- State: MI
- NPCA Region: Midwest
- Est. Date: 1970
Air Quality Conditions
View the Polluted Parks ReportVisibility
Unsatisfactory
Health
Unsatisfactory
Nature
Significant Concern
Climate Change Threats
Sleeping Bear Dunes features immense and magnificent sand dunes, as well as beaches, forests and inland lakes along a 35-mile strip of the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan. Off the coast, the park also includes two undeveloped islands, North and South Manitou Islands, which offer a more remote backcountry experience.
The park’s famous dunes were sculpted by the advance and retreat of huge glaciers over the last two million years. It is the world’s largest collection of freshwater sand dunes, with striking formations that rise up to 400 feet above the surface of the lake.
Must-Do Drive
The Pierce Stocking scenic drive features 12 stops along the lakeshore, with 7.4 miles of picturesque views of the park's beech-maple forest, barns, sand dunes, lakes and more.
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Blog Post
9 Perfect Parks for a Winter Workout
Are you determined to get outside, even if the air is brisk? These nine parks allow you to stay active outdoors and work up a healthy sweat, even — or…
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Press Release
Great Lakes National Parks Lead in Restoration, Benefits Largest Fresh Water System on the Planet
New NPCA report highlights successful restoration efforts in and around 10 national parks and the need for increased federal funding.
More about Sleeping Bear Dunes
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Report A Sound Investment: Restoring the Great Lakes in Our National Parks These success stories highlight the important role our national parks play in restoring the Great Lakes – the largest source of fresh water on the planet.
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Read more about Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Fact Sheet Great Lakes Restoration Initiative The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) is a federal funded program that was launched in 2010 to accelerate efforts to restore and protect the Great Lakes – the largest fresh water system in the world.
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Read more about A Fruitful Mission
Magazine Article A Fruitful Mission As the park system’s fruit trees reach the end of their lifespans, staff are scrambling to save them.
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Read more about Spooky, Beautiful Photos of Abandoned Park Towns
Blog Post Spooky, Beautiful Photos of Abandoned Park Towns National parks preserve landscapes with centuries of history. Sometimes beauty is in the remnants of what is no longer there.
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The parks' land has always existed, but the parks themselves only exist as long as we protect them. — Joey DiFranco
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Read more about 10 Scenic National Park Drives
Blog Post 10 Scenic National Park Drives These 10 parks offer incredible views of some of America's most beautiful places with plenty of opportunities to get out and explore along the way.
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Read more about 11 of America’s Best National Park Beaches
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Read more about A Yogi’s Guide to the National Parks
Blog Post A Yogi’s Guide to the National Parks Experiencing America’s natural wonders in 9 poses
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Read more about Tuzi ... What? The Origins of 12 Unusual National Park Names
Blog Post Tuzi ... What? The Origins of 12 Unusual National Park Names Tuzigoot. Great Egg Harbor. Yosemite. Who came up with these names? What do they mean? Sometimes they come from one person, sometimes a whole culture—but the stories behind these memorable monikers reveal interesting details about these places and the people who have loved and lived in them.
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Read more about Gift of the Glaciers
Magazine Article Gift of the Glaciers Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers visitors beaches, bluffs, clear waters, and 10,000-year-old hills of sand.
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Read more about Wild American Beauty: 10 Wilderness Areas to Explore
Blog Post Wild American Beauty: 10 Wilderness Areas to Explore Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act by exploring some of America’s wildest places, from remote windswept tundras to cactus-dotted mountains to serene rock-strewn beaches. Several spots are surprisingly close to major cities.
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Read more about What Lies Beneath
Blog Post What Lies Beneath Citizen scientists are helping birds dying at troubling rates in the Midwest by studying invasive species at Sleeping Bear Dunes.
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Read more about Parks Group Applauds Passage of Bills to Protect Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Glacier National Park
Press Release Parks Group Applauds Passage of Bills to Protect Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Glacier National Park Statements by Lynn McClure, NPCA Senior Midwest Regional Director and Michael Jamison, NPCA Glacier Program Manager
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Read more about Protecting and Connecting Our Nation's Treasured Park Landscapes
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Read more about Restoring the Great Lakes in our National Parks
Report Restoring the Great Lakes in our National Parks This report highlights the successful and critical role that the National Park Service plays in restoring the Great Lakes, safeguarding public health, creating jobs, and protecting these special places belonging to all Americans.
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