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Taking a truck loaded with people tearing around the Sleeping Bear Dunes would land you in jail. But long before the days of endangered pitcher thistle plants and piping plovers, back when most people thought that a fragile ecosystem was something you better pack with extra styrofoam, there were the Dune Rides.

It all began, according to the brochure:

"In 1935 Louis C. Warnes equipped a car with special motor and giant tires for personal pleasure trips into the vast sand lands near his home. Friends begged him to take passengers. Soon he added other cars and trained drivers...."

The website Oh Ranger! adds more detail, noting that Marion Warnes (D.H. Day's youngest daughter) was a gig part as well of Sleeping Bear Dunesmobile Rides out of Glen Haven.

They started the rides with a used 1934 Ford that took four people at a time to the crest of the dunes and back for 25 cents each. By the time the rides ended in 1978, there were 13 dunes wagons each carrying 14 passengers on a 12 mile, 35 minute excursion.

I haven't been able to find anything specifically on the "Dunesmobiles" themselves, but to the left is a photo of a Travelalls made by International Harvester. The book A Nationalized Lakeshore by Theodore J. Karamanski notes that Warnes, backed by his new ten-year concession agreement, purchased ten brand-new Oldsmobile 88 in 1956. They used balloon tires and the two that I've seen around Leelanau are both Olds 88s.

For over 40 years the Dunesmobiles rode over one of the most breathtaking landscapes in the world, bringing those to young, old or lazy to walk closer to the beauty that dwells in the heart of the Sleeping Bear. With the coming of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the days of the dune rides were numbered and in 1978 the dune rides ceased altogether.

Today, the trucks have been pressed into service by Manitou Island Transit and far fewer people get back into the "real" dunes. The result is certainly best for the health of the dunes, but it also means that for folks who won't journey more than a few hundred feet from their cars, memories of the Sleeping Bear Dunes will consist of a few runs up and down the dune climb.

There's a couple of photos from the brochure below and you can see some more (with a few from the dune rides at Silver Lake Dunes thrown in) from Don Harrison's postcards of the dunesmobiles. The photo above is Sleeping Bear Dunesmobile by Seeking Michigan (click to see it bigger!)

Sleeping Bear Dunesmobile Headquarters by UpNorth Memories

The Bear -- which has since disappeared

A "Dunesmobile" on the specially constructed gravel road

 

You can check out all kinds park & trail information on our Sleeping Bear Dunes Homepage and get snow & trail condition updates at Ski Leelanau!

There is no better way to get outside and burn off some of those extra holiday calories than by joining a Park Ranger at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on a guided snowshoe hike every Saturday. Meet at 1 p.m. at the Visitor Center in Empire for these popular weekend afternoon adventures. They take place every Saturday, starting on January 7, 2012 and going through the month of February. Dress in layers, wear waterproof boots, and don’t forget to take your camera along to capture the wonders of winter.

Park Rangers meet interested snowshoers inside the Visitor Center to first provide basic snowshoeing instructions, and then directions to a trailhead or off-trail area pre-selected by the Park Ranger. If you do not have your own snowshoes, the National Park Service will loan you a pair free of charge (they are limited to 30 participants so email or call them to pre-register). While exploring outside, the Park Ranger will encourage participants to inquire and learn about winter’s effect on the park’s unique features. Be prepared to be outside until about 3 p.m.

Not only is snowshoeing easy, fun and good exercise, it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The Park Ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for no more than one and a half miles. This allows visitors an opportunity for discovery, adventure, and to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers. Some snowshoers simply want to experience and enjoy a winter wonderland, which is what you will find at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

There is no charge for the programs, however, participants need to display the park entrance pass or have an annual pass to join in the fun. Reservations are not required, but are suggested, especially if you wish to borrow snowshoes or are with a group. Please call (231) 326-5134, ext. 328, for details and to make reservations. For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, visit www.nps.gov/slbe.

The Glen Lake Association (GLA) is one of four recipients of a 2011 National Fish Habitat Action Plan Award, given for extraordinary achievement in Fish Habitat Conservation. GLA lake biologist Rob Karner  explains:

"There are seven GLA projects on which this national award was based. Each is an important part of resource conservation and protection. Without the commitment and oversight by the lake association, water quality and these other environmental initiatives would not exist."

The Glen Lake Association uses numerous outreach and educational campaigns to protect the Glen Lake watershed from aquatic invasive species, physical habitat degradation, and water quality impairment while promoting aesthetic and recreational enjoyment to riparians and the public. Last year the 800 member grassroots organization was named "Michigan Inland Lake Steward of the Year Award" by the Michigan Lake and Stream Associations in 2008.

You can learn about these programs right here. For additional information on the work of the Glen Lake Association and ways to become involved, visit www.glenlakeassociation.com or call 231 334.7645.

Photo Credit: - Glen Lake, Empire, Michigan. by creed_400 - get it background big right here!

National Geographic has a new book out entitled The 10 Best of Everything National Parks, and the Detroit Free Press reports that:

Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has one of the top views of any national park.

Listed first for "Hike-to Views" was the park's Sleeping Bear Point Trail with its "beautiful overlooks of Lake Michigan and the surrounding landscape."

Check out the Sleeping Bear Point trail and see other trails in Leelanau.com's Sleeping Bear Dunes guide!

Photo credit: Sleeping Bear Point by Happyhiker4

Here's a slideshow from Joey Randall that takes you to some of the great views around the park!

via Michigan in Pictures...

Looks like the old cannery at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is getting a fresh coat of paint as part of a renovation this fall. The Cannery Boathouse Museum is the largest public exhibit of Great Lakes small craft and features all kinds of historic boats used around Glen Haven and the Manitou Islands.

360 Michigan has a cool 360 degree panorama of the cannery and the beach at Glen Haven that you’ll want to check out.

Check this out bigger in Mark’s slideshow which features some outstanding fall photos!!

Photo: Job Shadowing by Happyhiker4.

Mark took this shot of the DH Day Barn in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Wednesday. Be sure to check this out background bigtacular and see more shots from the Lakeshore in his slideshow!

You can get your photos featured on Leelanau.com if you add them to the Leelanau (dot com) pool on Flickr!

From the Glen Arbor Sun:

Tom Van Zoeren has published a new booklet about the Port Oneida Rural Historic District in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore north of Glen Arbor, titled The Thoreson Farm and Its Neighbors, which, Tom says “is based mainly on oral history recordings with Leonard Thoreson, and on his photo collection.”

The book starts with Leonard’s ancestors and the beginnings of the farm, continues through his boyhood there, the eventual sale of the farm, and its inclusion in the National Lakeshore (which is part of the National Park Service).

Thoreson Farm includes a few pages about the neighboring Fred & Ellen Miller Farm, the Watkins Cottage, and the Brunson Farm, and includes maps of all farmsteads based on aerial photos. The book also includes an audio CD with excerpts from Leonard’s interviews, so you can hear him tell stories with your own ears.

The Thoreson Farm and Its Neighbors costs $18 and is available at the Glen Lake and Traverse City Libraries, Laker Shakes, The Cottage Bookshop, Horizon Books in Traverse City or online at VZOralHistory.com. For more information, call Tom Van Zoeren at (231) 334-4608.

Recently Senator Carl Levin and Representative Pete Hoekstra simultaneously introduced bills to preserve 32,557 acres within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as wilderness. This is almost half of the 72,000 acres of sand dunes, shoreline, and forests.

Up North Live reports that Deputy Superintendent Tom Ulrich says,

"This bill will continue the management we're doing now preserving the hunting and fishing opportunities the boating and hiking all of the things people come here for that will go on into the future indefinitely and a future manager can't change it and say "oh I'm going to build a new visitor center in someone's favorite mushroom spot."

Read the rest of the article or watch Diana Fairbank's Fact Finder Report.

Photo: Sleeping Bear Bay by .jowo.

The Carl Oleson Jr Bridge, commonly known at the Narrows Bridge finally re-opened for car Traffic on Saturday, October 24. News spread quickly via phone calls, emails, and even facebook posts.

The Glen Arbor Sun reports:

On Monday, an email from Bob Felt from the Michigan Department of Transportation’s Office of Communications reported that the new M-22 bridge was open for business: “While crews have not completely finished the project, vehicular traffic can now cross the new $3.4 million bridge. … Restoration and railing work have yet to be completed. The pedestrian walkway is closed until further notice.”

To learn about the re-opening and history about the bridge, read the Glen Arbor Sun's article.

Photo: Glen Lake by creed_400

This summer Leelanau.com has had a special focus on the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.  The lakeshore, dunes, and scenic lake views are a favorite with photographers.  This beautiufl photo of Glen Lake is by yodraws.  Be sure to check out her other pictures from the area in her slidehow.

When you are done looking at yodraws' photos, head over to Leelanau.com to read some of our special features on the Sleeping Bear Dunes and National Lakeshore.  Or better yet, get out and explore the Sleeping Bear Dunes for yourself!  If you get any great photos, be sure to submit them to the Leelanau.com flickr group. Your photo  might be the next Photo Friday feature!