Hiking Trails

You can hike about 100 miles of designated trails in the Lakeshore. There are thirteen trails on the mainland for hiking, and most of them are maintained during the winter for cross country skiing, and snowshoeing too. Each trail has a trailhead with a parking area. Hiking trails on the dunes are marked by blue-tipped posts.

Trail maps are available in this section, at the visitor center, or at the trailhead. Read the Trail Regulations and Safety Information. A Park Pass is required for all trail use within the Lakeshore: Fee Information. There are also hiking trails on North Manitou Island and South Manitou Island.


Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes has accessibility information about each official trail in the park on their web site. This information includes maps showing degree of difficulty and photos of accessibility barriers.

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.


Do you think you can hike all of the trails in one year? Then check out the Trail Trekkers Challenge.

 
Hiking trail winding through fall-colored trees.
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.

 
Photo of a tick
There are ticks in the Lakeshore woods. Know where to expect ticks and be tick safe.

Last updated: February 11, 2022

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Empire, MI 49630

Phone:

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