Located near Traverse City, Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is most famous for its towering sand dunes along Lake Michigan. Yes, they are fun to run down (though very tiring to climb up), but there is so much more to do besides just running through sand dunes. From hikes to bikes to museums to the beach, you’ll find plenty of things to do at Sleeping Bear Dunes. I recommend spending one full day here, but you could spend a full weekend here enjoying not just Sleeping Bear Dunes, but the surrounding small towns.
Top 10 Things to Do at Sleeping Bear Dunes
I’ll be the first to admit that this of things to do at Sleeping Bear Dunes has a lot of hikes included. There’s just a lot of great hikes in this area and I felt compelled to include them all. But if you’re not a hiker, there’s still some great options for enjoying your time at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
As always, this list is in no particular order.
Tackle Dune Climb
By far the most popular thing to do at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is to climb the dunes. This area is famous for its steep sand dunes and Dune Climb is probably the best place to do this. While many of the other dunes start with a run down (followed by a steep and strenuous climb back up), Dune Climb allows you to start with the climb. This means you only have to climb as far as you want. Once you get tired, turn around and enjoy the run back down.
When I visited, I climbed the first dune and then continued up to the trees on my left. Note that there is a small plateau once you get part way up, so you get a little break in the climb (it’s also where some travelers turn around). In total it was about 200 feet of elevation gain, but only about 0.25 miles. From these trees, you can get a small peak at Lake Michigan in the distance. From there, it’s a fun and quick run down the dunes back to your starting point.
Dune Climb does extend all the way to Lake Michigan, though it’s a longer walk on loose sand. Search and Rescue Volunteers are stationed around Dune Climb and check in with most visitors, making sure that those who plan to go all the way to Lake Michigan are prepared and know what they are getting into. I talked to one of these volunteers and they told me that since they started this “preventative search and rescue”, rescues have decreased by 70%!
It’s up to you how far you climb, but if you plan to go all the way to Lake Michigan, make sure you are prepared and carry plenty of water with you.
I climbed up about 200 feet and the return trip was about 0.5 miles. How long it takes depends on the person. I didn’t find the sand dunes too difficult, but I wouldn’t call them easy. It took me about 20 minutes and that included a stop for some photos at the top. Take your time, go up as far as you want, and enjoy the fun run back down.
Hike the Treat Farm Trail
The highlight of the Treat Farm Trail is a view of Lake Michigan. This is what I would consider a moderate hike (if you choose to climb the sand dunes), but there’s a way to make it easier and still see Lake Michigan.
There’s no official parking lot, but there is plenty of room for you to pull off on the shoulder of the road and safely park. From here, you’ll enter the forest and hike out to Lake Michigan while passing the historic Treat Farm. After you exit the forest, you’ll hike briefly through a meadow and reach a fork in the trail. This fork occurs after about 0.8 miles. If you head straight from the fork in the trail, you’ll reach Lake Michigan in another 0.2 miles with minimal effort. You could easily turn around at this point and make it a 2 mile round trip trail that I’d consider pretty easy.
If you want to keep hiking, head north along Lake Michigan. You’ll hike along the sand dunes, before eventually having a steep, 100 foot climb up a sand dune. This takes you in a loop before you meet back up with the fork in the road. I did the loop and while most of the trail was pretty easy, the climb up the sand dune was much more challenging than the rest of the trail. In fact, I think it was the steepest dune I climbed at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
So, it’s up to you if you want to climb the dune, but you’ll have plenty more dune climbing opportunities elsewhere, so don’t stress if you decide to skip it. The real highlight of this trail is Lake Michigan and the view of the dunes.
On the Treat Farm Trail, I logged 2.25 miles and 235 feet of elevation gain. I hiked this trail in just under an hour.
Hike the Empire Bluff Trail
Nearby the Treat Farm Trailhead is the Empire Bluff Trail. This trail gets popular so I recommend getting here early. I hardly passed anyone on my hike out to the viewpoint (though there was one group at the viewpoint when I arrived). On the way back, I passed at least twenty people hiking to the viewpoint, making it one of my busiest trails of the day.
From the parking lot, you’ll walk through the woods to reach the Empire Bluffs. Most of the trail is uneventful until you reach the bluffs, though there is a nice overlook before you reach the actual bluffs. Look for an opening in the trees to the north (on your right side) and you’ll be able to see Glen Lake with the small strip of land running through it. From there, you continue on just a little bit further for the Empire Bluffs and the views of Lake Michigan.
You can hike as far into the Bluffs as you want. From the map in AllTrails, it looks like you’d be able to reach the dunes you climbed at the Treat Farm Trail. However since the trailheads are not the same, you’d end up making a big loop with some road walking. Therefore I think it’s best to treat both trails as an out and back.
When you’re done taking in the views of Lake Michigan, head back the way you came.
On the Empire Bluff Trail, I logged 1.7 miles and 175 feet of elevation gain. It took me about 40 minutes to hike this trail. I found this to be the easiest trail of the day (though the Treat Farm Trail would be easier if you don’t add in the sand dune loop and instead treat it as an out and back), but it was also the busiest.
Hike Sleeping Bear Point Loop
The Sleeping Bear Point Loop is my favorite trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes. You don’t have the super steep dunes that you might have seen in pictures, so it’s less strenuous but still has amazing views. That said, most of this trail is on sand dunes, so I wouldn’t call it easy and would instead call it a moderate because hiking uphill in the sand takes more effort.
From the trailhead you can choose which direction you want to hike. It makes a loop so you’ll see everything on the trail. I don’t think the direction technically matters, but I hiked counterclockwise. I started with the short spur out to Lake Michigan and then jumped on the main loop. Hiking counterclockwise means you’ll gradually be climbing higher and higher dunes before descending into the forest.
The views are great and this trail feels less busier than many of the other trails throughout Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. If you want to see the unique scenery without the crowds, make it this trail.
On my hike, I logged 2.5 miles and 310 feet of elevation gain. All of that elevation gain was climbing up sand dunes (though some of the descent was on a packed dirt trail). It look me about an hour and 15 minutes, and that includes plenty of stops for pictures.
Hike Alligator Hill Trail
There are a few ways you can hike this trail so it’s up to you which route you take. I had already hiked four trails by this point (with one more trail lined up after this), so I chose to hike the easy loop. The easy loop is a 2.8 mile loop that mostly leads you through the forest but you eventually reach an overlook where you’ll see Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands in the distance. The views are nice, but I don’t know if I’d call them my favorite of the day.
The trail is listed as easy, but it is a steady uphill climb all the way to the viewpoint. Maybe it was just me, but because this was listed as an easy trail, I was expecting something a little flatter and therefore easier. I definitely won’t say it’s strenuous but the uphill was steady and more than I was expecting. In fact, I found this trail more difficult than some of the other trails that were listed as moderate.
On the trail I logged 2.8 miles and 370 feet of elevation. It took me about one hour to complete.
Hike to Pyramid Point
The last hiking trail that I’ll mention is Pyramid Point and it’s another overlook of Lake Michigan. This is also supposed to be a great place for sunset, so consider timing your day appropriately.
The Pyramid Point Trail is a short 1.25 mile trail that takes you to Pyramid Point. From here, you’ll get one more view of those incredibly steep sand dunes that lead down to Lake Michigan, though there is no Search and Rescue Volunteer providing information. It’s a great view and in my opinion a great place to end a visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes.
On this trail, I logged 1.25 miles and 235 feet of elevation gain. It took me about 30 minutes to complete and that includes time for photos at Pyramid Point.
Drive the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
As far as scenic drives go, this isn’t one of my favorites. Then again, I’m from the Midwest (and live on Lake Michigan) so these views aren’t too terribly different from what I grew up seeing. However, I still think the scenic drive is worth a stop.
There are a handful of stops along the way, but by far the most popular is stops #9 and #10. These share a parking lot and it’s busy with cars lining the road because the parking lot is full. My advice is to not panic and to drive through the lot first. Yes the scenic drive is one way, but so many people parking along the road even though they are far away because they get nervous about not finding a place to park.
I drove past cars that were parked along the road 0.25 miles from the lot. In the lot, especially on the far side, there were almost ten open spaces. This isn’t a guarantee that you’ll get a spot, but people are constantly coming and going.
So why should you visit stops #9 and #10? To see the super steep sand dunes that make Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore so famous. You don’t have to go down the dunes, but you can view them from the top and enjoy the beach and views of Lake Michigan.
If you choose to descend, be prepared for a steep, difficult, and strenuous hike back to the top of the dune. In fact if you start to descend the dune, you’ll eventually meet a Search & Rescue Volunteer who will make sure you are prepared and know what you’re getting into, just like the people stationed at Dune Climb.
Visit the Maritime Museum
While the draw of this area is undoubtedly Lake Michigan and the sand dunes, there are some indoor activities at Sleeping Bear Dunes. Nearby the Sleeping Bear Point Trail, you’ll find the Maritime Museum which welcomes visitors from Memorial Day through Labor Day to learn about rescues on Lake Michigan.
This is one thing that I ran out of time for on my trip but for those who are looking to learn something and not hike all day, the Maritime Museum can be a great option.
Relax on the Beach
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sits on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s already a beach vacation, so it makes sense that one of the best things to do is to take some time to relax on the beach. Where you choose to relax is up to you, but you’ll find numerous options.
Admittedly I didn’t spend a lot of time on the beach (I have lived on Lake Michigan my entire life), but I did swing by the beach access from the Sleeping Bear Point Trail. Because the parking lot here is smaller, you shouldn’t have as many people. You will have a short walk to the beach but you don’t have to hike up the massive sand dunes.
Cycle the Heritage Trail
I’ve covered a lot of hiking on this list, but what about cycling? The Heritage Trail leads through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along 22 miles of paved paths. You can cycle all the way from Empire to Bohemian Road and takes you past many of the highlights of the area. If you don’t want to drive, this can be a great way to explore.
Check out the NPS website for more information.
How Long Do You Need at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore?
At minimum, you’ll need one full day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. This gives you enough time to tackle a variety of hikes and visit the scenic drive. With more time, you can tackle a few more hikes and some of the non hiking activities. Or, you can enjoy time in the nearby tourist cities. Traverse City is a short 45 minute drive away, and is a great place to stay on your visit, and has plenty of things to keep tourists busy.
Entrance Fees for Sleeping Bear Dunes
While there are few checkpoints, you are required to pay a fee to visit Sleeping Bear Dunes. You can pay $25 for a pass that it good for 1-7 days or present an annual pass, such as the America the Beautiful Pass. You can purchase a pass online or from the Philip A. Heart Visitor Center.
For many of my stops, there was no check point. I just left my America the Beautiful Pass on my dashboard while I went out and hiked. That said, there was checkpoint at the start of the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drives where rangers were checking for passes. If you didn’t have one, you’d be able to buy it here. There was also a checkpoint at Dune Climb, though it was not open when I visited.
Where to Stay at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Traverse City is the largest city by Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s a tourist city so there’s loads of hotels, restaurants, and other activities. It’s about a 45 minute drive from Traverse City to Sleeping Bear Dunes. There are towns closer to Sleeping Bear Dunes (like Empire and Glen Arbor), but there’s something to be said about the amount of amenities in Traverse City.
That said, Traverse City can be expensive, especially during on summer weekends. To cut down on my costs, I only spent one night in Traverse City. I got into Traverse City and spent the night. The next day, I visited Sleeping Bear Dunes and then drove to Charlevoix, MI (nearly two hours from the park) where my hotel was move half the price of what I paid in Traverse City.
When to Visit Sleeping Bear Dunes
While you could visit Sleeping Bear Dunes all year round, Lake Michigan can get very cold during the winter months. That’s not to say that you can’t visit during this time, but be prepared for cold, snow, and wind.
Summer is peak tourist season. This has the best weather, but also the most crowds. If you want to visit beaches in the midwest, summer is just the best month to do it. You should be prepared for hot and humid weather. That said, Lake Michigan is massive and it often gets cooler the closer you get to the lake.
Spring and fall can be hit or miss. Crowds are fewer and the weather is more unpredictable. While you may still find some of the tourist offerings, it won’t be as much as what is offered during the summer months.
I like to minimize crowds when I travel, but I’d still recommend visiting in summer because if you’re going to beaches, you’ll want to best weather.
Final Thoughts
Whether you plan to hike, enjoy the beach, or visit make your own fun, there’s plenty of things to do at Sleeping Bear Dunes and you’re sure to have a fantastic trip.
Continue Your Adventure
Sleeping Bear Dunes: Learn how to spend one day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Michigan: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Whether you head out on a great hike or take a scenic cruise, you’re sure to see some incredible beauty. In Lake Huron, you’ll find the car free Mackinac Island.
Wisconsin: I have to give a plug for my home state of Wisconsin. And if you like sand dunes and views of Lake Michigan, you’re sure to enjoy Kohler Andrae State Park.
More in the Midwest: If you head to Illinois, you can visit the best of Chicago. Slightly east of Chicago is Indiana Dunes National Park. Is Iowa, don’t miss the caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park.