News Release

2019 National Park Week

Date: April 15, 2019

In celebration of National Park Week (April 20-28, 2019), Superintendent Scott Tucker is pleased to announce that the $25 entrance fees to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) will be waived on Saturday, April 20, 2019. Visitors wishing to camp Saturday night at D. H. Day or Platte River Campgrounds will be required to pay the camping fee.

The National Lakeshore, along with 418 other units of the National Park System, will waive entrance fees to mark the beginning of National Park Week. The other fee-free days scheduled this year include: August 25 (National Park Service Anniversary), September 28 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day).

Each April, during the presidentially-proclaimed National Park Week, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore joins the National Park Foundation (the official charity of America’s National Parks) to celebrate America’s national parks. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places and discover stories of history and culture. While only the first day of the week is free, each day is dedicated to a different theme. For more information, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/national-park-week.htm. Each day, the National Lakeshore will have social media posts related to the themes.

Early spring is a great time to explore the National Lakeshore. Visit the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire (open 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily) to learn about all the park has to offer this time of year.  The Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive is not scheduled to open for vehicle traffic until early May, but all park trails, including the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, are open for exploration.