• Looking out at the lake

    Sleeping Bear Dunes

    National Lakeshore Michigan

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  • 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 »

  • Maritime Museum closed

    The Maritime Museum and Boathouse are closed until further notice.

Entrance Fees Waived for Martin Luther King Jr Day Weekend

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Date: January 5, 2012

In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to announce that the entrance fee to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) will be waived during the upcoming holiday weekend, beginning Saturday, January 14 and continuing through Monday, January 16.

The National Lakeshore, along with the other 397 units of the national park system, will waive the entrance fees 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 21-29 (National Park Week), June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day), and November 10-12 (Veterans Day Weekend).

Winter is a great time to explore the National Lakeshore. Visit the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire (open 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily) to learn about all the park has to offer in winter. Bring your inner 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. These snowshoe hikes are limited to 30 participants. Reservations are encouraged. Please call 231-326-5135, ext. 328, for details and to make reservations.

For more in-depth information, please call 231-326-5134 or visit our website at www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

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...