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 Thirty-five miles and 71,000 acres of unspoiled beauty along Michigan's northwest shoreline and the magnificent Manitou Islands most notably define the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore established in 1970. The area is known for its hardwood forests & pines, rolling hills, towering sand dunes, freshwater lakes, quiet beaches, and scenic farmscapes. With its headquarters and visitors center located in Empire, the Lakeshore extends south into Benzie County and north through Leelanau County skipping around many privately owned homes and cottages. Over one million visitors come each year for recreational activities including water sports, hiking, color tours and cross-country skiing. The Park also provides many programs and sites for visitor use - campfire programs, scenic drives, and the dune climb over the largest moving sand dune in the world - to name a few.  Numerous historic properties are also available for the visitor’s exploration and education. When established, the Park purchased many of the historic farms dotting its landscape, but it wasn’t until some time later that their historic significance was recognized and efforts to preserve them began. Today, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore proudly offers interpretive explorations of life in another time at the historic Maritime Museum and the historic village of Glen Haven. In addition, adaptive-use partners such as Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear, have rehabilitated the Charles and Hattie Olsen farm (and many other structures) offering interpretive information to the public. Other historic landscapes can be explored on the mainland and South and North Manitou Islands. As historic properties are preserved, the future holds promise for additional educational opportunities in the Park that allows visitors to peer into the lives of those who first settled in Sleeping Bear Dunes.Take a Tour Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has promised to protect and preserve the natural and cultural resources entrusted to their care for the education and enjoyment of all. We hope all who find pleasure in these pristine and culturally rich surroundings will protect and care for them as well. How You Can Help Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore [new window] Go Back :: Home Page |