• Looking out at the lake

    Sleeping Bear Dunes

    National Lakeshore Michigan

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  • Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive will not open until Memorial Day Weekend

    Changes to visitor service due to Sequestration. Due to mandatory, across-the-board budget cuts, some visitor services in this park have changed. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive will not open until Memorial Day Weekend and will close after Labor Day. More »

  • Some restrooms and trash cans not available until Memorial Day

    Changes to visitor service due to Sequestration. Other than those at the visitor center and campgrounds, restrooms and trash cans will not be available until Memorial Day Weekend and will close after Labor Day. This includes the Manitou Islands. More »

Park to Waive Entrance Fees for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

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Date: January 14, 2013
Contact: Paul Purifoy, 231-326-5134

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to announce that the entrance fee to the park will be waived on Monday, January 21.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, along with 398 units of the national park system, will waive entrance fees during the upcoming holiday as part of a nationwide initiative to encourage everyone to visit and experience the many wonders of their national parks across America. The other fee free days this year include: April 22 - 26 (National Park Week), August 25 (National Park Service Birthday), September 28 (National Public Lands Day), and November 9 - 11 (Veterans Day Weekend).

Winter is a great time to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Visit the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire (open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily) to learn about all the park has to offer in winter. Bring your tube or saucer and enjoy the designated sliding hill at the Dune Climb, or cross-country ski/snowshoe one of the many trails in the park. Also, don't forget to join us for a Park Ranger-led Snowshoe Hike every Saturday. Hikes begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center. Reservations are required.Park Ranger-led snowshoe hikes are limited to 30 participants. Please call 231 326-515 ext. 328 for details and to make reservations.

For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, please go to www.nps.gov/slbe.Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Did You Know?

Inland Lakes

There are 21 inland lakes within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Explore one of these small lakes for a close-up view of some of the birds, mammals, and wildflowers protected there.  By the way, the fishing is usually great! More...