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A Park Pass is required for all trail use within the national lakeshore.
Vehicles, are permitted only on roads.
Snowmobiling is prohibited except on rights-of-way along state and county roads.
Pets on trails must be kept on a 6-foot leash. Pets are prohibited on ski trails December 1 - March 31 and at the Dune Climb throughout the year. Click for more details on Pet Rules.
Bicycles are only permitted on roads and the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail.
Collecting plants and other natural, historical, and archeological items is not permitted. Exception: Certain edible fruits and mushrooms may be collected in limited quantities for personal use.
Glass is banned on all park beaches.
Fires are permitted only in campground and picnic area fireplaces and fire rings and on areas of bare beach sand between the water and the first dune.
In case of emergency, seek help at the nearest ranger station, campground office, visitor center, or call 911.
Trail Safety
Learn how you can hike safely in the Lakeshore
Before you take off down the trail, take time to prepare for a successful hike. Make sure the trail is appropriate for your ability, and travel with a companion and notify someone of your route and expected return time.
Take plenty of drinking water, bring sunscreen, wear a hat, and be prepared for mosquitoes.
Be careful of your footing-trails have uneven ground, exposed roots, etc.Sand slide danger is always present on steep dunes. Stay off steep bluffs to avoid falls and dislodging rocks that can injure people below. Because of heavy treefall, avoid forested trails on windy days.
Remember, deer rifle season is November 15-30. Other hunting seasons occur throughout the year. Wear bright-colored clothing to be seen and safe in the woods.
Poison ivy grows plentifully in many areas of the Lakeshore as a vine or low shrub. The leaves are red in early spring, shiny green in summer, and an attractive red or orange in the fall. Each leaf consists of three leaflets. Most people are sensitive in varying degrees to the sap of this plant, which makes the skin itch, blister, and swell.Avoid contact with all parts of the plant. Avoid plants with three leaflets.
If exposed, wash the affected skin with soap and water as soon as possible.
Ticks are common throughout the Lakeshore with a high population located on North Manitou Island. The most commonly found tick at the Lakeshore are the American Dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) and the Black-Legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), also commonly known as the Deer tick.
Ticks can be active anytime during the year, especially when temperatures are warmer than 40° F. Ensure you check yourself, your children, and your pets regularly for ticks.
Prevention:
Hike in the center of trails.
Avoid wooded and bushy areas.
Wear light colored, long-sleeved shirts and tucked-in pants.
Wear insect repellent containing DEET according to manufacturer's instructions.
Carefully inspect your clothing and gear for ticks after recreating in the outdoors.
Shower as soon as possible to wash off and easily find ticks.
Remove ticks immediately and notify your doctor if you get a fever or rash.
Tick Removal
If an attached tick is found:
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
Do not use folklore remedies such as "painting" the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible.
For more information, check out this article on ticks and tickborne diseases. To learn more about Lyme disease, which is the number one vector-borne disease in the United States, and is spread by certain tick-bites, visit the CDC's Lyme disease webpage.
Pets on trails, and throughout the Lakeshore, must be kept on a 6-foot leash.
Pets are prohibited on ski trails December 1 - March 31 and at the Dune Climb throughout the year. Refer to the table below, as many hiking trails become ski trails in the winter.
Planning to hike to the beach? Some beaches are closed to pets April 15th-August 15th. Check the Pet Rules page before you go.
Hiking trail through autumn-hued trees.
Each trail has its own unique beauty and challenges. Some have beautiful views from high vistas overlooking lakes, hills, or dunes. While others take you through fields of wildflowers with views of fields and lakes or forest in the background. Others take you through the sand dunes to explore the hardy vegetation and wildflowers that flourish in this harsh environment. The table below will give a brief description of each trail with a link to the trail map.
Trail
Round Trip
Description
Platte Plains Trail
3.5-14.7 mi
Watch for junctions.
There are multiple trailheads (Otter Creek: Esch Rd., Trails End Rd., off M-22 (winter only), & Platte River Campground).
Bass Lake Loop: 3.5 mi
Easy hike and ski - Winds around Bass and Deer Lakes.
Some sections follow a two-track road.
Otter Creek Loop: 4.6 mi
Easy hike and ski - Follows Otter Creek and Otter Lake. Flat, with pine-oak-aspen forests and open meadows.
Lasso Loop: 6.3 mi
Moderate hike, easy to advanced ski - Winds through pine-oak-aspen forests. Scenic overlooks of Lake Michigan. Several road crossings.
Moderate hike - Winds through a beech-maple forest to an overlook. Wildflowers and woodland plants are abundant. For your safety and to prevent erosion, please do not descend the bluff.
Easy hike, easy to advanced ski - Two fairly flat loops begin in a mixed evergreen and hardwood forest and wind through low dunes to the Lake Michigan shore.
Moderate hike, advanced ski - Includes beech-maple forest, and steep hills and crosses the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive twice. Watch for traffic at the crosswalks. In winter, the Scenic Drive is closed to vehicles for use as a cross-country ski and snowshoe trail. Watch for snowmobiles where the trail crosses Shauger Hill Rd.
Trailhead: parking lot near Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive entrance, M-109
Moderate - Hilly, all sand, and no shade. Leads onto the perched dunes through native grasses, shrubs, and wildflowers. Views from above the Dune Climb of D. H. Day farm and Glen Lake. Take water, sunscreen, hat, and shoes.
Trailhead: Stop #4 along the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, M-109
Strenuous - Hilly, all sand, and no shade. Travels over nine hills through the high dunes plateau to Lake Michigan. Blue-tipped posts mark the trail. It can be a hot, exhausting, three to four hour trip, punctuated only by a cool dip in Lake Michigan. Plan ahead. Take water, sunscreen, hat, shoes, and a snack.
Strenuous - Hilly, all sand, and no shade. Leads onto the dunes, through a ghost forest, and overlooks Lake Michigan. Blue-tipped posts mark the trail. For a shorter option, a spur leads to Sleeping Bear Point from where you can follow the beach back to the Maritime Museum and trailhead. Plan ahead. Take water, sunscreen, hat, shoes, and a snack.
Trailhead: end of SleepingBear Dunes Rd. off of M-209, west of Maritime Museum
All three loops lead through a beech-maple forest to a bench which overlooks Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. A 1.6 mile spur takes you along the ridge to the Glen Lake overlook. Only trail upon which horse use is allowed.
Trailhead: east of D. H. Day Campground, off Stocking Rd. near its intersection with Day Farm Rd.
Easy hike and ski loop: 3 mi, 4.6 mi with spur.
Moderate hike, intermediate ski loop: 4.7 mi, 6.3 mi with spur
Moderate hike, advanced ski loop: 4.6 mi, 6.2 mi with spur
Provides views of Lake Michigan and the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. Several loops of different lengths and difficulties.
Trailhead: off Thoreson Rd. near M-22
Farm Loop: 2.4 mi
Easy hike and ski - Wanders through farms and fields and by an historic schoolhouse to Lookout Point.
Ridge Loop: 4 mi
Moderate hike, advanced ski - The low trail leads through fields and forest.The high trail follows the ridge for views of Lake Michigan.
Moderate - To the bluff and back is 1.2 miles. Climbing a steep hill, it provides an overlook ofLake Michigan and the Manitou Islands. For your safety and to prevent erosion, please do notdescend the bluff. The entire loop trail is 2.7 miles and follows a portion of Basch Rd.
Trailhead: off Basch Rd.; follow Port Oneida Rd. north from M-22.
Easy hike, ski, and bike - Paved, multi-use trail connecting Dune Climb, Group Campground, Glen Haven, D. H. Day Campground, and Glen Arbor. Great for strollers, wheelchairs, and bikes. Mostly forested.
The first section of the trail is universally accessible and relatively easy. The rest of the trail is moderate hiking and advanced skiing. The trail has some significant slopes through kettle moraine terrain with steep hills, valleys, and ponds or bogs.
The trail includes the Shauger Hill Hiking Trail and the unplowed Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. It offers views of Lake Michigan and the dunes. For your safety, stay back from the edge of the steep bluff.
Trailhead: parking lot near Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive entrance, M-109
Pets are not allowed on this section of the trail between December 1 and March 31.
For visitors with limited mobility, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes is offering FREE use of the electric Track Chair on the Bay View Trail. Visit the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes website to make reservations.
Trail Trekker Challenge
Take the Trail Trekkers Challenge.Do you think you can hike all of the trails in one year? Want to explore the landscape of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, exercise, and have fun all at the same time? Join the Trail Trekker Challenge! Earn a prize and bragging rights by successfully completing each of the 13 mainland trails within the National Lakeshore.
Hiking is a great way to get daily physical exercise and promote health while also discovering the beauty of the area. What better way to get your muscles warm, your heart pumping, and your senses savoring the views!
Pick up a copy of the Trail Trekker Challenge brochure/logbook at the visitor center in Empire.
