Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan (Jake Rajas/PhotoDisc/Getty)
The 460-foot Sleeping Bear Dunes tower over the eastern shoreline of Lake Michigan like shifting pyramids of sand. The dunes are a popular launching pad for hang-gliders and stretch for seven of the Sleeping Bear Dunes' 35 miles of national lakeshore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes are the world's largest assemblage of perched dunes, so named because the dunes sit atop high, limestone bluffs. The dunes are slowly migrating eastward and inland, where forest remnants of bleached pine, white birch, and cedar swamps persist. Read More »
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Highlights
- The 460-foot Sleeping Bear Dunes tower over the northeastern shore of Lake Michigan like shifting pyramids of sand. The dunes are a popular launching pad for hang gliders and stretch for seven of the thirty-four miles of national lakeshore.
- Claim a site at the large, developed D.H. Day Campground west of Glen Arbor for wooded sites and quick access to both the shore and the popular Dune Climb. Families should take advantage of the ranger programs offered in the evenings, which focus on local history and environmental issues.
- Backcountry camping is the law of the land on North Manitou. Keep your distance from the trail and water sources, and abide by the fire prohibition. The area around Swenson's Barn on the island's west end offers the best lake views and water access.
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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Travel Q&A
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What You Can Do in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
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- This tour along the closest thing North America's got to an inland ocean leads to placid shores, self-propelled water exploration, giant sand dunes, and the end of are-we-there-yet wining.
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Parks Near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
- Traverse City State Park, MI (26 mi.)
- Huron-Manistee National Forests, MI (44 mi.)
- Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness, MI (47 mi.)
GEARZILLA: The Gorp Gear Blog
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