The Leelanau News Blog
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Over on our Absolute Michigan web site, we're featuring Leelanau's own National Lakeshore in Dig Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes. It begins:

The October 21, 1970 Act of Congress that established the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore declared that "...the Congress finds that certain outstanding natural features, including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena, exist along the mainland shore of Lake Michigan and on certain nearby islands in Benzie and Leelanau Counties, Michigan, and that such features ought to be preserved in their natural setting and protected from developments and uses which would destroy the scenic beauty and natural character of the area."

Before it's all over, you will have hopefully enjoyed the photos, maps and links and checked out 5 "must-do" ways to experience the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (I'm hoping folks who know and love the Dunes can add many more tips for visitors!)

Check it out - I'm really happy with how it came out!

Photo: canyon of trees by metrolens

The Leelanau Trail is a non-motorized trail extending 15 miles, roughly north and south. The trail follows along part of the east side of the Leelanau Peninsula, from Suttons Bay to Traverse City. It follows the early 20th-century railroad beds of what came to be know as the Leelanau Transit Company.

While hiking the Leelanau Trail you can enjoy stunning views of the Grand Traverse Bay's Western Arm, Lake Leelanau, and Suttons Bay. Plus, the fabric-like, undulating hills of the Leelanau Peninsula can satisfy any scenery-starved eye.

For more information on the Leelanau Trail, you can visit this site.

Cool things to do: bike, roller blade, run, walk.

The Bay View Trail is divided into small loops that total 8 miles. There are many exciting things to see along its many different routes. Part of the trail runs directly behind the barn of the Charles Olsen Farm which is home to Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. The Port Oneida School is located just off of the trail and you can stop and pump some water and rest your weary bones on the front porch or a picnic table under a tree near the school. Lookout Point gives a panoramic view of Lake Michigan and the surrounding countryside. The trail along the edge of the woods on top of the bluff overlooks fields of wildflowers and former farmland with Lake Michigan in the background. Hiking the Bay View trail gives you several beautiful vistas of Lake Michigan, the farms, and North and South Manitou Islands.

For even more information on the Bay View Trail, you can ask the National Parks Service.

Cool things to do: Rest at the Charles Olsen Farm, check out the buildings and go inside the house to learn some history about the area (Port Oneida), or rest at the Port Oneida School, cool off with some hand pumped water, or sit on the porch relaxing.

Make sure to return to the area on the 10th and 11th of August for the Point Oneida Fair.

The Empire Bluff trail leads walkers on a 1.5 mile round trip hike up to the bluff looking out over Lake Michigan and towards South Bar Lake. When the weather is clear you can see South Manitou Island.

To get more information on the Empire Bluff, you can visit the National Parks Service site here.

Cool things to do: look out for the 6 numbered posts and read in the trail map brochure about that area, make sure to look for old farming equipment from the early settlements, give yourself enough time either before of after your hike to stop in the village of Empire and enjoy a nice refreshing drink and a look around the town.

DO NOT DESCEND THE BLUFF - It looks like fun, but in order to protect the bluff from erosion it is best to stay at the top (and it is really, really, really hard to get back up).

Alligator Hill Trail comes equipped with beautiful views of both Lake Michigan and Big Glen Lake. Alligator Hill has a total of nine miles of trail, which are divided into different loops, the hike is very hilly and passes through beautiful Michigan forests.

The 1.5 mile hike from the Stocking Road trailhead to the Islands Lookout on top of Alligator Hill is a relatively gentle uphill walk through Maple-Beech forest on an old road bed. The view from the Lookout is outstanding. On a clear day, you can see North and South Manitou Island and Sleeping Bear Point. Quite often South Fox Island will also be visible. There is a bench at the lookout, so you can take some time to relax and enjoy the view before continuing your hike. From this vantage point you will often see a freighter making its way through the Manitou Passage.

For more information on the Alligator Hill Trail, feel free to visit the National Parks Service's website.

Cool things to do: hike the trail, run the trail - which is very hard, ride the trail -horses are also allowed. Search the undergrowth for signs of different animal life. Do not bike the trail. Stop in Glen Arbor before or after your hike to check out the great shops, grab a bite to eat, or just walk around town.

The Sleeping Bear Point Trail takes you on a spectacular climb ascending from forested dunes all the way to open dunes. You can either follow the trail around in a 2.8 mile loop, or you can detour and walk down to the beach for a nice cool dip on a hot day - but please stay on the trails, venturing off the trails disrupts the ecosystem and causes erosion.

Cool things to do: bring a Frisbee or soccer ball and play up in the dunes or along the beach, fly a kite on a windy day, detour to the lake and go for a swim, bring a sandboard and board down the dunes - just watch out for other people. Make sure you give yourself enough time to stop by the Maritime Museum and wander around Glen Haven.

For more info on the Sleeping Bear Point Trail, please visit the National Parks Services website here.

DO NOT TOUCH POISON IVY!!! Poison Ivy can be found on the sides of the trail at the very beginning. A way to help remember about Poison Ivy is this little rhyme: Leaves of three, let it be. Before you go check out Wikipedia: Poison Ivy to learn more about it. The Poison Ivy in Leelanau County is normally ground cover and not a shrub. As long as you do not touch the Poison Ivy you should be fine.

One of Leelanau County’s more famous geographical landmarks is known as The Whaleback.
Jutting out into Lake Michigan just south of Leland, the Whaleback was so named for obvious reasons. When viewed from the north or south along the shoreline or just offshore, the geological formation is shaped much like a beached whale, with its head pointing west into the lake.

Technically, The Whaleback is a moraine, having been formed by earth and stones deposited there by a glacier. Specifically, The Whaleback is a drumlin, defined as “a long, oval mound of boulder clay molded by glacial action.”

The Whaleback trail is a beautiful trail leading up onto the bluffs looking out over Lake Michigan and the islands. The trail is steep so be prepared, but the view is worth the effort of the climb. The Whaleback trail snakes through an area that is home not only to a variety of animals, but also, in the spring, to vast swaths of forest flowers such as trillium and columbine.

About the Trail: 1.5 hours, challenging hike, steep access trail to flat 3/4 mile hilltop loop. Info kiosk at trailhead, benches along steep trail.

Cool things to do on the climb: spot trillium and columbines in the spring, spot freighters passing by when you reach the top, try to name the islands you see.
Spring Specialties: thimble berries, bird-watching
Summer Surprises: monarchs on milkweed
Fall Fun: brilliant colors
Winter Wonders: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing

The Pyramid Point trail is a 2.7 mile loop, with a small spur that that climbs up to overlook Lake Michigan. As you hike you will pass through three different environments, maple-beech forest, high bluffs, and meadow. The trail does include several steep hills, but like so many other trails in Leelanau County the view makes the effort worth it.

Cool things to do: bring your dogs (as long as they are on a leash), look out over the water and try to spot the Crib (any guess what it is? - its a lighthouse in the middle of the water), and name the islands you see. When the sun is at your back look down to the water and try to spot what is left of the steamship Rising Sun.

DO NOT DESCEND THE BLUFF - it looks really fun, but in order to protect the bluff from erosion it is best to stay at the top (and it is really, really, really hard to get back up).

For more information on the Trail, visit the National Park's Service site here.

A magnificent beach along a stretch of Good Harbor Bay. This beach offers clear views out to the islands and has a long sandy beach. Just a few seconds walk south is a stream running from the woods into Lake Michigan. The stream is great for kids to play in, fun to follow into the woods, and nice to just stand in the warmer waters of the stream after a cold dip in Lake Michigan.

Cool things to do: Bring a soccer ball, football, or frisbee to have a rowdy game on the beach, on a windy day bring boogieboards, surfboards, or skimboards and play in the waves, and after all the hard play make sure to stick around to watch the sunset - there is nothing better than watching a sunset over Lake Michigan (don't blink - if you look hard enough you might be able to see the Green Flash when the sun sets).

Since the 1800s this island has been a popular harbor and fueling station. By the late 1840s there were piers on both the eastern and western sides of the island. The steamers traveling to and from Chicago and the Straits of Mackinac stopped at these piers to refuel. The island was inhabited for a time. Today North Manitou Island (like South Manitou Island) is an uninhabited island just off the coast of western Leelanau County. Since the mid 1800s families have lived on the island, remnants of their farms still survive and there is a cemetery at the southeast edge of the island. The village is composed of houses which were summer houses or hunting lodges. There are many miles of trail over the island and wilderness camping is allowed on the island.

Cool things to do: hike, swim, fish, check out the abandoned buildings - they are dangerous to go in.

Watch out for Poison Ivy! A way to help remember about Poison Ivy is this little rhyme: Leaves of three, let it be. Before you go check out Wikipedia: Poison Ivy to learn more about it. The Poison Ivy in Leelanau County is normally ground cover and not a shrub. As long as you do not touch the Poison Ivy you will be fine.

How to reach the island: you can take a personal boat or take the Manitou Transit, Manitou Transit only drops people off and picks them up, they do not stay at the island in order to pick passengers up later that day, if you go to the island plan on camping.