an apple dumpling, and apple blueberry pie. The Airbnb we stayed at in Glen Arbor was nice, even if I was literally sleeping behind the closets of both actual bedrooms. After checking in and unpacking a little, we went out to explore Glen Arbor, walked to the beach, and had dinner at Cherry Republic.

 

Dunes Trail with Lake Michigan in the distance

The next morning, we set out on our second longest but most challenging and probably also most iconic hike, the 3.5 mile (round trip) Dunes Trail up the Dune Climb to Lake Michigan. We were at Sleeping Bear the weekend before Memorial Day, before the official tourist season started. Some amenities and restaurants were still closed for the winter, but enough was open that it was worth not dealing with crowds anywhere. The weather was cool (highs close to 289 K²) but clear throughout the entire trip, so shorts and jacket weather, plus extra jacket + glove-mittens for the wind off of Lake Michigan. There were about three cars in the parking lot when we got to the Dune Climb, and we eventually encountered a half dozen or so groups of people on our way to the lake.

The initial climb is the longest sustained incline, but you do have to climb and descend four more dunes on the way to Lake Michigan. The sand is indeed coarse, rough, and everywhere, but wasn’t too irritating. The entire route is on sand, though you pass through areas with dune grass, flowers, and small trees, and though the way is mostly straightforward, it’s marked with blue-tipped poles to steer people away from alligators areas where they’re trying to prevent erosion. At a fairly leisurely pace and stopping a lot to take photos, it took us about eighty minutes each way. We had lunch, part 1, when we got to Lake Michigan, where it was windy and cold, so we didn’t explore the water much. Back at the parking lot, we had lunch part 2, featuring more of my favorite vacation anytime food, peanut butter and jam sandwiches.

At Lake Michigan at the end of the Dunes Trail

After lunch, we stopped by the main visitor center, the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center, to pick up a park pass, map, and stamp, then continued on to our second hike of the day, the Empire Bluff Trail. The internet told me this was one of the most popular trails, so I guess we had to do it. It’s a relative quick 1.5 mile hike that goes through forest before coming out on a boardwalk that boasts views of Lake Michigan and the lakeshore. It was nice, worth doing, and only takes about an hour of your time.

View from Empire Bluff Trail

Finally, we drove the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, a 7.4-mile loop with a dozen stops where you can get out for photos, though a few of the stops appeared to have views of nothing but trees. When we were there, I believe the drive had just opened for the summer (it’s closed in the winter). You are allowed to bike it, though the NPS website advises only expert cyclists to attempt it. The overlooks, complete with informational signs, provide views of Lake Michigan, the dunes, and the Glen Lakes, and there are also some hikes and picnic areas that are accessed from the drive. We spent about an hour and a half driving, stopping, getting out of the car, enjoying the views, getting back in the car, etc. before heading back to our Airbnb for the night. All in all, it was a successful first day of our trip.

At the Lake Michigan Overlook on Pierce Stocking Drive

¹A pasty is a hand pie filled with meat and root vegetables (potatoes, rutabaga, etc.) brought to Michigan from Cornwall.

²60 F/16 C