Busy summer in Sleeping Bear, but storm prevented run for the record

From staff reports

Largely forgotten amidst our Aug. 2 storm coverage, July 2015 set a record for monthly visits to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, with 438,291. That’s 7,000 more than July 2014. June was also a big month for visitors, as the Park welcomed only 800 fewer people than in June 2012, which was the “summer on steroids” following the “Most Beautiful Place in America” coronation.

With 880,246 visitors through July, 2015 looked to give 2012 a run for its money. But the storm stopped that, and closed many Park attractions for a full week. Deputy superintendent Tom Ulrich bets the Park lost more than 50,000 visitors during that time. Despite the lost week, August visitor numbers were down only 7.4 percent from last year. Total visitation for 2015 is still up 6 percent. It’s safe to say that 2015 will still be one of the biggest years ever, and may come in second only to 2012.