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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 »
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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 »
Fee Free Day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
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Contact: Susan Sanders, 231-326-5134
Saturday, September 27, 2008 is National Public Lands Day (NPLD) across the country: a day where fees are waived and volunteers participate in special events called “Helping Hands for America’s Lands.” At Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, waiver of the entrance fee means it will be free to access the Dune Climb, Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Glen Haven, Port Oneida, Platte Point, the Manitou Islands, and all the trails and beaches managed by the National Park Service. Volunteers are needed for our annual beach cleanup, and to thank you for your help, all volunteers will receive a coupon for an additional free entrance at a later date to the National Lakeshore, or any other federally managed land. The beach cleanup coincides with the International Coastal Cleanup, sponsored by the Ocean Conservancy, which takes place around the world every year. Volunteers for this project should meet the Park Rangers at noon at the Visitor Center in Empire. Also participating in NPLD activities this year, is a group of local paddlers who kayak and canoe the lower Platte River while collecting trash along the way. Lois Goldstein of Williamsburg, MI, has organized the spring and fall cleanups for the past four years because of her love of this spectacular Lakeshore waterway. The paddlers start at the Platte River Picnic Area and take out at Platte Point. This year, their clean-up paddle is scheduled for Sunday “Volunteer efforts create a strong base of support for the health and vitality of our public lands.” said Dusty Shultz, National Lakeshore Superintendent. “Through this hands-on event, individuals raise awareness, educate others, and really make a difference. We in the National Park Service are proud of the citizens of the United States who donate their time to working with us.” To join in the activities, be prepared for being outdoors, rain or shine. For more information, call the park headquarters at (231) 326-5134. |
Did You Know?
The night sky is vital to many plants and animals that call Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore home and it holds a variety of meanings for many cultures. An unpolluted night sky is especially valuable to humans wishing to experience natural darkness, shooting stars, or the Milky Way.