Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore sits along Lake Michigan and offers a lot for visitors. From running down the sand dunes to hiking to Lake Michigan viewpoints to the scenic drive and even more, it’s not hard to find things to keep you busy. If you like hiking and being active, there’s plenty of trails and if you just want to relax at the beach, there’s plenty of places for you to do that too.
In this post, learn all about how to spend one day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
About Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Located in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula on the shores of Lake Michigan, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is most famous for the steep and dramatic sand dunes running down to the lake. I’ve lived on Lake Michigan my entire life (in Wisconsin) and can safely say that these massive dunes are not native to the entire lake. That’s what makes it so special.
But Sleeping Bear Dunes is more than just these massive sand dunes. It’s all about the lakeshore as a whole, which also includes other, less strenuous hiking, scenic drives, museums and more.
In addition, you’re right near Traverse City which is a huge hub for tourism in this region.
One Day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
This is not the only way to spend one day at Sleeping Bear Dunes, but this is how I spent my day. It was a lot of hiking, because that’s what I enjoy doing. But if you don’t quite feel up to hiking 11 miles, that’s completely understandable. I’ll give some more suggestions at the end of this post with ways to modify this itinerary and which hikes I’d suggest cutting.
A Note About the Start Time
Most people will visit Sleeping Bear Dunes in the summer months. Even though you’re right on Lake Michigan, it can get hot and humid, so it’s best to get an early start. Get as much hiking as you can done early in the day before it gets too hot. So, while this itinerary starts at 8:00 am, this means that you should be at your first trailhead at 8:00 am. Depending on where you’re staying, your day might start even earlier.
Now, let’s get into your day at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
8:00 – Treat Farm Trail
The first trail of the day is the Treat Farm Trail. 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.
I’d call this trail a moderate, but there is a way to make it an easier trail. 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 road 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 more challenging than the rest of the trail.
So, it’s up to you if you want to climb the dune, but you’ll have plenty more dune climbing opportunities later in the day, 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.
9:15 – 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.
10:30 – Sleeping Bear Point Loop
Hop back in your car and drive 20 minutes north to Sleeping Bear Point. On the way, you’ll pass trailheads and the famous Dune Climb, but we’re skipping these for now and heading straight to Sleeping Bear Point. It’s a longer trail and it’s mostly exposed (although there is a small section through the forest). On a hot and humid day, do the more strenuous hikes first and then circle back for the easier trails.
That all said, on the drive, you will pass the Philip A. Heart Visitor Center. If you need any information (or a bathroom or water bottle top off), feel free to pull in. If you haven’t paid your entrance fee (or don’t have a valid pass), stop here and purchase your entrance pass. I’ll cover more about entrance fees later in this post.
Sleeping Bear Point is a great trail to explore the sand dunes. You don’t have the super steep dunes that you might have seen in pictures (we will see those later though) so it’s less strenuous. 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 a little 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.
12:00 – Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
There are still more hikes to do today, but we’ve just done three hikes back to back to back. I think that means that it’s time for a break from hiking. Head back down south to 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. I spoke with one of these volunteers at Dune Climb (covered next) and they said that since they started this “preventative search and rescue” program back in 2017, their rescues have dropped 70%. Just let that sink in. These dunes may be fun to run down, but they are a difficult climb back up.
When you’ve finished at this stop, continue on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive and head to Dune Climb.
1:00 – Dune Climb
You’ll be working your way back north and it’s time to stop at Dune Climb. Remember what I said about Search and Rescue Volunteers meeting with visitors to make sure they understand what they are getting into? They also exist at Dune Climb. The difference is at Dune Climb, you can climb the dune first and then descend. So you only have to climb up as far as you want before taking the fun run down the sand dunes.
When I visited, I climbed the first dune and then continued up to the trees on the left. Note that there is a small plateau once you get part way up, so you get a little break in the climb. 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. Then it’s a fun and quick run down the dunes back to your starting point.
You can hike beyond this and go all the way to Lake Michigan. These are the people the Search and Rescue Volunteers are looking to check in with. It’s strenuous hike to Lake Michigan because not only do you have to hike through the dunes, but you’ll eventually reach another of those incredibly steep dunes that descend to Lake Michigan and back up to the dunes. If you just plan to hike up to the first plateau or even to the tree line, they are less concerned. For those going to Lake Michigan make sure you have 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.
2:00 – Alligator Hill Trail
There are two more trails left in the day. The first of these is the Alligator Hill Trail. There are a few ways you can hike this trail but since we’ve covered a lot of hiking already (and there’s one more trail after this), consider just hiking 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.
3:30 – Pyramid Point
It’s been a busy day, but there’s just one more trail and then you’re done hiking and you can treat yourself to a well deserved early dinner. The last trail is Pyramid Point and it’s another overlook of Lake Michigan. This is also supposed to be a great place for sunset, so depending on your day, you could easily pause after the Alligator Hill Trail, eat some dinner and relax, and come back here later in the evening for sunset.
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.
Modifications to This Itinerary
Let’s say you’re not up for quite this much hiking. How should you spend one day at Sleeping Bear Dunes?
The most obvious answer is to spend some time relaxing on the shores of Lake Michigan. The beaches are nice and plentiful (just avoid the really steep dunes at Dune Climb, Scenic Drive Stop #9, and Pyramid Point). The beach near Sleeping Bear Point was one of my favorites, though I admittedly didn’t spend much time on the beach (since I’ve spent my entire life within five miles of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin).
So now that you know you’re going to spend some time on the beach, which hikes to I recommend skipping? Let’s start with my favorites and work backwards. I loved the Dune Climb. It’s a challenge but you have the ability to hike the hard uphill first and you only have to hike as far as you want. The run back down is a lot of fun. In addition, I really enjoyed the Sleeping Bear Point Loop Trail. It gave excellent and unique views and it was not very crowded.
Beyond that, I think it’s a toss up and I don’t have super strong opinions. If I had to rank them, here’s what I would do:
- Dune Climb
- Sleeping Bear Point Loop
- Empire Bluff Trail
- Treat Farm Trail
- Pyramid Point
- Alligator Hill Trail
That said, I could probably be persuaded to change the order of numbers 3 through 5. Alligator Hill makes the bottom, not because it was bad, but because the viewpoint was on par with so many of the other, easier trails, so I recommend saving your energy.
Entrance Fees for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
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 National Lakeshore
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
Sleeping Bear Dunes is more than just a beach on Lake Michigan. There are dramatic views and great hikes and it’s easy to find things to do. Even with just one day at Sleeping Bear Dunes, you’re sure to have a great time.
Continue Your Adventure
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.
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.