News Release
Subscribe
 |
What is RSS
|
EMPIRE, Mich. - The National Park Service plans to conduct two prescribed fires in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore before May 31. Prescribed fire is used as a tool to assist in restoring forest habitat while also reducing the threat of wildland fires.
In the Platte Plains area of the National Lakeshore, two prescribed fires will be on 1,184 acres. One burn unit includes and surrounds the Lasso Loop of the Platte Plains Trail. The second burn unit falls between Peterson and Lasso roads.
Prescribed fire in this area is used to maintain healthy ecosystems, replenish fire dependent ecosystems, reduce available fuels in areas, control encroaching vegetation, and assist with the management of invasive species.Updates regarding burning activities will be posted as “alerts” on the park website.
For more information about the National Lakeshore, please go to www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl and Instagram at www.instagram.com/sleepingbearnps.
The National Park Service preserves America’s most treasured natural and cultural places for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations. Learn more at nps.gov.
Image Description:
Map of the southern portion of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with north at the top. Lake Michigan forms the western boundary as a large blue shoreline curving along the upper-left. Several beaches and access points appear along this shore, including Platte River Point Beach, Platte River Point Water Access, El Dorado Platte River Access, and Peterson Beach. The Platte River flows west toward Lake Michigan near these sites.
Inland, the landscape consists of forests, wetlands, and lakes. Mud Lake lies west of center, with Loon Lake to the south near Platte River Campground and its ranger station. Bass Lake and Otter Lake appear in the northeastern wooded area, with a labeled Bass Lake South Access. Wetlands surround Mud and Loon Lakes and extend through the Platte Plains region.
Roads include M‑22 on the far east side running north–south, and N. Scenic Highway across the southern edge running east–west. Smaller roads include Deadstream Road leading toward Bass Lake, and Martin and Saffron Roads branching off N. Scenic Highway. Unpaved roads and trail access points connect campgrounds, beaches, and inland features.
Trails and recreation sites include the Platte Plains Trail and Lasso Loop Trailhead, White Pine Backcountry Campground with a marked trail access point, Bookeloo Lodge, and Platte Plains Picnic Area Water Access.
Two prescribed fire units identified in NPS fire‑management materials are located within the forest interior. The Lasso Loop Prescribed Fire Unit occupies 671 acres near the Platte Plains Trail system between Mud Lake, Loon Lake, and forested dune ridges. The Peterson Road Prescribed Fire Unit, 513 acres, lies north of Lasso Loop between Peterson Beach and the wooded interior west of Bass and Otter Lakes. Both units fall entirely within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Last updated: May 6, 2026