• 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 »

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Welcomes Deer Hunters

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Date: October 30, 2008
Contact: Steve Yancho, 231-326-5134

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore provides the following information to help deer hunters who will be visiting the National Lakeshore.  Hunters are welcome and the National Park Service seeks the cooperation of all our visitors in protecting and sharing the resources of the park during the hunt.

According to Superintendent Dusty Shultz, all lands within the boundary of the National Lakeshore are administered under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), which protects the natural resources in areas under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.  Non-conflicting Michigan hunting laws are also enforced as part of the CFR.

Following special State of Michigan regulations, all baiting and feeding of deer is prohibited in the National Lakeshore and throughout the Lower Peninsula due to the documentation of chronic wasting disease.

Superintendent Shultz reminds hunters that some National Park Service regulations are not found in the 2008 Michigan Hunting and Trapping Guide, but they will be enforced by park rangers.  These regulations are:

  • Entrance fees are required when using National Lakeshore lands and waters.  If you park your vehicle on a road shoulder and then hunt in the National Lakeshore, you must display a National Lakeshore entrance pass on your vehicle dashboard.

  • The cutting of standing trees (alive or dead) and branches, or the possession of green vegetation is prohibited.

  • Digging or disturbing soils or vegetation is not permitted.

  • Vehicles or other wheeled devices are not allowed off roads.

  • Ground blinds may be built with natural dead or downed material, but must be dismantled at the end of the hunting season.  When dismantling ground blinds the area must be returned to its original natural setting. All blinds must be removed within seven days after the close of the season.

  • All trash and other man-made materials must be packed out and deposited in trash receptacles.

  • The marking of trees to locate trails by the use of spray paint, colored flagging, or reflective tacks is prohibited. The blazing of trees is not allowed.

The following National Lakeshore facilities are closed to hunting, including a 450 foot (137 meter) safety zone: 

  • All Campgrounds and Picnic Areas

  • Village areas on North Manitou Island and South Manitou Island

  • Dune Climb and Duneside Accessible Trail

  • Stocking Scenic Drive (when open to traffic)

For further information about entrance fees or hunting in the National Lakeshore, contact park headquarters at 231-326-5134, the Leelanau District Ranger Station at 231-334-3756 or the Platte River Ranger Station at 231-325-5562.

Did You Know?

Night Sky

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.