• Looking out at the lake

    Sleeping Bear Dunes

    National Lakeshore Michigan

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  • Maritime Museum closed

    The Maritime Museum and Boathouse are closed until further notice.

Rivers and Streams

Otter Creek Spit at Esch Road
There are 2 small rivers and 2 creeks that flow within the Lakeshore. The Platte and Crystal Rivers are favorite canoe, kayak, and inner tube rivers for families and groups. Shalda and Otter Creeks are small streams that are favorites for fishing and viewing beaver, otter, and muskrats. The waterways come from inland lakes and empty into Lake Michigan. They sport annual runs of salmon and other species such as smelt that migrate in from Lake Michigan. There are a number of wetlands associated with each, and several forest and wetland habitat types can be seen whether hiking or floating along their courses.

Did You Know?

Lake Michigan Overlook, Sleeping Bear Dunes

The sand and gravel bluffs on the Lake Michigan shore in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore are 450 feet above the lake level providing outstanding views and sunsets. On a clear day, you can see South Manitou Island. More...