Sleeping Bear Point Trail

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.

Photo credit: Racing the Storm by kuku4manitou