Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - Bicycling (U.S. National Park Service)

Riding your bicycle in the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore is a great way to experience the beauty of the area and get some exercise at the same time. Bicycling is permitted only on maintained roads in the park. Bikes are not permitted on hiking trails, but any road open to automobiles can be used for biking - including 2-track roads. Roads within campgrounds, the back roads around Port Oneida, and the Pierce Stoking Scenic Drive can all be used for biking.

NPS 2008

Ride through the Lakeshore with Ryan Locke.

Ride the winding back roads of Sleeping Bear Dunes and pedal through history on old farm roads and former logging roads. Enjoy the fields, forests, and fresh air on your bicycle!

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will be offering seven bike tours per week at four very different locations. Join us in leaving the car behind and exploring Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore by bike! Click here to open a pdf file with maps and other details about the Bike Tours.

Locke will pedal on four different routes, Tuesdays through Fridays, beginning on June 23. The easy to moderate rides will cover between three and ten miles, lasting approximately two hours. Topics are:

Discovering Cultural Landscapes: North of Glen Arbor, through the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m., Fridays at 11:00 a.m.
Backroads, Farms, and Forests: South of Empire, through an agricultural landscape, ghost town, and former logging area. Thursdays at 11:00 a.m., Fridays at 5:00 p.m.
Recreation and Tourism: Past, Present, and Future! North of Empire, on paved roads near the Dune Climb, along Glen Lake, and visiting Glen Haven. Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m., Thursdays at 5:00 p.m.
Bicycle Safety and Beach Ride at Platte River Campground: Starting in the campground and riding down Peterson Road to the beach and back, all ages welcome. Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m.

No reservations are needed, and participants need only purchase the park entrance pass to join in the fun ($10.00/vehicle valid for seven days or $20.00/vehicle for an entire year). When planning to attend a program, be prepared for all kinds of weather, dress appropriately and wear a bike helmet. It is recommended that participants be 10 years of age or older. For more information about the schedule, meeting locations, or other Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore activities, please call the Visitor Center at 231-326-5134, ext. 328.

Road Bike Touring

Bike clubs frequently schedule trips to the Sleeping Bear Dunes area because the terrain in the area provides a variety of levels of challenge. M-22, M-109, and M-209 are all generally flat to moderately rolling. The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is quite challenging with steep hills and curves. Some of the county roads in the area have relatively steep hills, so it is wise to take a tour of your proposed bike trip by car before starting out.

Nearby Biking Areas

For those who enjoy mountain biking on single track trails, there are two Michigan State Forest trails just east of the National Lakeshore that allow mountain bikes. Lake Ann Pathway is located just west of Lake Ann on Reynolds Road. Lost Lake Pathway is located 1.5 miles west of Interlochen on US 31 then 1 mile north on Wildwood Rd.

There is a new paved rail-trail south of the Lakeshore that goes from Frankfort and Elberta to Crystal Lake. The trail is gravel from Crystal Lake to Thompsonville. It is called the Betsie Valley Trail.