Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Miles of sand beach, bluffs that tower 450’ above Lake Michigan, lush forests, clear inland lakes, unique flora and fauna make up the natural world of Sleeping Bear Dunes. High dunes afford spectacular views across the lake. An island lighthouse, US Life-Saving Service stations, coastal villages, and picturesque farmsteads reflect the park’s rich maritime, agricultural, and recreational history.
Alerts
- InformationNPS ↗Fall Hunting Seasons
Michigan has many designated hunting seasons for different animals. Several of these hunting seasons overlap and begin mid-September. Hunting is permitted within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in accordance with Michigan state laws and regulations. Hunting is not permitted within 450 feet of popular sites within the park, which are listed in the Superintendent's Compendium.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleEntrance pass - vehicle 1-7 day. | $25 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $20 | |
| Per PersonIf you enter the park on a bicycle or on foot and are at least 16 years old, you need your own entrance pass. Children under the age of 16 don't need an entrance pass. | $15 | |
| Commercial tours · by vehicle capacity | ||
| SedanSedan 1-6 Person Capacity $25.00 + $10.00 Per Person 16 years or older (up to a maximum of $40.00) | $25 | |
| VanVan 7-15 Person Capacity $40.00 | $40 | |
| Mini-busMini Bus 16-25 Person Capacity $40.00 | $40 | |
| Motor CoachMotorcoach 26+ Person Capacity $100.00 | $100 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkSleeping Bear Dunes Annual Pass | $45 | |
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore charges a variety of fees, depending on how a visitor arrives at the park, and whether they're part of a commercial tour group or not.
Hours
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | Daily · All Day |
| Glen Haven Cannery and Boat Museum | Daily · Closed |
| Glen Haven General Store | Daily · 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Glen Haven Blacksmith Shop | Daily · 11:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Maritime Museum and Boathouse | Daily · 11:00AM - 5:00PM |
Glen Haven Cannery and Boat Museum: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hours | Closed |
| Sep 30, 2026 to May 21, 2027NowSeasonal Closure | Closed |
Glen Haven General Store: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow | 10:00AM - 5:00PM |
| May 1 to May 21, 2027May 1 - 21 |
|
| Jul 28 to Jul 30, 2027Closed July 28 and July 29 | Hours not published |
| Aug 4 to Aug 5, 2027Closed Tuesday Aug. 4 | Hours not published |
| Aug 12 to Aug 13, 2027Closed Wednesday Aug. 12 | Hours not published |
Glen Haven Blacksmith Shop: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hours | 11:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Oct 13, 2026 to May 31, 2027NowClosed until Spring 2027 | Closed |
Maritime Museum and Boathouse: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hours | 11:00AM - 5:00PM |
| Oct 13, 2026 to May 31, 2027NowClosed until spring 2027 | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and December the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Weather Station Campground - South Manitou Island | 23 sites | |
| $10 a night · The campground is open seasonally. · 3 reservable, 20 first-come | ||
| White Pine Backcountry Campground | 7 sites | |
| $13 a night · This campground is available via reservation year-round. | ||
| Village Campground - North Manitou Island | 8 sites | |
| $10 a night · open seasonally · 8 first-come | ||
| Platte River Campground | 179 sites | |
| $31 a night · Closed Nov 1 to Apr 30 · 179 reservable | ||
| Popple Campground - South Manitou Island | 7 sites | |
| $10 a night · Seasonal Summer Hours · 7 first-come | ||
Show all 8 campgroundsHide
| Bay Campground - South Manitou Island | 28 sites | |
| $10 a night · What do you want to say about season? · 3 reservable, 25 first-come | ||
| D. H. Day Campground | 87 sites | |
| Closed Oct 16 to Nov 22 | ||
| D. H. Day Campground Group Campground | 4 sites | |
| $40 a night · 4 reservable | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Philip A. Hart Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The Philip A. Hart Visitor Center is located on M-72 just east of the intersection with M-22 in Empire, MI. You will find a wealth of information about the park and the natural and human history of the area. Park passes, brochures, and maps are available at the Information Desk.
- South Manitou Island Visitor Center
The former general store for the island now serves as a visitor center. It houses an interesting collection of photos and artifacts that tell the story of what life was like for the loggers, farmers, and members of the Life-Saving Service who made the island home.
- Port Oneida Heritage Center ↗Passport stamp
The Port Oneida Heritage Center, at the Olsen farmhouse is operated by Sleeping Bear Forever (previously Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear), a nonprofit partner of the national park.
Explore
Things to do
- Port Oneida Fair
Step back in time at the Port Oneida Fair and experience life as it was in the late 1850's through the early 1940's.
Opens on the Park Service site - ParkPuzzler30-90 Minutes
Park Puzzler- a set of puzzles that you can complete while in the park or anywhere!
Opens on the Park Service site - Visit Glen Haven Historic Village1-4 Hours
Glen Haven is the best-preserved cord wood station on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, and perhaps in the entire Great Lakes. It was a company town, eventually diversifying into farming, canning of fruit, and tourism.
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive1-4 Hours
Enjoy spectacular views of Glen Lake, undulating sand dunes, and breathtaking views of the grandest of all dunes, with shimmering Lake Michigan as the backdrop. Wind through cool forests of sugar maple and beech trees.
Opens on the Park Service site - Biking in the Lakeshore
Where can you bike in the Lakeshore? On public roads or the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail but not on any other park trails.
Opens on the Park Service site - Paddle and Fish Loon Lake30 Minutes
Have a picnic on the shore of one of the park’s tranquil inland lakes. A big lake with a sandy bottom, Loon Lake has a new fishing pier and accessible kayak launch.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 7Hide
- Float the Platte and Crystal Rivers2-3 Hours
Canoe, kayak, or float these calm rivers. Rent equipment near either launch site if you don’t have your own. Great for kids!
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- 2026-05-05 Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to Conduct Multiple Prescribed Fires this Spring ↗2026-05-05
The National Park Service plans to conduct two prescribed fires in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore before May 31.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan's national parks and Michigan
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 1× · Trumpeter Swan 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 237 birds, 54 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Barred Owl · Broad-winged Hawk · Marsh Hawk · Merlin · Northern Saw-whet Owl · Osprey · Red-shouldered Hawk · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Snowy Owl · Turkey Vulture · eastern screech-owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican Coot · American Wigeon · Barrow's Goldeneye · Blue-winged Teal · Common Merganser · Double-crested Cormorant · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Greater Scaup · Green Heron · Hooded Merganser · Horned Grebe · Least Bittern · Lesser Scaup · Long-tailed duck · Mute Swan · Pied-billed grebe · Red-breasted Merganser · Red-throated Loon · Ring-necked Duck · Ruddy Duck · Sandhill Crane · Snow Goose · Tundra Swan · Virginia Rail · Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
Shorebirds & seabirdsAmerican Woodcock · Baird's Sandpiper · Black Tern · Black-bellied Plover · Bonaparte's Gull · Caspian Tern · Common Snipe · Common Tern · Greater Yellowlegs · Herring Gull · Killdeer · Least Sandpiper · Lesser Yellowlegs · Pectoral Sandpiper · Piping Plover · Ring-billed Gull · Ruddy Turnstone · Semipalmated Plover · Semipalmated Sandpiper · Short-billed Dowitcher · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Upland Sandpiper
Gamebirds & dovesCommon Pheasant · Mourning Dove · Ruffed Grouse · Wild Turkey · rock pigeon
WoodpeckersDowny Woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Pileated Woodpecker · Red-headed Woodpecker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsChimney Swift
Also on the checklistABDU · AGWT · AMBI · Alder Flycatcher · American Crow · American Goldfinch · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · BEKI · BRCR · BUFF · Baltimore Oriole · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Bay-breasted Warbler · Black-and-white Warbler · Black-billed Cuckoo · Black-throated Blue Warbler · Black-throated Green Warbler · Blackburnian Warbler · Blackpoll Warbler · Blue Jay · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Bobolink · Bohemian Waxwing · Brewer's Blackbird · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bruant de LeConte · CAGO · CANV · COGO · COHA · COLO · Canada Warbler · Cape May Warbler · Carolina Wren · Cedar Waxwing · Chestnut-sided Warbler · Chipping Sparrow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Cliff Swallow · Common Gallinule · Common Grackle · Common Nighthawk · Common Redpoll · Common Yellowthroat · Connecticut Warbler · DUNL · Dark-eyed Junco · Dickcissel · Eastern Bluebird · Eastern Kingbird · Eastern Meadowlark · Eastern Phoebe · Eastern Wood-Pewee · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Field Sparrow · Fox Sparrow · GCTH · GHOW · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-winged Warbler · Grasshopper Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Great Crested Flycatcher · HOFI · Harris' Sparrow · Henslow's Sparrow · Hermit Thrush · Hooded Warbler · Horned Lark · House Sparrow · House Wren · Indigo Bunting · Lapland Longspur · Least Flycatcher · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · MALL · Magnolia Warbler · Marsh Wren · Mourning Warbler · Myrtle Warbler · NOCA · NOGO · NOPI · Nashville Warbler · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Parula · Northern Raven · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Shoveler · Northern Shrike · Northern Waterthrush · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Orchard Oriole · PUFI · Palm Warbler · Philadelphia Vireo · Pine Grosbeak · Pine Siskin · Pine Warbler · Prairie Warbler · Purple Martin · RBWO · REDH · RLHA · RTHU · Red Crossbill · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-eyed Vireo · Red-winged Blackbird · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Rufous-sided Towhee · Rusty Blackbird · SAND · Savannah Sparrow · Scarlet Tanager · Sedge Wren · Snow Bunting · Solitary Vireo · Song Sparrow · Sora · Surf Scoter · Swainson's Thrush · Swamp Sparrow · Tennessee Warbler · Tree Swallow · VEER · Velvet Scoter · Vesper Sparrow · WODU · Warbling Vireo · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Whip-poor-will · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-eyed Vireo · White-throated Sparrow · White-winged Crossbill · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Winter Wren · Wood Thrush · Yellow Warbler · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-throated Vireo · black-capped chickadee · ovenbird · tufted titmouse
Small mammalsAmerican Pygmy Shrew · American Water Shrew · Beaver · Canada flying squirrel · Cooper lemming vole · Deer Mouse · Eastern Chipmunk · Eastern Cottontail · Eastern mole · European rabbit · Fox Squirrel · Gray squirrel · House mouse · Masked Shrew · Meadow jumping mouse · Meadow vole · Muskrat · Northern Deer-mouse · Porcupine · Prairie Deermouse · Red squirrel · Red-backed vole · Short-tailed Shrew · Snowshoe Hare · Southern flying squirrel · Star-nosed mole · Thirteen-lined ground squirrel · Woodland Deermouse · Woodland Vole · Woodland jumping mouse
PredatorsBadger · Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Otter · Coyote · Gray fox · Least Weasel · Long-tailed weasel · Mink · Raccoon · Red Fox · Short-tailed weasel · Striped skunk
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed deer
BatsBig Brown Bat · Eastern Pipistrelle · Hoary Bat · Little brown bat · Northern myotis · Red Bat · Silver-haired Bat
Also on the checklistHouse cat · Virginia Opossum · Woodchuck
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Camping in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Skiing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
Spring: Temperatures usually range from 40 F to 70 F. Rain is common. Summer: Temperatures usually range from 50 F to 83 F. Rain and sun are equally common. On very sunny days, be prepared with plenty of water--heat exhaustion is common, especially when hiking on the dunes. Fall: Temperatures range from 40 F to 70 F. Fall foliage is at its peak around mid September. Winter: Temperatures range from 15 F to 40 F. Snow is common and is on the ground for most of the winter. Dress in warm layers.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Entrance is $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Entrance pass - vehicle 1-7 day.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Sleeping Bear Dunes?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Sleeping Bear Dunes-only annual pass is $45.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Sleeping Bear Dunes takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Sleeping Bear Dunes free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Sleeping Bear Dunes?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Sleeping Bear Dunes. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Sleeping Bear Dunes open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Sleeping Bear Dunes?
Yes. The Park Service lists 8 campgrounds in Sleeping Bear Dunes: Weather Station Campground - South Manitou Island, White Pine Backcountry, Village Campground - North Manitou Island, Platte River, and Popple Campground - South Manitou Island, and more. 6 take reservations through Recreation.gov; 2 are first-come, first-served.
Which Sleeping Bear Dunes campgrounds have showers, hookups, or a dump station?
Showers: Platte River. Dump station: Platte River and D. H. Day. Electric hookups: Platte River.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Sleeping Bear Dunes include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Weather Station Campground - South Manitou Island is $10 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
When do Sleeping Bear Dunes campgrounds close for the season?
Platte River is closed Nov 1 to Apr 30 and D. H. Day is closed Oct 16 to Nov 22.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Sleeping Bear Dunes right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Fall Hunting Seasons.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Sleeping Bear Dunes?
1,601,747 recreation visits in 2025, number 54 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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