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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 »
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Announces Fee-Free Weekends
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Contact: Lisa Myers, 231-326-5134
Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to announce that the National Park Service will be offering three fee-free weekends this summer so visitors to all national park sites, including Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, can enjoy these special places for free. There are 391 National Park Service sites located across the country in 49 states. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, along with the other 146 sites that charge fees for entry, will waive entrance fees during the weekends of:
Fees waived include entrance fees and commercial tour fees. Other fees such as reservation, camping, tour, concession, and those fees collected by third parties are not included unless stated otherwise. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the fee-free weekends at a press conference on June 2 at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. “During these tough economic times, our national parks provide opportunities for affordable vacations for families. I encourage everyone to visit one of our nation’s crown jewels this summer and especially take advantage of the three free-admission weekends.” Secretary Salazar went on to say, “National Parks also serve as powerful economic engines for local communities and we hope that promoting visitation will give a small shot in the arm to businesses in the area. National park sites in the Great Lakes states, for example, attract eight million recreation visits a year that bring $211 million into the local economies. Spending by visitors from out of the area supports 4,400 local jobs. So these areas need to maintain and expand this vital tourism.” More information about the fee-free weekends can be found at www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm. For more information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, please call 231-326-5134. |
Did You Know?
The Piping Plover is an endangered species that makes its home on the wide open beaches of Lakes Michigan and Superior. Several nesting pairs have made the shores of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore their home. Their nesting areas have been marked so they will not be disturbed.