Pick your Pleasure

Fall is here! A sweet time in the national lakeshore. You are welcome to explore over a dozen remnant orchards that produce at least 75 apple varieties. Visitors are permitted to pick up to 1 bushel per family. There is no permission needed as long as you are on park property.

Use this map to locate some of the farms with remnant apple trees:

• Thoreson Farm
• Brunson Barn
• Kelderhouse Farm (including newly transplanted trees from the nursery)
• Burfiend Barn
• Miller Barn
• Lawr Farm
• Peter Burfiend Farm
• Ole Olsen Farm

Orchard Preservation Project

Apple orchards in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore were planted on the landscape in the 1800s as settlers homesteaded their properties.  These have been documented thanks to park staff, partners and volunteers. Over 20 years ago the park’s Chief of Interpretation initiated the effort to find, map, and identify these antique varieties.

Sleeping Bear’s Historic Architect Kimberly Mann, along with the Park’s Volunteer Coordinator Matt Mohrman, have spearheaded the journey of preserving these varieties with the help of Leelanau Conservation District orchardist Tom Adams, Port Oneida descendant Jim Kelderhouse, and Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear whose role has been to fund the supplies for grafting, planting supplies, and fencing and assist with pruning. Park pruning workshops are held the first Friday of May. To sign up email Kimberly_Mann@nps.gov. To help fund the preservation, donate here.