Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a United States National Lakeshore
located along the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Leelanau
and Benzie counties near Empire, Michigan. The park covers a 35-mile-long
stretch of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, as well as North and South
Manitou islands. This Northern Michigan park was established primarily because
of its outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune
formations, and ancient glacial phenomena. The lakeshore also contains
many cultural features including the 1871 South Manitou Island Lighthouse,
three former stations of the Coast Guard and an extensive rural historic farm
district. In 2011, the area won the title of "The Most Beautiful Place in
America" from Good Morning America. In 2014, a section of the park was named
the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness by the United States Congress.
History The park was authorized on October 21,
1970. The park's creation was highly controversial because it involved the
transfer of private property to public. The federal government's stance at the
time was that the Great Lakes were the "third coast" and had to be preserved
much like Cape Hatteras or Big Sur, which are National Seashores. The
residents living in what is now Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore believed
they were stewards of the land and did not want it to be overrun by tourists.
The government eventually won out in part by supporting the local schools to
offset the lost property tax revenue and by adding North Manitou Island to be
included in the park. The park is named after a Chippewa
legend of the sleeping bear. According to the legend, an enormous forest fire
on the western shore of Lake Michigan drove a mother bear and her two cubs
into the lake for shelter, determined to reach the opposite shore. After many
miles of swimming, the two cubs lagged behind. When the mother bear reached the
shore, she waited on the top of a high bluff. The exhausted cubs drowned in the
lake, but the mother bear stayed and waited in hopes that her cubs would
finally appear. Impressed by the mother bear's determination and faith, the
Great Spirit created two islands to commemorate the cubs, and the winds
buried the sleeping bear under the sands of the dunes where she waits to this
day. The "bear" was a small tree-covered knoll at the top edge of the bluff that,
from the water, had the appearance of a sleeping bear. Wind and erosion have
caused the "bear" to be greatly reduced in size over the years.
In 2014, 32,500 acres of the park were formally designated as the Sleeping Bear
Dunes Wilderness by the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation
and Recreation Act. This was the first wilderness protection bill to be passed
by the United States Congress in five years.
Historic sites = Sleeping Bear Point Coast Guard
Station Maritime Museum = = Glen Haven Village =
Glen Haven existed as a company town from 1865 to 1931. Originally, a dock
for Glen Arbor, the site soon became a fuel supply point for ships traveling up
and down the lake. Here Charles McCarty decided to open his own business and
built a dock to supply the ships with wood. In 1863, McCarty built the
Sleeping Bear House. It was expanded a few years later to accommodate
travelers. In 1928, it was remodeled into the inn for summer vacationers. The
General Store was established to supply the workers. Like most company towns,
the workers were paid in company coupons, redeemable only at the company
store. The Blacksmith Shop is where tools were repaired. In 1878, David
Henry Day arrived in the community. By this time, coal from the Appalachian
coal fields was replacing wood on the steamships. Day was looking for another
future to this small community. = Port Oneida Historic Farm District =
In 1860, Port Oneida had a population of 87 people. Thomas Kelderhouse had built
a dock to sell wood to the passing steamships. He was also able to sell
fresh produce and maple sugar in season. A local story says that the name comes
from the first ship to stop, the SS Oneida of New York State. The area
covers 3,000 acres and includes 16 historic farms. The farming community
was gradually abandoned due to hard farming conditions and declining timber
sales. Climate
Flora and fauna Cougars sightings have been reported in
the lakeshore, and the National Park Service advises respect and caution, as
well as notification to rangers if one is encountered.
Camping Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
is one of Michigan's most popular destinations for camping vacations,
possibly the most popular. This popularity may be due to the fact it was
named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by Good Morning America in
2011. There are a few campgrounds in the national lakeshore and they are grouped
into D.H. Day Campground, Platte River Campground, a few camping areas on the
Manitou Islands within, and some other sites for backcountry or group camping.
= D.H. Day Campground = D.H. Day Campground is part of Sleeping
Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and offers a moderate level of privacy and a beach
on Lake Michigan. Campsites are rustic, wooded, and more far apart than
campsites at most campgrounds. Nearby points of interest include Empire
Bluffs, the "dune climb", and North Bar Lake. It is extremely popular and does
not accept reservations; all sites are "first-come, first-served." Because of
the campground's popularity it's recommended that campers arrive early to
obtain a first-come, first-served campsite during summer months. Campsites
1-31 allow the use of a generator, the remaining sites forbid generator use.
= Platte River Campground = Platte River Campground is part of
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and offers a variety of campsites, some
of which are reservable and some of which are set aside as first-come
first-served. Some campsites are modern, some are "hike-in," and others are more
rustic. Nearby points of interest include Platte River Point, the Platte
River, and Big Platte Lake. The north section of Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Park is a short drive from Platte River Campground. Kayaking is a popular
activity at the campground, especially the kayak trail leading from the
campground to Platte River Point = Manitou Island campgrounds =
Sleeping Bear Dunes also has three main campgrounds on South Manitou Island,
including the Weather Station Campground located on the south side of the island,
the Bay Campground on the west shore of the island and the Popple Campground on
the north shore. = Other camping areas nearby =
In addition to federal campgrounds within the national lakeshore itself,
there are many other camping areas nearby, which cater to the large number
of tourists visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes each year. There are at least 20
distinct camping areas in the region immediately surrounding Sleeping Bear
Dunes. See also
Sand Dune Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive
List of areas in the National Park System of the United States
Footnotes External links
National Park Service: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore: Final General Management Plan,
Wilderness Study Environmental Impact Statement
Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau
North Manitou Island Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau
The Sleeping Bear Organization Aerial Video of Sleeping Bear Dunes
National Lakeshore